Penguins spend much of their lives in and around the water. Pennu and his family are fantastic swimmers, even though they cannot fly through the sky. Who needs to fly when you can zoom beneath the waves?
Penguins eat krill, fish and squid. Almost all wild penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, but they are not only found in Antarctica. Some species live along rocky coastlines, on warm beaches and even close to the equator!
Pennu’s black-and-white feathers are not just stylish—they also help protect him from predators. From above, his dark back blends into the deep ocean, while from below, his white belly blends into the bright surface. This clever camouflage is called countershading. Hide-and-seek champions of the sea!
Baby penguins are called chicks, but they do not look much like the little yellow chicks we see on farms. To survive the cold Antarctic winter, they need more than a warm pair of gloves—they need thick feathers and two caring parents.
Penguin parents take turns keeping their chick warm and travelling to the sea to find food. When they return, they feed the chick by bringing food back up from their stomach. It might not sound very tasty to us, but to a hungry penguin chick, it’s the perfect meal!