What a wonderful day on Isabela and Fernandina! For many naturalists, including me, this region is a real favorite. Its remoteness, combined with breathtaking geological features, is the perfect background for unique flora and fauna. Among all the new surprises and discoveries our guests enjoy, one in particular is always remarkable, the finding of penguins at the Equator. Penguins in the equatorial zone? You may doubt it, but yes! Penguins live here, sharing a coastal volcanic ecosystem with other unusual creatures like marine iguanas, Sally-light foot crabs, etc. The Galapagos penguin is very closely related to the Peruvian penguin (Spheniscus humboldti), found along the Pacific Coast of South America from Central Chile through most of Peru. In fact, the Peruvian and Galapagos penguins are so similar that the latter must have evolved directly from the former. The Galapagos penguin lives mainly where the upwelling of cool, nutrient-rich waters result in an abundance of small fish.
Galapagos penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) belong to a group of seabirds with very distinguishing characteristics. The morphological characteristic traits are a result of their adaptation to life in the water. The long spindle-shaped body has legs that are inserted far back, so that they are most effective as oars and steering organs. The tail, as a steering rudder, is streamlined and triangular; the flippers contain all the bones of a wing, although they are shortened, flattened, and tightly connected by ligaments, thus forming a rigid surface. The breast muscles (wing muscles) are large, covering the front from neck to lower abdomen. The body is uniformly covered with feathers except for the brood patch; they have thick subcutaneous fat-pads. Each single abdominal or back feather is slightly bent and has an extensive downy portion at the base, formed from the aftershaft. The tips of the feathers overlap like tiles, forming a waterproof shell. The downy part of the feathers also forms a waterproof undercoat and a layer of air thus remains trapped, conserving body heat.
Galapagos penguins have developed important adaptations that permit them to survive in the hard conditions here: 1. Long life span (the adults may live up to ten years). 2. Frequent reproduction, some couples nest three times in fifteen months, which increases the probabilities of eventually having babies when there is enough food supply, and 3. They molt twice a year. 4. These tropical penguins have a much thinner plumage than the polar species, and their layer of fat is also thinner. On land they seek protection from the heat, and confine their activities mostly to the night.
With their unique ecology and ecosystem and an estimated population of only about 1200 individuals, we can say the Galapagos penguins are the rarest in the world. If you like penguins, come and visit us. You will have an experience of a lifetime - the unique chance to observe penguins hopping on lava rocks among intriguing creatures, everything just a few feet away from you!
