For those of you who submitted wildlife photos before I left, rest easy: I still have them and will post them. But I also have to begin posting my Antarctica videos, as I am putting them on YouTube rather than saving them on my computer. So here are three videos of chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus), perhaps the cutest of the six species I saw beside Adelies (King penguins are stately but not cute).
The first video was from Half Moon Island, taken on November 16. A chinstrap is tobogganing on its belly, tries to stand up, flops over and continues the belly-slide. Note how it uses its feet to propel itself, aided a bit by the wings. All the background howling is the wind.
I recommend watching all of these on full screen.
This one, taken on November 19, shows two chinstraps at Orne Harbor in the Act of Love, an act that was completed, though not on this video. The female is of course slippery, and males are, I’m told, constantly sliding off in their frenetic amours. The commentary is mine, with some other passengers remarking at the sight.
And here’s a chinstrap eating snow from our first visit to Half Moon Island on November 9, which I was told they do not only to get water, but to cool themselves down, though it wasn’t particularly hot that day. After it has its fill, it gets up and walks away. In the background you can hear the raucous calls of this species.
Kick up your heels!
If ever they’re hiring someone to do deadpan close-captioning of wildlife documentary sex scenes, PCC should be top of the list.
Also, I prefer to think that in the fourth photo the penguin just stepped in gum. ‘Damn tourists, that’ll take hours to get off’
That first vid reminds me of when you go out sledding even when there’s not really enough snow, and you are just really dragging yourself around with your arms and legs.
The penguins are built for weather that most creatures cannot take. Going south for the winter does not apply.
“Don’t worry; it happens to lots of guys.”
Oh, you need to get a grip.
They’re just such fun to watch. In many ways, they are superbly adapted, yet the adaptations can sometimes get in the way. Ground locomotion and sex seem to be afterthoughts.
Guess there’s not enough selection pressure towards mating in the ocean somehow ….
Whales managed. 😎
Whales have penises. It would be very hard to oppose cloacas, which is what these penguins are doing, in the water!
Sub
Watching the copulatory behaviour of the penguin in a sub-zero environment one wonders if penguins possess an intromittent organ to ensure successful intromission.
In the first video, it appears the penguin stands up to take a look around before continuing.
These were all very enjoyable. I don’t think I could tire of penguins.