Macaroni penguins 20 Jan 2024

Macaroni penguins

Let"s flap our flippers and take a dive into the world of penguins! How many kinds of penguins can you name? Today"s snapshot features agile macaroni penguins swimming in the plankton-rich waters of the Drake Passage in Chile. These charming creatures are just one of 18 different species of penguin found in the Southern Hemisphere and can be recognised by their peculiar amber crests and prominent orange beak. Macaroni penguins gather in foraging groups, but males can be aggressive towards each other. To show passivity and avoid a fight, individuals often ease through colonies with their heads tucked down to their chests. Despite being beloved by us humans, penguins are threatened by reduced food availability, errant fishing nets and the profound impact of climate change on their habitat, sea ice.

© Paul Souders/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Come on, guys, this way!
20 Jan 2025Dunes at White Sands National Park, New Mexico, United States
20 Jan 2026Penguin Awareness Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

2 Mar 2026Harbour and longtail boats at Ko Samui, Thailand
30 Dec 2024Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
A mile-high island
30 May 2024Everglades National Park, Florida, USA
Cheerful colours of a Cornwall classic
Widespread and long-eared
Sunset on Santorini
18 Sep 2024Gujō Hachiman Castle, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
8 Feb 2026Corfu, Greece
4 Dec 2024Wildlife Conservation Day
11 Jun 2025Greater flamingos, Lüderitz, Namibia
1 Aug 2025Edinburgh Festival Fringe
25 Jul 2025Colourful houses of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Happy Mothers Day!
Go fly a kite!
13 Dec 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
3 Mar 2025World Wildlife Day
15 Apr 2024World Art Day
International Mountain Day
12 Nov 2025Colosseum, Rome, Italy
23 Mar 2025World Meteorological Day
Blending in nicely
A beach of many colours
23 Dec 2025Reindeer, Lapland, Finland
10 Nov 2025Black-tailed prairie dogs, Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
11 Aug 2025Village of Santa Maddalena, Dolomites, Italy
5 May 2025Brighton Festival
A glimpse of the grandest of canyons
Ludlow aglow
A right royal tradition