The Spheniscus Mendiculus, or more commonly known as the Galapagos Penguins, live on the Galapagos islands. An unknown fact about them is that they are the smallest penguins that live near the equator. The Galapagos Islands contain a melting pot of marine animals, such as the giant tortoise and the land iguana. The penguins are about 21 inches in length and usually weigh around 4-6 pounds. Most of their body consists of their black feathers, however their white feathers form a C-shape all around their face and body. Since the Galapagos island is known for having a tropical climate, the Galapagos penguins overtime had to adapt to their weather conditions. The penguins lose heat from the bottom of their flippers, so in order to stay cool, they keep their feet in the C-shade and lean forward to shade their feet. They also use the water to their advantage when searching for food such as anchovies, sardines, and mullet.
During events such as El Nino, which is when the water temperature rises, food for the penguins such as fish, migrate away until the water is colder. This leads to the Galapagos penguin’s mortality rate to increase and a decrease in infants, it is one of the major disadvantages of the animals whose diets consist of fish. Living on an archipelago can have its ups and downs, nonetheless these penguins enjoy the water and are excellent swimmers, using their flippers to propel themselves underwater. To maintain their good swimming body, they have a shedding process which involves shedding and replacing all of their feathers at once. They are able to dive around 100 feet deep for food and many admire their talent of how they adapt to their conditions. Due to the complete isolation of the island, the animals which reside here must be fit for survival; It is the reason why the island is popular for the unique species and for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution: natural selection. However, the Galapagos penguins species is decreasing and slowly going extinct.The penguins are limited because of their restricted area to reproduce and grow and the impact of climate change.Galapagos penguins preservers try their best to keep their environment safe and help them breed enough to not go extinct, which includes keeping them away from introduced predators like cats and dogs. We must try our best to keep these marine animals safe from extinction. Another alternative is donating to the organization that protects galapagos penguins, and select other areas besides the Galapagos island to explore as a tourist. Stopping predators or invasive species from entering the island can help the breeding process and lower death rates.
