Penguins and Albatrosses

Penguins!

Wait, those were pancakes. Here are some real penguins. They are Little Blue Penguins, the smallest penguins in the world, at only 30 cm tall! They swim back to shore at dusk to feed their chicks and sleep. A group of them swimming is called a raft. They waddle up the beach in a clump.

Then they climb up the paths they’ve made to find their nests for sleeping.

Waddle waddle honk honk

Also near the penguins on the Otago Peninsula I saw some Royal Albatrosses at the world’s only mainland colony of Royal Albatrosses. They were nesting. (they are the white spots on the hill)

They have an average wingspan of 10 feet, which is much larger than my wingspan. Baby albatrosses do not. But they can be seen here as they hatch: http://www.doc.govt.nz/royalcam