On a tiny peninsula in southern Argentina, nearly 400,000 penguins gather to breed and usher in a new generation of their species
Penguin Dispatch 1: Arriving in Punta Tombo, Argentina
The winter residents of Punta Tombo fly in steadily over the course of a few days, eventually swarming the small land mass
By Eric Wagner
Penguin Dispatch 2: The Scientists of Punta Tombo
For over 25 years, researcher Dee Boersma has been coming with students in tow to Punta Tombo to study the penguins
By Eric Wagner
Penguin Dispatch 3: Penguin Wrangling
Handling and tagging a penguin can be no easy task, leaving oneself open to a vicious and potentially dangerous beak attack
By Eric Wagner
Penguin Dispatch 4: How to Study a Penguin Egg
Females guard their eggs closely, so scientists must tread carefully when temporarily extracting the eggs for research
By Eric Wagner
Penguin Dispatch 5: Picking the Cutest Newborn Chick
By late-November, many eggs are hatching and cute, tennis-ball sized grey chicks emerge, begging for food from their parents
By Eric Wagner
Penguin Dispatch 6: The First Trip into the Ocean
Only two months into their lives, the chicks, with their now stronger flippers, take their first dive from the water’s edge
By Eric Wagner
Penguin Dispatch 7: Turbo, the Penguin Who Loved Humans
One Magellanic penguin rejected his own species and instead of fearing the scientists, he befriended and lived with them
By Eric Wagner
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Magellanic PenguinsExplore photos from Eric Wagner's experience with the Magellanic penguins of Punta Tombo |
Videos
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The Bray of the Wild PenguinTwo male penguins show they displeasure for each other by bill-dueling, braying and head-wagging |
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An Egg HatchesA chick in the process of hatching as the female adult looks on |
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Feeding the Newborn PenguinAn adult penguin, recently back from a foraging trip, responds to the cheeping of its two-week-old chick and feeds it |
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Flapping Their WingsAs chicks mature, they strengthen their breast muscles by flapping their wings vigorously |
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Ready to FledgeThe biological urge is too strong to resist for penguin chicks as they fledge and dive into the water for the first time |
More Dispatches
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Secretary's JournalsSmithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough shares stores from his journeys around the world, learning more about what Smithsonian researchers are studying in the field |
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