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
