A Year in Uruguay

Ever see a million penguins? Yesterday, we visited Punta Tombo in Chubet, Argentina which has the largest colony of penguins outside Antarctica. The Magellanic Penguins were spread over a couple hundred acres, so while we couldn't see a 1,000,000 penguins at once, there were penguins everywhere we looked.

Most of them were scattered across the landscape, sitting beside their nests in the shade. Bushes provide some protection from seagulls and other predators, so they make the best nest sites. The nest itself is a shallow hole in the ground. Penguins return to the same nest every year.

The baby penguins had grown nearly as large as the adults and real feathers were replacing their grey down. They still demanded food from their parents. I don't think I'd ever heard a penguin's call before.

There were a handful of penguins swimming in the ocean and thousands standing shoulder to shoulder on the beach. It was impressive.

Labels: Argentina, nature, Patagonia