High-Diving Penguin Chicks

When emperor penguin chicks go for their first swim, they usually jump a few feet into the sea. The group of chicks in the video National Geographic video above decided to leap off of a 50-foot ice cliff for their first trip out.

It’s not unusual for emperor penguin chicks to march toward the ocean at a young age, even when they’re just 6 months old. They jump just 2 feet off the ice to take their first swim, according to National Geographic.

Others have jumped from a much a higher altitude, heading to “sheer ice cliffs” knowingly to make the first jump. Satellites have recorded the death-defying jumps since 2009, but what happens next has remained a mystery until now.

Having watched the video, “leap” and “jump” are charitable descriptions of what the penguins are doing here. “Flop”, “plop”, and “fall” might be better…penguins are all kinds of cool, but no one has ever accused them of being graceful out of the water.

• Antarctica
• penguins
• video

5 foot penguins

Scientists recently reconstructed the first model of the prehistoric Kairuku penguin, a species of penguin discovered 30 years ago, but not put back together until now. The Kairuku was over 5 feet tall, had slender hands, and lived for over 25 million years. To contrast, the Emperor penguin, the biggest of the penguin species, is usually around three and a half feet tall.

On a personal note, I think people should fake fear these guys as much as they fake fear clowns. A 5 foot penguin? Come on.

(via anildash)

• penguins