Page 18 - 2008 NZ SUB ANTARCTIC ISLANDS - SMARTPHONE

Vostok base in winter wearing only regular clothing, we would be dead in less than a minute
because our lungs would freeze and our blood turn to jelly. Brrrr!

The Fairy (or Blue) Penguin

This rather Disneyesque Center also had
a wildlife experience for us. Under the
auspices of DOC, the Center provides a
home for disabled fairy (blue) penguins
who could not be released into the wilds
after their recovery from either injury or
disease. Here they have a climate
controlled environment with snow and
ice as well as a commodious swimming
pool/tank which allows visitors to watch
their underwater “flying.”

These penguins are the smallest in the
world, standing less than 16 inches high
and weighing 2.2 lbs. compared to the
Emperors who are 3 ft. 7 inches tall and
weigh about 75 lbs. But these little guys
are really dominant in the charm
department. So awkward and waddly on
land, so balletic and graceful in the
water. Their tuxedos make them look
faintly ridiculous, like all penguins, but
endearing as well.

There is some controversy among
penguin biologists about the total number of different penguin species, but the number usually
agreed upon is 17. Of those, 7 live in New Zealand, the most in any one country.

An interesting factoid about the name of this bird: It is most often accepted that “penguin” is a
Welsh word meaning “white-headed.” Interesting since not all penguins have white feathers on
their heads! Why the Welsh had the honor of naming the bird is also unknown. Actually, there
are other theories about the word’s origin. Some linguists say that the extinct Great Auk of the
Arctic was called Pen Gwyn, pronounced as Pin-wing, since that bird also had rudimentary wings
like modern penguins. Still others believe that the word came from the Latin, pingius, meaning
“fat.” There is not much evidence supporting a Latin origin. No definitive answer is accepted.

The 12 “blues” on display while we visited are thriving, so much so that they are successfully
reproducing. This is a good thing, since they are an endangered species, but this fecundity is also
producing a problem for the Center and DOC—what to do with the chicks when they mature
since they will be normal and healthy birds? Can they be relocated to a safe and secure location?
Will they be accepted by a colony already established? Will they know how to feed themselves
and survive the threats in their environment such as predatory seals and orcas? That question is
still being pondered by the scientists at DOC and other penguin experts being consulted around
the world. In the meantime, the captive birds continue nesting and fledging their chicks! What to
do?

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