Penguin Love

Anyone that knows me at all knows about my not-so-secret obsessions with penguins. Since watching "March of the Penguins" a few years ago, I have been fascinated by these amazing creatures and their ability to endure trials simply to mate.

Today, one of my dreams came true and I got to walk along the beach and swim with African penguins. They're really little, unlike the Emperors in most documentaries, but they are truly adorable little waddlers that look like they're dressed up in tuxedos. They nest all over the warm oceanic beaches of South Africa and there are beaches here just full of little black and white specks of penguins.

One of the truly endearing characteristics of penguins is that they are monogamous and mate for life. In African penguin culture, both the male and female take turns caring for their eggs while the other one goes out to fish for the family. It is truly a reciprocal relationship and all over the beaches you can see them divided up into little groups of two. They actually kiss and spoon and nap together. I was watching two penguins nap snuggled up together in a nook when a foreign penguin invaded their nest. Both jumped up to attack him and protect their nest and after the drama had concluded, they patted each other down to make sure the other one was ok. It was probably one of the most touching displays I've ever witnessed firsthand.