Galapagos Penguins: the rarest and most endangered penguin species in the world

The galapagos penguin is the rarest and most endangered penguin species in the world. They are the only penguin species found north of the equator. 95 percent of the Galapagos Penguin's population is found on Isabela and Fernandina, two islands in the western part of the archipelago. Cool waters of the Humboldt and Cromwell Currents well up and sweep along the shores, nourishing a high density of fish prey that sustains this species year-round.

Galapagos Penguin, Animal Painting, 11x14" Multi-medium on Canvas Panel, katrinathunem.com

If my love isn't like Galapaos penguins then I don't want it! Galapagos penguins tend to bond with one partner for life. The pair will preen each other and tap bills, which reinforces their partnership. They use vocalizations and some body movements to communicate emotions and greetings. Different vocalizations and movements help them identify their partners and chicks.

Galapagos penguins undergo a molt twice per year and always prior to breeding. Galapagos Penguins breed in loose colonies in the cracks and caves of the islands' lava flows. These penguins are opportunistic breeders, nesting when food is plentiful — probably an adaptation to their unpredictable environment. If conditions are favorable, Galapagos Penguins will breed two to three times per year.

Once mated, the female lays up to two eggs, and both parents help with incubation. One parent is always present to incubate while the other goes out to forage. After the chicks have hatched, one parent continues to remain at the nest until the chicks are around three weeks old. Both parents then head out to sea, bringing back food for their rapidly growing and always ravenous chicks. The male and female share the duties of incubating the eggs, allowing both adults to forage for food. Females may have as many as three clutches per year.

Galapagos Penguin, Animal Painting, 11x14" Multi-medium on Canvas Panel, katrinathunem.com

Galapagos penguins share the Galápagos Archipelago with other seabirds. It often hunts close to shore on small fish such as sardines, mullet, and anchovies, by diving down over 90 feet, below fish schools, then grabbing its prey as it rises to the surface. It also picks off stray fish. The penguin's attacks from below push fish schools close to the surface, creating feeding opportunities for other birds such as the Brown Pelican, Brown Noddy, and Flightless Cormorant.

Galapagos penguins are extremely agile under water. They can reach speeds of 35 km per hour when hunting.

Galapagos Penguin, Animal Painting, 11x14" Multi-medium on Canvas Panel, katrinathunem.com

Penguins are threatened by predators, pollution, bycatch (the unwanted fish and other marine creatures caught during commercial fishing for a different species) and climate change.

"El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events are made worse by climate change, warming the waters, causing prey species to decline. As a result, the penguins cannot get enough to eat and experience starvation. Breeding becomes more stress-induced and less successful, and their existing young are abandoned. El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have caused mortalities of up to 77 percent, specifically during the 1982/1983 El Niño Southern Oscillation event that left only 463 total birds, due to dramatic declines of prey species. A slow recovery began in 1985, however, a further decline of 66% of the population occurred during the 1997/1998 ENSO. There have been several more of these events since, and they continue to worsen as a result of climate change. Other threats to the Galapagos Penguin include drowning after entanglement in nets or in oil spills, predation by introduced cats and rats that attack adults and eggs, diseases from introduced dogs, and avian malaria, which is carried by mosquitoes brought to the Galápagos by humans in the 1980s. On land, snakes, owls and hawks are potential predators but predation by them is generally minimal. They are also threatened by snakes, hawks, crabs and owls. And at sea they may be killed by sea lions, fur seals and sharks. They are also potentially at risk from marine plastic pollution." (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/weather/reference/el-nino-la-nina/ https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/ElNino#:~:text=During%20an%20El%20Ni%C3%B1o%20event%2C%20the%20surface%20waters%20in%20the,blowing%20over%20the%20vast%20Pacific.)

Galapagos penguins are small in size, no more than 20 inches in height. This small size allows them to squeeze into small caves and crevasses in coastal lava to hide from the strong equatorial sun and keep cool. They also have bare patches on their face, pant, and stand with their flippers extended to help it release heat.

Galapagos Penguin, Animal Painting, 11x14" Multi-mediumon Canvas Panel, katrinathunem.com

The entire Galapagos Penguin population is found within the Galápagos National Park and Marine Reserve. It is annually monitored by park biologists and rangers, who also work to control introduced predators.

"A program that provides artificial nest sites, begun in 2010, has shown some success and may help maintain this species' population. One of the reasons for the endangered status of the penguins is limited nesting options. Many nests (small caves or crevices in lava) used 40 years ago either no longer exist, are used by marine iguanas, or get periodically flooded. In 2010, researchers constructed 120 high-quality, shady penguin nest sites in prime penguin habitat. The long-term goals of this project are to reverse the decline of the Galapagos penguin population by giving increased access to nests (a limited resource), and thus impact reproduction and strengthen the population so that it can better withstand more frequent and intense El Niño events, which are occurring more due to global climate change. Since the program began, nearly a quarter of all penguin breeding activity observed has been in constructed nests.

Dr. Boersma of the University of Washington and her team have recommended that the Galapagos National Park create a marine protected area in Elizabeth Bay, as the area around the Mariela Islands represents the highest density breeding area for Galapagos penguins. Providing special protection for this area will also benefit many other species of seabirds, marine mammals, and fish. Dr. Boersma also recommends creating a second Penguin Conservation Zone around Bartolomé Island. Dr. Boersma has established the Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, with a focus on Galapagos and Magellanic penguins. Visitors to Galapagos can help by uploading photos of penguins and providing date and location. As this database grows, it helps Dr. Boersma’s research team to determine when penguins are molting and track when juveniles appear in the population." galapagos.org

Another organisation looking to help is Galapagos Conservation Trust. Between 2010 and 2016, Galapagos Conservation Trust funded a project to monitor populations of Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants and waved albatrosses in the Islands. Currently, they are working with partners to assess the risk of marine plastic pollution to Galapagos penguins as part of our Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos programme. https://galapagosconservation.org.uk/

This painting is a part of a 2021 painting series, which is dedicated to endangered species. In an effort to use my skill set to take action, I will be donating 10% of the proceeds of this painting to Galapagos Conservancy. Galapagos Conservancy (GC) is dedicated exclusively to the long-term protection of the Galapagos Islands. This single focus allows us to maximize the impact of the financial support of our members, who include individuals and institutions that care deeply about the Galapagos Islands and understand the scientific importance of preserving this extraordinary ecosystem.

#galapagosislands #galapagospenguin #penguin #penguinlover #penguinlife #galapagos #galapagoswildlife #supportwildlife #wildlifelovers #endangeredspecies #lovewildlife #penguinfacts #🐧 #🐧❤️🐧 #🐧🐧🐧 #🐧🐧🐧🐧 #penguin🐧 #wildlifeseekers #wildlifeplanet #wildlifeconservation