National Geographic Explorer Captures Incredibly Rare Footage of Penguins Cliff Diving
Can you imagine being one of the first people to witness something that nobody else in the world has ever seen? That's what happened for National Geographic explorer Bertie Gregory when he was researching Emperor penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula. ABC News shared the story on Thursday, April 11th, and it's truly amazing to see!
Bertie and his crew were tracking a flock of baby penguins (also referred to as chicks and nestlings) for National Geographic. They were interested in watching the babies fledging for the first time. Fledging is when they jump into the water and swim for the first time. Usually, they jump a foot or two into the water, but Bertie saw something incredible that had never been seen before. Watch on to see what the babies do.
Wasn't that incredible?! They were cliff diving from a 50-foot cliff into the water! What an amazing thing to get to witness! There were so many of them, too. ABC News commenters were amazed by the clip. @Dom said, "Fifty-foot cliff jumping for first swim is wild!" @KateDogg4 wondered, "How do they get out of the water?" I agree with @Aaron Clay who said, "Penguins belly flopping is the cutest thing I've seen today!" and another added, "HAPPY FEET IS REAL?!"
Related: Antarctic Researcher Wakes Up To Huge Snow Drifts and Tons of Penguin Visitors
Interesting Facts About Penguins
Penguins...especially baby penguins...are absolutely adorable and fun to watch! I also love learning about animals that I write about, and I've learned so much from National Geographic and Bertie Gregory. Here's one that you might not know about penguins - their colonies smell absolutely terrible! I didn't know how badly these guys really smelled until my family was at the Georgia Aquarium recently and I could smell the penguins before I could see them!
Did you know that those tuxedos penguins wear aren't just a fashion statement - the colors actually have a purpose. While swimming, if you look at them from above, their black backs blend into the dark ocean water. If you look at them from below, their white bellies match the bright surface. The colors also help camouflage them from predators.
Penguins are naturally curious and enjoy exploring the world around them. Like these two Emperor penguins that found a hidden camera - they pulled off the ultimate photobomb!
Penguins love to give each other rocks - it's like giving a special gift to a loved one. It's also the way that male penguins try to get attention from the ladies...the perfect rock is the best gift around!
Penguins always make me smile, especially the fluffy cute babies! It would be a lot of fun to work with them, but I don't think being a penguin keeper is the job for me. I don't think I'd have the patience for all of the record keeping involved and definitely would not like that smell!
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