Penguin Watch Talk

Video

  • eevhaa by eevhaa

    I found a video which looks quite funny in the beginning but I am asking myself if this is maybe not so funny for the penguins. Is this normal behaviour or do they have a problem (maybe due to the boat?).
    http://www.20min.ch/videotv/?vid=250767&cid=16

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  • AvastMH by AvastMH moderator

    Hi eevhaa,

    It's OK. It could be one of two situations. When they get into the water they need to get rid of all the muck on their feathers and make sure that they are in good waterproof condition ready for feeding. The flipping out of the water serves a specific purpose - to force air through the feathers to blast out dust.

    When they return from feeding they stop to have a last preen, and do the same flipping into the water to collect air in their feathers. They then dive down and then race up to the surface. As they surface the air is pushed out and forms a frictionless layer so that the rush to the surface has better effect and they get a better jump onto land. It's a bit like a hovercraft effect!

    I found this academic page about this syndrome - relating to Emperor pengs: http://www.asknature.org/strategy/5efd91776f9afa44b0fe26900c66356c#.VYcaXPlVhBc

    This info was based on this paper: http://www.int-res.com/articles/theme/m430p171.pdf

    Nature's feather-science is pretty awesome 😄

    Joan

    PS - just got to see the top of the video - some ads were in the way first time around. Well - there we are then. Gentoos doing exactly what the Emperors do...and they need the help when those bergs get that melt line leaving a lip to jump on to 😃

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  • eevhaa by eevhaa in response to AvastMH's comment.

    Thank you. So there is nothing to worry! I was worried because so many penguins tried to get out of the water and fell back.

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  • AvastMH by AvastMH moderator

    I think this is just the way life is for them when they try to climb out onto a berg. The first few out make the ice very wet and that makes it super-slippery. I've seen quite a number of documentaries showing penguins having a struggle to get out of the water. We'd need an ice specialist to say whether climate warming makes the icebergs a more difficult shape to clamber on to. We've asked here, and I'll ask on OldWeather Zooniverse too.
    I can imagine that they get quite anxious to get out of the water since they must attract predators like seals with all that splashing. Perhaps this means that they don't dive far enough to get much of a run up to jet out onto that ice. It's been proved that predators follow the sound of motor boats because they lead to prey. Perhaps that boat has had an effect then - encouraging predators and shortening the time the pengs have to get out of the water? Hmmm.... Tom, Caitlin, help please!

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