I love penguins. I think
it all started with a Disney show on t.v. when I was
a child. All that slipping and sliding on ice looked
like so much fun!
I have been
teaching primary grade children since 1968, and I am
sure that most of my former students can tell you that
Mrs. Gursky's favorite animal is a penguin.
After many
years of reading and learning about penguins with my
students, I was pretty excited when my son, Jason, moved
to Chile---a country with penguins. On my first visit
to Chile in March 1998, Jason did his best to find penguins
for me to see. We were in the car for hours following
whatever leads we were given by the locals. I did see
a few, but they were at a great distance and my camera
could hardly focus on them. I left Chile happy that
I'd seen a penguin in its natural habitat, but I yearned
for something more.
In December,
1998 Jason and his friend, Kari, found the "real"
land of the Magellan penguins in Chile. They traveled
to the Otway Gulf Coast located 40 kilometers north
of the city of Punta Arenas in Chile's Patagonia. They
arrived during baby season. They experienced a pretty
active colony of penguins with a lot of waddling, running
attempts and crashes. It was a humorous site to behold.
I returned
to Chile in March, 2000. Jason sent his mom and dad
to the Otway Gulf. Everything I had read said that the
Magellans were there from October to March. I feared
that "to March" meant they wouldn't be there
in mid March. We flew from Santigo, Chile to Punta Arenas.
We drove for 40 kilometers north on an isolated dirt
road to the Otway Gulf. The ranger collected 4 pecos
from us to trek out to the land of penguins. He assured
us that the adults were still there, but the babies
had headed for the high seas.
We walked the
dirt paths for 30 minutes-----and then I saw them. They
were everywhere. Couples. Yes, couples. Magellans not
only mate for life, but they apparently spend all of
their time with their mate. Everywhere I looked, I saw
couples side by side just hanging out together. White
feathers blanketed the landscape. I had arrived during
molting season. The Magellans were not very active.
In fact, when I did see one move I got pretty excited.
Information at the ranger station stated that the Magellans
were inactive and actually didn't eat much during their
molting period. I suppose that is true, but I can't
help wondering if they just needed a little rest after
the babies left for the high seas.
My husband
Barry thought the penguins looked pathetic in their
mid-feather stage. I thought they were beautiful!
I hope you
enjoy the pictures and information on this site.
Kathy Gursky
The School Bell 2000-2003©
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