Galapagos Penguin Profile
If you think of a vast, inhospitable world of blizzards and 24h darkness when you think of penguins, you’re likely overlooking one of the smallest species there is. And one that lives, on occasion, even in the Northern Hemisphere.
Galapagos Penguin Facts Overview
| Habitat: | Tropical Ocean Island |
| Location: | Galapagos, Ecuador |
| Lifespan: | 20 years |
| Size: | Up to 55cm tall |
| Weight: | Around 2.5kg (5.5lb) |
| Colour: | Black and white |
| Diet: | Schooling fish |
| Predators: | Cats, dogs, rats |
| Top Speed: | Up to 35kmph |
| No. of Species: | 1 |
| Conservation Status: | Endangered (IUCN) |
The Galapagos penguins aren’t your typical penguin, even for warm-weather versions. First of all, they’re very, very small. Then, they’re very, very Northern. And that’s nothing to hold against them.
They’re also incredibly quick and nimble hunters, but the food they eat is in serious decline. With a slow and interrupted breeding cycle, they face a slow recovery in the face of numerous threats. Luckily, there are several angles this problem can be approached, and some people are doing just that.
Interesting Galapagos Penguin Facts
1. Mendiculously small
These tiny penguins are one of the smallest on Earth, and perhaps the most Northern of them all.
They’re tropical birds, the only equatorial penguin, and are found in small numbers just North of the Equator on Isabella Island in the Galapagos.
This makes them record holders in that regard, but they’re slightly beaten by the petite and aptly named Little Penguin from New Zealand, which gets only as tall as about 33cm.
2. They’re fast!
If you know anything about penguins, you know they’re more like land fish than water birds, at least when it comes to agility and speed.
Claims for the larger Antarctic species range from anywhere between 15 and 24 km/h when they hit the water, allowing them to rapidly chase down shoaling fish.
But these little Galapagos penguins are said to reach speeds of up to 35 km/h, making them significantly faster.
3. They don’t have a lot of the privileges of other penguins
Quite far from the classic image of a frosty, Antarctic wasteland, the Galapagos penguin lives on craggy, volcanic outcrops in the tropics.
Their closest relatives are burrowers from Africa, but this poor penguin doesn’t live on soft ground, so it makes do with caves and cracks on the coast.
One thing they do have in common with their polar cousins is access to cold-water fish. The Humbolt current works like the gulf stream, only it brings cold water North up to the Galapagos, and various fish species that wouldn’t otherwise be found that far up the planet.
4. These fish are in decline
This penguin is in trouble. Occupying only 4 locations in the world, and reliant on these cold-water fish, it’s been in decline for decades as a result of both overfishing and increasing temperatures.
Fishing vessels also directly harm penguins, as they can be caught up in the nets and drown.
Other issues that this poor bird faces are around introduced predators like dogs and cats, as well as the diseases they bring with them. They even get Avian malaria and West Nile Virus, and the occasional volcano. 1
5. El Nino is a big problem
The population is thought to be around 1200 and dropping, and this is in big part down to their ability to defer breeding when food is scarce.
Of course, not having enough food would also reduce the ability to survive breeding, but during El Nino events, it seems like these tiny penguins are smart enough not to even try.
This creates a bit of a hindrance when it comes to repopulating in the meanwhile, and with El Nino increasing in frequency, it adds another factor facing the penguins.
6. There are some protections in place
The Galápagos Penguins, which a population found only within the Galápagos National Park and Galápagos Marine Reserve, are strictly protected.
Breeding site access is regulated, and taking penguins or their eggs is of course prohibited. The Galápagos National Park Service manages the reserve, helping to control those introduced predators and promoting research from outside.
Artificial nests were built to enhance breeding habitats, and there’s a lot of ongoing research to evaluate their effectiveness.
Awareness generation programs are also in place to teach local children about the wildlife that needs help. Yet, it’s not currently enough. 2
7. But a lot more needs to be done
The IUCN proposes stricter and better management relating to population monitoring and protection.
They also push for more predator-free nests or artificial islands and the Implementation of more no-take zones.
Organisations like Galapagos.org are working on these projects and say that around a quarter of successful breeding has occurred in these nests and in some areas, this figure is closer to 43%. 3
8. They seem to be immune to malaria
Of all the threats, this one might have been the most urgent, so it’s good news that although these birds can carry the Plasmodium malaria parasite, they don’t seem to die from it.
At least, when conditions are good enough. There is a hypothesis that extreme weather events could combine with physiological stress from the malaria parasite to increase mortality in these penguins, so it’s important to keep up with research in this area.
If illegal fishing activities can be better managed to reduce bycatch, and invasive species eradication can continue, they may yet stand a chance. 4
Galapagos Penguin Fact-File Summary
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Family: | Sphenicidae |
| Genus: | Sphenicidae |
| Species: | mendiculus |
Fact Sources & References
- “Galapagos Penguin”, IUCN Red List.
- “Galapagos National Park”, National Parks.org
- “Safeguarding Galápagos Penguins from Climate Change”, Galapagos Conservancy.
- Felix Hernan Vargas (2013), “Galapagos Penguins:: An Uncertain Future”, CSIRO Publishing.