Top ten facts about our cheekiest penguin species - the Gentoo Penguin!

Here are our top ten facts about this small bird with the mighty personality! 

1. Their reproduction practices are very particular

These penguins are known for building pebble nests in breeding season, these can measure almost 8 inches high! They also tend to live in large colonies near the coast.

2. They prefer to live in areas that are only partially covered by ice, or even have no ice at all!

Being an island-bird, Gentoo Penguins usually dwell around lowlands of islands.

3. They're known for their courtship

Their pebble-giving behaviour is pretty quirky and fun to watch. It's common for males to collect pebbles in their beaks to then give to females in exchange for favours.

4. They're speedy swimmers!

Gentoo Penguins are capable of reaching speeds of 36km/h - making them the fastest swimmers among the seventeen species of penguins! 

5. They have many predators in the wild, unfortunately

Gentoo penguins are exposed to dangers as they wander into the water in search of food. They stand a good risk of becoming prey when sea lions, orcas, and sea leopards cruise the waters close to the penguin-inhabited territory to snag a penguin.

6. Apart from being hunted, they also have many other threats

Global warming is one of the biggest challenges facing Gentoo communities.  Because of melting Antarctic ice and rising sea levels, the locations where these penguins dwell are becoming increasingly inaccessible.

7. They have a unique feeding behaviour

Being opportunistic eaters, the Gentoo penguins’ diet is greatly influenced by the season and their surroundings. The majority of their diet consists of tiny crustaceans like krill.

8. They're decent divers!

The penguins routinely dive to a depth of around 200 metresin search of food and can stay below for about 7 minutes at a time!

9. They're usually friendly - in fact, one of the most friendly species of penguins!

Apart from guarding their nests or eggs, these penguins are incredibly social and hardly ever behave aggressively toward one another or penguins of other species. 

10. They moult at certain times of the year

They undergo a process known as moulting, which lasts around 25 days, between December and March, during which they lose between 40 and 55 per cent of their body mass.

You can see most of these quirks and some other fun ones when you come in to see our penguins! Get up close on our Penguin Boat Ride, or opt to jump on the ice with the penguins on our Penguin Encounter, and learn more from our dedicated penguin keepers!