Author’s Note
The penguins in this book are called southern rockhopper penguins. They live in the cold, southern oceans that surround Antarctica.
In spring, the penguins breed on remote, rocky islands. They nest on the ground in large, noisy colonies that can have thousands of birds. The parents take turns looking after the eggs. But when the chicks hatch, the male stays behind to guard the young while the female goes to sea to catch krill, fish, and squid. Southern rockhoppers are one of the smallest types of penguins. They only stand about twenty inches tall, but they are tough. As the female dives for food, she has to dodge predators such as orcas, sharks, and sea lions. She also has to swim through some of the stormiest seas on earth. When she returns to her colony, she often has to climb steep cliffs rising more than a hundred feet from the sea.
A southern rockhopper penguin
Penguins battling huge waves
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