Galápagos Penguin

The Galápagos penguin, known scientifically as Spheniscus mendiculus, is one of the smallest penguins in the world and the most northerly occurring, with some even breaching into the northern hemisphere on Isabela Island. Weighing in at just two and a half kilograms and growing up to 50 centimeters, these adorable inhabitants are endemic to the archipelago.

Galápagos penguins mate for life and incubate their eggs for 35-40 days in caves and lava rock crevices, which is also where they live. As with all penguins, they are extremely streamlined underwater, reaching speeds of up to 35 kilometers per hour while hunting and eating predominantly schooling fish, such as anchovies, sardines and mullet.

You can see them mainly on Isabela and Fernandina islands, but they can also occur on Floreana, Santiago and Bartolome islands. A popular spot for swimming with the much-loved species is around Pinnacle Rock on Bartolome island.

Galápagos penguins live and breed on the archipelago all year round, and the chances of seeing them are very high.

The best way to see Galápagos penguin colonies is during a cruise excursion as you will be able to see them darting around in the water and view coastal regions that are less accessible overland. Snorkeling is also a great way to get up close and personal with the endemic birds.

The Galápagos penguin is considered to be an endangered species. Only 2,000 birds remain due a particularly strong El Niño event that caused 77% of the population to die of starvation. 

Threats

• Introduced cats and rats frequently attack both adult Galápagos penguins and their vulnerable eggs, as well as being hunted by sharks, fur seals and sea lions.
• Fishing nets sometimes catch them as bycatch which can injure them, or even kill them.
• El Niño events - climate pattern changes which disrupt marine and terrestrial ecosystems -  dramatically influence the population. 
• Marine plastic pollution cause a risk to the species.

Conservation Efforts

• There are previous and ongoing projects that monitor populations of Galápagos penguins across the islands.
• There is also work being done to assess the risk of marine plastic pollution to  Galápagos penguins as part of the Plastic Pollution Free  Galápagos program.