The Humboldt Penguin Slides for Survival

This is Oliver, a Humboldt penguin. Named after the Humboldt current in South America, it's estimated that less than 12,000 remain in the wild. His size may not show it, but Oliver is a fully grown male. Humboldts are distinguished by their black backs and tails and by a black band across their chest that runs down the body. Found along the coast of Peru and Chile, Humboldt penguins live on the rocky mainland, shores, or coastal islands. They have a body made to swim. Using their strong wings, they get up to 17 miles per hour underwater. They love their fish, especially small ones like the anchovies and herring that they hunt for in the coastal waters where the Pacific meets South America. Unlike Arctic penguins, they live in warm weather climates and in large colonies as a collective defense against predators. The biggest threat to these little guys are entanglement in fishery nets, human encroachment, and habitat loss. This is the Humboldt penguin.