Penguin rookery. Penguin nest. And now, penguin highway. What? I stirred. Amazed, I looked around when I heard my expedition guide cautioning me, “stay away from penguin highway.”
I looked around and saw few naughty penguins staring at me and teasing me. As if telling me strongly, “this is our highway, you use your highway, dear.” I grinned and uttered, “highway so cute.”
My query got satiated when I enquired from my guide. Penguins create distinct trail in snow to move around. And such trail is called penguin highway in continent Antarctica. Remember that never to step on penguin highway as the trail may get lost.
Moreover, penguins hold first right to cross as Antarctica is their land and humans are just visitors there. So whenever penguins needed to cross visitors have to step aside.
Penguins use same well defined and well laid track, to and fro, as they feel safe. Else the Antarctica landscape with thick layers of ice would prove deadly for these tiny flightless birds.
I fancied penguin highway so much that whenever I was ashore my eyes would search for one. During my visits to several islands in Antarctica, watching penguins waddle through their highway was my must to do activity. They appeared so pretty walking in straight line. And so disciplined, never tried to overtake each other. Though they would very often stand and talk to each other.
Some of penguin rookeries, or colonies we may call, were very far from sea. And penguins would travel long distances. So their highways made their travels quite comfortable. Similar like our highways make our journeys comfortable in our cities
In Antarctica, for each hike on islands, visitor tracks were laid beforehand by expedition crew. And I would call these tracks as human highways in Antarctica. If not for these tracks, visitors would get sunk in several feet thick snow deposits.
I myself had treaded through four feet high snow wall near Argentina research base while ascending highest peak there. Just imagine this happened when I trekked on well marked trail by crew members. Otherwise I would have been buried under glaciated ice in Antarctica.
MY ANTARCTIC ODYSSEY continues ….
I think penguins are the cutest, funniest little creatures ever. I could watch them for ages. It always seems like they’ve got such caring personalities. I only found out the other day that penguins propose with a pebble. Isn’t that just the sweetest thing ever. And now I know that they make highways too.
So many sweet gestures these penguins make and all are lovable.
This sounds like such an enlightening trip! I had no idea penguins made their own highway, but it makes sense. How clever they are!
I was enchanted too learning about penguin highway
Antartica has always been my dream land for exploration. I really don’t want to worry about using glasses or anything that seems inconvenient in general, it’s all about what the white land hides underneath!
Antarctica is all about exploration.
How awesome this experience looks like it was! I bet it was amazing to see the penguins and explore everything Antarctica has to offer!
So true Elizabeth.
Wow! These photos are amazing. I love the little penguins.
Thanks Nailil.
You Antartica Odyssey is so amazing! How cute is that penguins make their own “highways”? Simply fabulous! I look forward to your next chapter of this amazing adventure!
Thank you Nati.
OMG. It’s really Highway so cute! I’m so glad you’ve managed to catch so many penguins waddling on their highway! I guess you didn’t get to touch them?
Yea right not allowed to touch them but they can touch humans. But few times I had eye to eye contact.