Scientists from Norway and the Ukraine used GPS trackers and mini cameras to penguins’ backs to spy on the birds’ behaviour – and what they saw was remarkable.
Researchers from the National Antarctic Scientific Centre of Ukraine and the Norwegian Polar Institute monitored where the penguins went and how deep they were diving using GPS trackers that were attached for around three weeks.
To back this up, they also attached mini cameras for one day to see what the animal was doing.
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“The sensors do not harm the penguins and are installed only during the breeding period,” says a spokesperson for the National Antarctic Scientific Centre of Ukraine. “At this time, the birds reliably return to their nests, allowing the devices to be safely removed.”
The astonishing footage shows the penguins darting through the water at incredible speed while its raft-mates flap their wings as they swim ahead. “What you see is the penguins’ actual underwater swimming speed,” they add.
The video also showed the penguins gobbling up krill: a tiny crustacean that form the base of the food chain in Antarctica.
“In the video, you can clearly see penguins hunting krill, forming dense aggregations. In some moments, the krill literally 'rolls up' into bands, and the penguins dive straight into these swarms,” they say.
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At certain points in the footage, bubbles burst from the penguins’ feathers. This release of trapped air improves hydrodynamics, say the experts.
The researchers hope their data will provide evidence that helps to support the argument for new protections in Antarctica.
“To grant these areas proper protection, scientists need evidence that such areas are critical to the survival of Antarctic wildlife – not just places of temporary presence,” they say. “These observations will help better justify the need to protect Antarctic ecosystems in the future, despite differing positions among some states – including Russia and China – that oppose the establishment of marine protected areas.”
Top image credit: National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine, Norwegian Polar Institute
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