Many people think of Antarctica and other polar regions when it comes to penguins, but the flightless birds can also be found in warmer climates in the Falkland Islands, South Africa and the Galápagos. While the 18 species of penguin differ, they are more alike than not, sharing their trademark flippers, appreciation for the sea, bowling pin shape and unmistakable waddle.
Often living in large colonies in remote areas, penguins can be difficult to find, but photographers who’ve entered the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest have made the trek to locate them. Enjoy the fruits of their labor. Take a look.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, a British territory near Antarctica, is home to a quarter of all penguins on earth. David Swindler, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, 2023/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/3d/c8/3dc855aa-0ff4-4a15-846a-209a5ddf37aa/2_-_028c4b06-a505-486c-b37b-25f4e72e8cde.jpg)
When the newly discovered Ragnhild emperor penguin colony was first visited by humans in 2012, the inhabitants of the glacial landscape numbered 9,000. David Sinclair, Antarctica, 2023/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/ff/cd/ffcd2814-c578-44ae-b22c-9f4dfce78224/3_-_47097f40-6af1-4789-a1e2-580c808c559e.jpg)
Penguins—and their reflections—walk along the beach at Volunteer Point. Olav Thokle, Falkland Islands, 2023/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/3d/ed/3deddaa1-5e1a-4268-856f-0fff6dae9ef2/4_-_85dfb023-df83-4835-b6d4-9afcfc68d136.jpg)
Two penguins stand flipper-in-flipper during a spectacular sunrise. Mike Eyett, Falkland Islands, 2023/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/f2/c2/f2c2fd7f-0dc9-459e-be40-3969eed4e8f4/5_-_3b9bd5c1-f6cf-414b-ad0c-79f0b1bb0065.jpg)
A penguin seemingly pauses to contemplate its options, of which there aren’t many: back or forth? Conor Ryan, Antarctica, 2019/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/45/fc/45fcedbc-3b76-4ddb-b1c2-fa7a0c0b09c6/6_-_3cadcf8b-50b8-4a53-8796-2d24fb1f6476.jpg)
Volunteer Point is home to around 1,500 breeding pairs of king penguins. Tony Callaway, Falkland Islands, 2014/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/af/44/af441044-540c-46ed-97f7-53710d8fe923/7_-_5223534e-adfa-4487-97bf-93fd4371f064.jpg)
Who can blame a mother for wanting to know what’s going on around her young one? Thomas Vijayan, Antarctica, 2022/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/de/ff/deffa9c6-2ac7-4e67-b23f-bd667fb51e74/8_-_4dc76682-710a-49bb-9b80-4f58a360c35a.jpg)
Penguins seemingly pose proudly for a picture at South Georgia Island’s Gold Harbor. Susan Portnoy, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, 2019/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/7a/68/7a68c059-e6ef-4418-a578-db18f5936832/9_-_b51cd5c6-6e40-469b-9daf-d80861e2c02a.jpg)
Many people associate penguins with polar regions, but the Falkland Islands, where temperatures can reach into the 60s, is “one of the world’s great penguin capitals” where up to a million penguins nest every summer. Michele McCormick, Falkland Islands, 2023/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/2f/d3/2fd33463-bb81-4c4c-9a4b-3acceb2e89b4/10_-_41249a78-afce-47ed-bac9-b15b27badc4a.jpg)
Is it a penguin, a snow angel or both? Deena Sveinsson, Antarctica, 2022/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/d4/f4/d4f499c7-8dbf-425e-b6ea-b5c4f18f5a63/11_-_c715242e-0262-4343-85a4-792947520516.jpg)
Orange patches on the ears and throats are a signature characteristic of adult king penguins. Jamie Scarrow, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, 2010/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/ed/f1/edf1a62b-8335-482f-8d35-5f1270f67d3c/12_-_ff3dbbf5be816d730967993acadec1aae07fc7f5.jpg)
Penguins peacefully hang out in the snow. Bernd Steinebrunner, Antarctica, 2021/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/02/89/02894fb3-100e-4c66-9015-66128047c2a9/13_-_3c5b42de-6b60-4f5c-bbec-9f9cdcfb78ca.jpg)
They do have wings, but penguins cannot fly. But they can swim underwater at high speeds—as much as 15 to 25 miles per hour. Susan Portnoy, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, 2019/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/55/97/5597d810-0678-4b87-91d4-87be692f633d/14_-_e9547310-69a1-4b6f-9793-7ef722c7bedc.jpg)
Is that a smooch? Two gentoo penguins align beak-to-beak at Mikkelsen Harbor. John Murray, Antarctica, 2022/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/a7/22/a7227d27-ffd0-4d04-87fc-070d916ab120/15_-_5bd1d2e3-4538-4123-83ad-f7ec9ff5bb3e.jpg)
