News

Actions

1 million penguins drawn to Argentine peninsula by abundance of fish

Officials say it's a record number
Posted
and last updated

PUNTA TOMBO, Argentina (AP) — More than a million penguins have traveled to Argentina's Punta Tombo peninsula during this year's breeding season, drawn by an unusual abundance of small fish.

Local officials say that's a record number in recent years for the world's largest colony of Magellanic penguins, offering an especially stunning spectacle for the tens of thousands of people who visit the reserve annually.

The peninsula's tiny islets are well-suited to nesting and have sardines and anchovies close to the shoreline. The flightless birds come on shore in September and October and stay while the males and females take turns caring for their eggs and hunting for food.

The warm-weather birds breed in large colonies in southern Argentina and Chile and migrate north as far as southwestern Brazil between March and September.

They are around 20 inches (50 centimeters) tall and have a broad crescent of white feathers that extends from just above each eye to the chin and a small area of pink on the face.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Monday

05/12/2025

Cloudy

-° / 52°

4%

Tuesday

05/13/2025

Clear

72° / 51°

1%

Wednesday

05/14/2025

Clear

79° / 54°

0%

Thursday

05/15/2025

Partly Cloudy

86° / 61°

0%

Friday

05/16/2025

Partly Cloudy

88° / 59°

1%

Saturday

05/17/2025

Partly Cloudy

81° / 55°

2%

Sunday

05/18/2025

Clear

78° / 56°

1%

Monday

05/19/2025

Clear

85° / 61°

0%