(Nick Dale Photo / Shutterstock.com)
With gigantic glaciers and icebergs, Antarctica is an extraordinary place on Earth to visit. The snow-covered landscape hosts some of the world’s most unique wildlife, including orcas, whales, seals, and penguins. Antarctica's cold and remote environment is home to animals that thrive in one of the most untouched places on Earth.
The vast ice fields of barren whiteness stretch toward the horizon, creating one of the most isolated environments on the planet. Yet, even in this landscape, unexpected friends can form. A cute and curious gentoo penguin formed an unlikely bond with Alan Cox, an engineer, Lincolnshire World reported.
How a Gentoo Penguin Built a Friendship with an Engineer
Cox made his new fluffy friend while working to complete one of Antarctica’s few structures. "He was a particular type of penguin who seemed to think the 50-tonne excavator we had here was either his parent or some sort of friend of his," Cox told BBC. “It was very difficult to keep him away from the machine.”
"Collin was insistent on trying to sit in the bucket of the excavator and get really close to the machine,” Cox added.
Interesting Facts About Gentoo Penguins
Collin is a gentoo penguin. While there are 17 species of penguins on the planet, gentoo penguins are among only a handful of the species that inhabit Earth’s coldest continent according to a blog on Oceanwide Expeditions. The social creatures spend their days eating fish, squid, and crustaceans, nesting on beaches, raising chicks, and living in large colonies with other members of their species.
However, they aren’t only social — they are known for speed. Gentoos can swim up to 22 miles per hour, making them one of the fastest-swimming birds. But they also have other fascinating characteristics. The Gentoo penguin lifespan is about 15 to 20 years. According to Lincolnshire World, these delightful birds also have a wide, white stripe on top of their heads and produce a unique trumpeting noise.
Exploring Antarctica's Unique Wildlife and Landscapes
While working to construct a building for the Rothera Research Station and resurface a runway in the icy continent, Cox has been able to catch a glimpse of a number of extraordinary natural sights, the BBC reported.
In an interview with BBC Radio Lincolnshire, Cox said he saw seals, orcas, humpback whales, and an iceberg breaking off the coast “about the size of Lincoln Cathedral.”
“There's been some fantastic wildlife and the whole setting is absolutely incredible,” Cox told the BBC. “Just the vastness, serenity of it, peacefulness, and massive icebergs moving around, which just go where nature intends — it's an extraordinary sight,” he added.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
Seals Return to California Islands in Record Numbers
Scientists Solve the Mystery of Antarctica’s ‘Bloop’ Sound
9 Fun Facts About Penguins That Will Brighten Your Day
