Gentoo Penguin
The gentoo penguin has the most prominent tail of all penguins, and as they waddle along on land, it sticks out behind, sweeping from side to side. They are the third largest after the king and emperor penguins and are the least prominent in the Antarctic, but with about 300,000 breeding pairs are still quite numerous. They are characterised by a white patch around and behind the eye that joins on the crown, and have a bright red-orange beak. Nesting often occurs amongst tussocks, and on the Antarctic Peninsula on stony ice-free areas and beaches. It is unknown where the name ‘gentoo’ comes from.
Adélie Penguin
Adélie penguins, named after the wife of French Antarctic explorer Dumont d’Urville, are true Antarctic penguins and are confined to the coastal waters of the great white continent. They are a medium sized penguin with black heads and beaks, but their most noticeable feature is a white ring around the eye. Like all penguins, they are expert divers and can plunge to depths of 175 metres, but catch most of their food at the surface and it consists mainly of krill. During the winter they roam around the pack ice and in summer they return south to the Antarctic coast.