Nature (1982–…): Season 40, Episode 8 - Penguins: Meet the Family - full transcript

The emperor penguin
is the biggest

and the most iconic
of a remarkable family.

One family...

18 different faces.

Making use of
extraordinary adaptations

and innovative abilities...

they've conquered some of
the most extreme places

on Earth.

And, for the first time...

you and I...

are going to meet every member



of this incredible
penguin family.

The forests of New Zealand.

Not the first place
you'd expect to see a penguin.

But here, amongst the trees...

...lives the Snares penguin.

They almost seem out of place,
but in fact, it was here

that penguins first evolved
more than 60 million years ago.

And there are now more species
of penguins in New Zealand

than in any other country
on Earth.

60,000 of these penguins

have made
the Snares Islands their home.

It's a maze of twists and turns.

But this well-trodden path
leads them to a secret hideaway.

This is just one of the many
forest clearings



where the penguins come to nest.

With no native land predators,
New Zealand has always offered

these flightless seabirds
a sanctuary,

a safe haven for rearing
their young.

But there is one big
disadvantage to forest living.

Mud!

Thousands of tiny, webbed feet
turn the damp ground

into a veritable quagmire.

This doesn't just result
in a grubby appearance.

It could threaten their lives.

A penguin's feathers are crucial

for waterproofing
and insulation out at sea.

If they're clogged with mud,

penguins can't regulate
their body temperature

and could die from the cold.

But the Snares
have found a solution.

It's time for a trip
to the penguin baths.

After a thorough rinse,
the penguins spread

a very special wax
through their feathers.

Produced in a gland
at the base of the tail,

it creates a waterproof barrier
that insulates and streamlines.

The wax is also antimicrobial,
deterring unwanted germs.

For some penguins, this process
can take up to 3 hours a day.

But it's a price worth paying
for their forest sanctuary.

Penguins can be found
in unexpected places.

And perhaps nowhere is
more surprising than this one.

Here, penguins have found a way

to survive the usual
sweltering heat of the equator.

They're one of the smallest
members of the family.

Standing at just 19 inches...

the Galapagos penguins.

These remote volcanic islands
may seem harsh and unforgiving

but the inlets
and coves offer a haven,

and not just for penguins.

With few land predators...

the rocky shores provide ample

nesting sites
and shelter from the sun.

Lava tubes crisscross
the islands.

It's the perfect place to escape
the midday heat...

and raise young.

There are other advantages, too.

Even though these islands
are located on the equator,

the water is much colder
than you'd expect.

And it's all because
of the Humboldt Current.

Traveling from over 5,000
miles away in Antarctica,

it delivers cold
penguin-friendly water

to these volcanic islands...

...as well as food in abundance.

It's thought that
the Humboldt Current

carried the penguins
here around 4 million years ago.

They certainly didn't fly here.

Penguins are believed
to have lost

that ability
60 million years ago.

Swimming is what penguins
do best.

Sheltered islands, cool waters,
and a rich stream of food

allows the Galapagos penguin

to live farther north
than any other.

It might seem like
an unusual home for them,

but penguins are excellent
at pushing boundaries.

Cape Town, South Africa,
is home to 4.6 million people.

And 3,000 penguins.

This is the African penguin.

When they've had enough
of posing for the cameras...

Aah!

They head for
an unexpected retreat.

This female has secured herself
a perfect nesting spot

in a residential garden.

The road outside can get noisy,
but she doesn't seem to mind.

The traffic keeps predators
at bay.

She's hungry, but she must wait
for her mate to return

or risk losing the nest
to another penguin.

And he's just started
his journey home.

We might be more used to seeing
penguins hopping up rocks...

but steps can be
much more convenient.

It's rush hour in the city,
and to get back to the nest,

he joins the rest
of Cape Town's commuters.

Traveling with a group keeps him
safer on the busy roads

and pathways.

The hectic traffic
separates the pack.

A recent study has revealed
that African penguins

have a complex vocal repertoire
similar to that of humans,

and the group can recognize
individual calls.

But it's hard to be heard over
the noise of rush hour traffic.

He needs to wait it out.

His mate will
have to be patient.

He's going to be late again.

Time to make a move.

He needs to keep his eyes open
for distracted drivers.

But he's almost home.

African penguins have changed
their behaviors to adapt

to the modern world.

This pair have chosen
a backstreet garden

as a suitable nesting site.

And finding a safe place
to raise young

is a top priority
for all penguins.

But one species has gone
to even greater lengths.

These are Adélies.

And this is the longest
penguin migration on Earth.

Adélies don't lay
their eggs on ice.

They must continually monitor
the expanding

and contracting ice edge,

traveling 8,000 miles a year

to stay close to an area
of Antarctica with bare rock.

99% of them return to
the same nests each year.

But after a harsh winter,
the entire breeding ground

is in need of renovation.

And time is of the essence.

The males have just days
before their partners return.

No other penguin in the family

puts as much effort
into building its nest.

And this conscientious male

takes his time
selecting the perfect pebbles.

Finding stones that are
just right isn't easy.

So some sneaky individuals
have found a shortcut.

This poor male seems unaware
that his hard work

is being undermined.

The thief's nest, however,
is coming along very nicely.

He clearly knows to keep a sharp
lookout for raiders.

A few days later, the penguins
have finished their renovations.

And with the females arriving,
it's just in the nick of time.

These couples haven't seen
each other for nine months.

And whether through hard work
or thievery,

the newly renovated nests
seem to have impressed.

Penguins are certainly
imaginative nest builders.

They're also devoted parents.

And no penguins demonstrate this
better than the rockhoppers.

This male stands guard over his
newly hatched and hungry chick.

He has nothing left to feed him.

And if mom doesn't get back
soon, the chick will starve.

She's been out fishing
for several days

and is on her way back,

but there's
a huge challenge ahead.

The rough sea crashing on this
jagged coastline is treacherous.

And a huge male sea lion,

100 times her size,
is on the hunt for food.

In such immense waves,
strong chest

and back muscles help her
to withstand the impact.

Each step is hard won.

And worse is to come.

Any loss will have dire
consequences for a family.

Mom and the others battle on.

She's almost there.

Safely back on solid ground.

And now she does
what all rockhoppers do best.

She hops all the way back home.

She makes it look easy.

The youngsters...

will get there eventually.

After an arduous climb
for over a mile,

and out of reach of even
the most tenacious sea lion,

she makes it home.

And at last,
her chick gets a meal.

Over the next two months,
these devoted parents pull out

all the stops to ensure
their youngster's survival.

With dad starving himself
to protect the chick...

...and mom risking the waves
and the sea lions...

again and again.

Penguins are incredibly
dedicated parents,

going to extraordinary lengths
to protect their chicks.

But penguin chicks aren't always
as helpless as they seem.

Antarctica is the coldest
and windiest continent on Earth.

The largest member of
the penguin family

chooses to breed
here regardless.

Emperor chicks
are the only offspring

to be born
in the Antarctic winter.

To survive here,
they have to be tough.

Special brooding pouches
have provided months

of shelter
from the bitter winds.

The chicks may look vulnerable,

but they have special
adaptations of their own

to stay warm.

Feathery ankles keep out
the biting cold

and the fat-rich food
they're fed allows them

to build up
a thick layer of blubber.

Some chicks...

are fatter than others.

Blubber is vital
for keeping warm,

but thinner chicks have
an incredible adaptation

that helps to keep them alive.

Scientists have discovered
that the cells of the chicks

who eat less actually work
more efficiently,

helping them to conserve more
heat even on the coldest days.

So chubby or not,
these remarkable chicks

are built to survive here.

Emperor and king penguins
are the only birds on Earth

to incubate the egg
on their feet.

But once hatched,
they can't stay there forever,

and today, this chick

must venture out onto
the freezing ice alone.

With a little encouragement
from dad...

...he takes his first steps
onto the snow.

His feet are perfectly adapted
to the terrain,

with special fats to keep them
from freezing

and strong claws
to grip the ice.

Dad keeps a close eye,

but these first solo
explorations

are so important for this
chick's eventual independence.

Being able to make new friends
will be crucial

to a successful life
in the colony.

But it can be dangerous
to stray too far from dad.

So strong is the parental urge
to raise a chick

that these adults,
who have lost their chicks

in the bitter storms,
try to kidnap others.

Desperation can turn
to violence.

This chick has had
a lucky escape.

The volatile Antarctic weather
can change in an instant.

Despite its cold weather
adaptations,

this chick isn't quite ready
for complete independence.

Without its insulating
adult feathers

and the warmth
of its parents, it will perish.

The chick's call is as unique
as a fingerprint.

Even from a distance,
through howling winds,

dad recognizes it.

That's enough excitement
for one day.

Penguins are especially
successful

because of their ability
to live in a colony...

...creating some of the largest
bird gatherings on Earth.

Over a million royal penguins

gather on the Pacific Ocean's
Macquarie Island.

Having spent months out
in the open ocean,

the cramped conditions
can be challenging at first.

But there is safety in numbers.

In Peru, the Humboldt penguin
teams up with other sea birds,

like cormorants,
to form huge mixed colonies.

And across the Antarctic region,
24 million macaronis

live in close-knit colonies.

Macaronis are the most numerous
of any penguin species.

They gather chicks together
into crèches to keep them safe.

Such dedicated parenting

has enabled penguins
to thrive in large numbers.

And their unique biology
has seen them conquer

the Southern Ocean and beyond.

This is the fastest penguin
on the planet...

the gentoo.

Here in the Falkland Islands,
lobster krill occur in swarms.

For the gentoo,
it's a favorite feast.

Reaching speeds of 22 miles
an hour,

diving as deep as 650 feet,

and holding their breath
for up to seven minutes,

they've evolved to become
supreme aquatic athletes.

Bellies full,
they head for shore.

And now their skills
are really put to the test.

A southern sea lion.

The penguins' streamlined bodies
allow them

to shoot out of the water,

a trick known as porpoising,
thought to confuse predators.

Short feet act like rudders,
catapulting them into the air.

And fused muscular flippers
allow them to make sharp turns.

Sea lions are extremely adept
in the water,

but they can't quite compete
with the gentoo's agility.

On land, however,
the penguins' advantage is lost.

The gentoo's only chance
is to get back to the sea.

He's made it.

The Fjordland penguin uses
its streamlined body

for another purpose...

to zip up the narrow streams
and rivers of New Zealand,

a perfect shortcut to safe
nesting grounds

deep in the forest.

Penguins are supremely adapted
to an aquatic life,

spending 75% of their lives
in the water.

But all penguins have to walk
on land at some point.

And to get around,

they've developed
a remarkable technique.

This is the chinstrap penguin.

It makes its home on some of
the most hostile islands

of the Southern Ocean.

Active volcanos here warm
the ground,

melting the snow early
in the year.

Trouble is, the best spots
are far from the sea.

To get there
means a very long walk.

The tough hike is made easier
by the infamous penguin waddle.

This unusual style of locomotion
may look inefficient,

but surprisingly,
it works in their favor.

Like a pendulum,

the side-to-side motion
stores energy

at the end of each movement,

energy that can be used
in the next step.

We humans get 65% of the energy
back with each step,

but penguins can get up to 80%.

So the waddle is more efficient
than our own walk.

Which means they can
walk farther, for longer.

And when it comes
to a cliff face covered

in slippery volcanic ash...

...the penguin's strong feet
and hooked beak pull

and push it upwards.

A bird built for life at sea
has mastered the land.

Now all this dad has to do
is find his family...

amongst a million others.

Another secret to the penguins'
success is its feathers.

But only if they're kept
in perfect condition.

A yearly process of regeneration
is crucial,

and king penguins
take this very seriously indeed.

Months of battering
by the Southern Ocean

have taken their toll
on the kings' feathers.

And now, in South Georgia,

thousands are coming ashore
for an essential makeover.

But first they have to get past
this pile of blubber.

The colony at last.

The great transformation
can begin.

Starting with a really
good scratch.

Small, stiff feathers
tightly packed over soft down

have given this penguin
a blanket of insulation.

But he must now shed
all four layers,

a process known
as the catastrophic molt.

Shedding thousands of feathers
is a tedious process,

but every penguin
must do it once a year.

The longer it takes, the longer
he'll have to go without food,

a true trial of endurance.

But after a long month,

he is the image of perfection.

Like a new winter coat,
his feathers are restored.

And he doesn't waste any time
testing it out.

A long awaited meal is in store.

Over millions of years,

penguins have evolved to
master life on land and at sea,

to become superb parents
and to conquer forests,

deserts, and even cities.

But we humans are changing the
planet faster than ever before,

and some penguins
are struggling to keep up.

The smallest penguin
in the world,

the aptly named little penguin,

has lived on Australia's beaches

for 2.4 million years.

But in the last 200 years,

with the introduction
of cats and foxes,

they're now at risk
of extinction.

On New Zealand's South Island,

yellow-eyed penguins
used to be hunted for food.

More recently, habitat loss
and alien predators

have decimated their numbers,

leaving just 2,000 pairs.

On the east coast of Patagonia
lives another colony

of penguins in serious decline.

The Magellanic penguin makes its
home in the scorching desert.

Every few years,

this colony suffers
a dramatic loss of chicks.

As many as 60% will die in one
season, and no one knows why.

Now a group of scientists
from Swansea University

are on a mission to find out.

They believe the problem may lie

in what they're
eating out at sea.

But how do you keep up with
fast-swimming

deep-diving penguins out there?

The answer is cameras.

Streamlined and super light,
they're carefully attached,

and in a matter of minutes,

the parents are returned
to their chicks,

entirely unfazed
by their mini backpacks.

Penguins spend the majority
of their time at sea,

but it's the part of their lives
we know the least about.

So this technology
is groundbreaking.

The cameras show the Magellanics
traveling as far as 200 miles

and diving up to 400 times
on each fishing trip.

And when the penguin
finally finds food,

it does something astonishing.

It chooses to ignore it.

Time and time again,
it swims past shrimp, squid,

and lobster krill,
all viable penguin food.

It seems to be searching
for something else.

Anchovies, rich in oil,
a penguin superfood.

They are the most nutritious
prey Magellanics

can feed their chicks,
and this footage proves

that the penguins
actively seek them out.

But anchovies are heavily
fished for human consumption.

And now scientists believe
that overfishing

is the main
cause of chick mortality.

Without access to
the most nutritious food,

the chicks
are just not surviving.

With this vital information,

scientists can now
influence policymakers

to set sustainable
fishing quotas

and help to secure
the Magellanics' future.

Of all the penguin species,

the least known is
the erect-crested penguin.

It lives so remotely
in the South Pacific

that few people have ever
seen it,

let alone studied it.

So, if the species
is in decline,

we might not know
until it's too late.

And the 18th and final penguin
in the family could disappear

before anyone
has had a chance to save it.

Even the iconic emperor
penguin is in trouble.

Up to 20% of them could
disappear in the next century

as a result of receding sea ice.

But it's not all bad news.

Technology is giving us
new insights.

The very fact that emperors live
so remotely has historically

made them incredibly hard
to monitor.

Until now.

Over 400 miles above us,

satellites continually
capture images of the Earth...

images so detailed

that scientists are making
some startling discoveries.

From space, Antarctica is
a great expanse of white.

Except for these strange brown
patches dotted across the ice.

Brown patches...

of penguin droppings.

Emperor colonies,
10,000 birds strong,

leave a mess behind them.

As the ground beneath them
gets dirtier,

they migrate across the ice
to fresh, clean snow.

And as they, do they leave
a trail behind them.

From space, a penguin colony
would be difficult to spot...

...but the marks they leave
behind stand out.

So without even stepping foot
on Antarctica,

scientists are discovering new
populations of emperor penguins,

and they can even determine
the size of the colony

from the dimensions
of these trails.

37 new colonies have been found
in this way,

more than doubling the known
global population

of the species.

With each new colony
discovered, there is hope.

From the forests of their
ancestral home in New Zealand

to the equator and back,

the penguin family story

is one of resilience
and adaptation.

It's easy to see why they're one
of the most beloved

animal families on Earth.

To learn more
about what you've seen

on this "Nature" program,