More than a million penguins have migrated to Argentina's Punta Tombo Peninsula during the breeding season this year as the region's coastal waters are rich in small fish species.
Officials in the region emphasized that this is an unheard-of figure in recent decades for the world's largest colony of Magellanic penguins. These animals are now a stunning sight for the huge number of tourists who come to visit the protected area every year.
The tiny islands of the peninsula are ideal for nesting, with sardines and anchovies close to the shoreline. These amazing birds come ashore in September and October to hatch their eggs and hunt. During periods of favorable and dull weather, the birds breed in large colonies in southern Argentina and Chile, and then travel north to southwest Brazil between March and September. This gives observers another month to see the world's largest colony of Magellanic penguins.
At the moment, penguins are walking along the beach on the Punta Tombo Peninsula in Argentina's Patagonia, where nature has created the most favorable conditions for their life today.
Magellanic penguins are popular as a tourist attraction. The birds have an interesting appearance: they are 50 centimeters tall, have a large crescent of white plumage extending from just above each eye to the chin, and have a pink patch on their face.
Travelers are especially interested in the penguin nesting areas. An amazing feature is that penguins dig holes where they keep their eggs for safety. Magellanic penguins easily adapt to regular visits, so they are practically not afraid of people. The penguin settlement on the Punta Tombo Peninsula is monitored. Tourists are not allowed to approach the birds too closely so as not to disturb the animals' peace.
