5 Countries Where You Can Spot Penguins

Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Although all penguin species are native to the southern hemisphere, they are not found only in cold climates, such as Antarctica. In fact, only a few species of penguin live so far south. Several species are found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galápagos Penguin, lives near the equator. The territory of Antarctica is not on the list, because Antarctica is not a country.

# Ecuador

There are 17 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Ecuador: Humboldt Penguin and Galapagos Penguin.The Galapagos Penguin is a penguin endemic to the Galapagos Islands. It is the only penguin that lives north of the equator in the wild; it can survive due to the cool temperatures resulting from the Humboldt Current and cool waters from great depths brought up by the Cromwell Current.

# Peru

There are 2 species of penguins which occur in Peru: King Penguin and Humboldt Penguin.The Humboldt penguin is often called the Peruvian penguin, although they are also found in Chile. It is found on the rugged coast and offshore islands of Chile and Peru. The penguin is named after the cold water current it swims in, which is itself named after Alexander von Humboldt, an explorer.

# Chile

There are 10 species of penguins which occur in Chile: King Penguin, Emperor Penguin, Gentoo Penguin, Adelie Penguin, Chinstrap Penguin, Rockhopper Penguin, Macaroni Penguin, Little Penguin, Humboldt Penguin and Magellanic Penguin.The Magellanic Penguin is a South American penguin, breeding in coastal Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands, with some migrating to Brazil where they are occasionally seen as far north as Rio de Janeiro.

# Argentina

There are 7 species of penguins which occur in Argentina: King Penguin, Emperor Penguin, Gentoo Penguin, Chinstrap Penguin, Rockhopper Penguin, Macaroni Penguin and Magellanic Penguin.The Emperor Penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching 122 cm (48 in) in height and weighing anywhere from 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb).

# Uruguay

There are 3 species of penguins which occur in Uruguay: King Penguin, Rockhopper Penguin and Magellanic Penguin.The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin.