Day 19: Elder Muse – A Penquin Kind of Day

Exploring the natural world has been a lifelong passion for me and has fueled endless curiosity. As I layer clothing this morning to keep warm outside my attention goes to Winter, the Solstice only two days away

So today I am sharing some footage of a penguin colony focusing on one very small baby, the last to hatch. The social structure not so different from ours, and coming of age having it’s ups and downs too.

In the wild, penguin lifespans range from 6 to 25 years depending on their species and the particular aquatic ecosystem they inhabit. On average, however, penguins usually live to between 15 and 20 years to qualify for elderhood.

Did you know that mother penguins have pouches? Immerse yourself in their world…

Video above is a short clip from the 2016 film Snow Chick: A Penguin’s Tale:

This enchanting film follows the adventures of one charismatic emperor penguin from the time he emerges from the egg to the moment he leaves for the sea. Emperor penguins grow up during the winter in one of the coldest places on Earth – the Antarctic. The conditions are harsh and chicks must endure temperatures of minus 60 degrees Celsius and terrifying blizzards. This film follows the trials and tribulations of one adorable fluffy chick – from his first tentative steps on the ice, to getting lost, to hanging out with the other chicks. It also shows the lengths his parents will go to provide food, overcoming huge obstacles, avoiding predators like leopard seals, and enduring freezing conditions. Full of tense and moving moments as well as comedy and character, Snow Chick follows the emperor penguin’s life story in a level of detail never attempted before.

Welcome to BBC EARTH! The world is an amazing place full of stories, beauty and natural wonder. Here you’ll find 50 years worth of entertaining and thought-provoking natural history content. Dramatic, rare, and exclusive, nature doesn’t get more exciting than this.

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You can find ALL of the 31-Days Elder Muse posts in the archives here: https://wildlyfreeelder.com/2022/12/

Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 12/19/22