In December I traveled to New Zealand and several sub-Antarctic islands to be with penguins for the first time in five years. There is nothing like being in the company of these charming and curious creatures. Each penguin species has its own beauty and personality.
Intuitively people know what the data tells us: there is a special bond between humans and animals. For many, it’s a pet that’s a treasured family member. For some, it’s an affinity with wild animals. For me and my husband Chuck, we feel a unique connection with penguins. Our love for them led us to see all 18 species, a wild goal that took over 15 years to achieve. Chuck wrote about our big quest in his award-winning book Every Penguin in the World.
Our December 2024 travels brought us plenty of “penguin glow” opportunities. Royal and king penguins greeted us as our zodiac landed on the pebbly beach at Macquarie Island. As we stood on the shore line taking in the magnificent scene, dozens of penguins came up to check us out. Our Heritage Expeditions ship sailed just offshore penguin colonies with hundreds of thousands of birds.
I’ll always remember a particular moment with one royal penguin. Below its bright yellow crest, the bird looked directly at me with its dark reddish-brown eyes and held my gaze for a full minute. I felt seen by that penguin, felt a connection with that wild animal, in a deep way. We had a moment of communication: I see you and you see me.
Being in remote places with wild animals reminds me to slow down, to pay attention, to soak in the experience and savor it. That’s worth hanging onto.
P.S. Penguins are endangered animals. You can help them by following some of our MakeADifference tips.
All photos taken on Macquarie Island. Copyright Susan Mann LLC.
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