Why are penguins called emperors?

Emperor penguins live up to their name: they are the largest, best-dressed, and arguably the bravest of all living penguin species. And, considering the height (real or imagined) of most emperors, this species towers over the rest.

Visiting the northernmost emperor penguin colony on Snow Hill Island is notoriously difficult, but it offers some of the most incredible opportunities to see these creatures in their natural habitat.

Emperor penguin colonies consist of hundreds or thousands of breeding pairs. They are very hardy creatures – they are the only penguin species that breeds on Antarctic sea ice during the winter. A female emperor penguin lays an egg, then leaves it with a male emperor penguin to keep it safe and warm.

After emperor penguin chicks hatch, they spend the rest of their lives on the Antarctic ice, learning to fish from adult emperor penguins.

Adults divide their time between emperor penguin colonies and offshore fishing grounds. Both males and females forage for food and care for the newborn chicks.

Along with the expected penguin tuxedo, the emperor is also adorned with vibrant yellow and orange feathers on its head, neck and chest. A regal creature indeed.

George Clooney looks good in a tuxedo, but he’s nothing compared to one of our favorite Antarctic animals, the Emperor Penguin! Have you seen their shiny feathers and graceful appearance as they glide across the sea ice? Sorry George, but we know who to choose in the ‘best tux’ contest.

While we’d love to make Antarctica our second home, Emperor Penguins are ready for the continent. Their official name is Aptenodytes forsteri; aptenodyte means ‘wingless diver’. They named it the ‘Emperor Penguin’ in honor of Johann Reinhold Forster, who was aboard Captain James Cook’s second ship.

This characteristic makes them harder to find than other Antarctic penguins, and makes them harder to find on our Antarctic expeditions.