Penguin chicks

penguin chicks are pretty amazing to photograph but what I have noticed over my years of interacting with them is that they are always pretty filthy. Now, this isn't me being mean about these adorable animals but letting everyone know of the reality of wild animals in nature. Chicks are born with å different type of feathers than that of their parents/adults. These feathers of the babies get confused with fur, as it is soft and fluffy looking. However, it is indeed feathers that are known as "down", which is not very waterproof.

As a result these guys stay out of the water until they fledge and obtain their adult plumage, which is indeed waterproof. So, as a result they will remain quite close to their breeding rookery, which is typically covered in penguin poop, feathers and mud. This as you can imagine is what these little guys get covered in over the month or so prior to their fledge of the baby "down" feathers. Hence, most of the time you see them, they actually look quite dirty and filthy but somehow still adorably cute...