The charming penguins of Antarctica Today’s Video of the Day from the National Science Foundation describes the unique challenges of filming thousands of penguins in the extreme conditions of Antarctica.

Sophie Darlington and Julie Moniere spent a month in in a remote part of coastal Antarctica capturing footage of penguins and other wildlife for the Disneynature film Penguins.

The filmmakers noted that the Adelie penguins are not only charismatic and funny, but that they are also very resilient.

The work was made possible with the support of the National Science Foundation-managed U.S. Antarctic Program. There are an estimated 2.5 million breeding pairs of Adélie penguins in Antarctica. They weigh from 3.6 to 6.0 kg (7.9 to 13.2 pounds), grow between 46 to 71 cm (18 to 28 inches) tall, and their preferred diet is fish and krill. Though Adélie penguins can dive to 175 meters (574 feet), they usually catch their meals near the surface. They live on crustaceans, squid, and fish, and are usually found in the Ross Sea and Weddell regions, especially Snow Hill Island. Forming large colonies on the sea ice, emperor penguins rarely head north to sub-Antarctic waters. As seen above The charming penguins of Antarctica live between one another in a happy environment.

The tallest and heaviest among the penguins, the emperor penguins are endemic Antarctic penguins. These penguins weigh between 25 and 44 kg and are about 122 cm tall. They can be identified by virtue of their large size, black dorsal surface and head, pale-yellow breast, white belly, and ear patches that are bright yellow in color.

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Video Credit: National Science Foundation