Birds
Galápagos penguin
Spheniscus mendiculusConservation statusEndangered
DietSmall fish that swim in schools
Lifespan15-20 years
Size and weightAbout 35 cm, about 2.5 kg
A small black-and-white penguin with a thin white stripe around the face. Swims very fast.
White face stripe
What makes it specialThe only penguin that also lives naturally north of the Equator. The cold Cromwell Current makes this possible.
Surprising factTo stay cool, it pants, spreads its flippers and keeps its feet in the shade.
PopulationOnly about 1,200-2,000, the rarest penguin in the world. Endemic: it lives nowhere else.
Tagus Cove and the Vicente Roca area