Rare White Penguin Spotted in Antarctica

Naturalist David Stephens snapped this photo of a rare leucistic penguin waddling its way through the Aitcho Islands in Antarctica yesterday. Penguins’ two-tone black-and-white coloring offers camouflage while diving for fish, and this color is so fundamental to their success in catching fish that variations are seldom seen. Guests and expedition staff aboard National Geographic Explorer were treated to a rare sighting of this nearly all-white leucistic Chinstrap penguin. It’s not quite an albino since it has pigmented eyes and a washed-out version of a Chinstrap penguin’s coloring pattern. “Many wondered about this unusual bird’s chances of success,” Stephens said. “While odd coloration may make fishing a bit more difficult, leucistic birds are regularly found breeding normally.” The rest of the day’s report is online.