All penguins leave Ukraine's Antarctic station after record-late migration

According to experts, last year the penguins left Galindez Island in the first half of May, while this year, in the middle of the Antarctic winter, biologists from the 31st expedition recorded up to 4,000 gentoo penguins on the island in mid-July. Polar researchers said the unusually late migration was likely due to the relatively mild winter on the island.

“Until the end of July, there were no severe frosts in the area around the Vernadsky station, and the water temperature did not fall to the freezing point. The waters were not covered by a thick layer of ice, so the penguins had access to food, including krill and fish,” the National Antarctic Scientific Center said.

However, by July 21-22, only a few individual penguins and pairs remained on the island. In recent days, neither polar researchers nor video cameras have recorded any penguins on the island. This was because the water around Galindez began to freeze as temperatures fell, making it difficult for the birds to hunt in the ocean.

According to biologist Oleh Horiainov, the penguins moved farther north, to warmer parts of Antarctica where feeding conditions are more favorable during the winter.

“After the breeding season ends, these animals are no longer tied to the colony. They move between neighboring islands and feeding grounds in search of better hunting conditions. As a rule, however, they do not migrate long distances beyond the region and remain on islands north of Galindez along the Antarctic Peninsula,” the scientist said.

When spring arrives in Antarctica, while it is fall in Ukraine, the penguins will return to the Akademik Vernadsky station for the breeding season. Scientists say the birds have been doing so for nearly 20 years, with their numbers increasing each year. During the last breeding season, the number of gentoo penguins on Galindez Island exceeded 10,000.