Belgian wildlife photographer Yves Adams described his sighting of a rare yellow and white penguin in Antarctica as winning nature’s lottery. His unexpected discovery in late February created a buzz among nature experts worldwide.
Adams and his team were on a two-month expedition to the South Georgia Peninsula and the South Sandwich Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. They were attempting to land their fleet of rubber boats when wicked waves and high winds limited their options to a one-kilometer strip overloaded with thousands of seals and hundreds of thousands of penguins. They were fortunate to find a spot on land.
Adams was captivated by a group of King penguins swimming from left to right. However, he suddenly noticed something yellow in the corner of his eye. He focused his binoculars and, amidst the chaos of animals, spotted a peculiar pale penguin. Uncertain of its breed, he and his colleagues observed it while Adams captured photos.
Adams explained, “The yellow penguin swam to shore just in front of us. It gave a little show—flicked water off its feathers, walked up the sand, and entered a colony of King penguins.”
He is a fully grown adult bird and has obviously been accepted by the rest of the flock.
