The World of the Penguin
Text and photographs by Jonathan Chester
Sierra Club Books, $27.50
About 45 million years ago, the earliest penguins took to the land, leaving the sky to their petrel-like
cousins. It turned out to be a very successful move, says renowned polar photographer Jonathan Chester in
the engaging text that accompanies dozens of vivid photos of these eminently lovable birds and their often
stark habitats. Penguins make up ìan incredible 80 percent of all bird biomass in the subantarctic region,
some in colonies numbering a million.
Besides the tuxedoed emperors and Adelies, whose ice follies are well-known, Chester introduces all 15
other species, adapted to the widest climate range in the animal kingdom, from Antarctica to the
equatorial Galapagos Islands. Each species has its niche, but all are bound to vast ocean currents circling
between Antarctica and the tips of three other continents.
We may be drawn to penguins because of their comically endearing people-like qualities, but Chester
reminds us that we've been less than kind to them. In the 19th century, for example, millions of royal
penguins on Macquarie Island were boiled down and rendered into oil--a pint per bird--until international
outrage resulted in the island being declared a sanctuary in 1920. Today, five penguin species are
variously threatened by climate change, fertilizer mining, overfishing, and oil spills. By evoking wonder
at the beauty of these birds and their complex evolution, Chester leaves no doubt about the need to ensure
their survival.
