The first chicks of subantarctic penguins appeared near the "Akademik Vernadskyi" station, writes the National Antarctic Science Center. From the first eleven eggs laid at the beginning of November, eight babies were already born. There are families in which two baby penguins have already hatched.
A real "baby boom" is expected soon on Galindez Island, where the Ukrainian Arctic station is located, because now there is a record number of subantarctic penguins nesting here — more than 5.3 thousand. There are approximately 4,800 eggs in their nests.
How well the baby penguins hatch will depend on various factors, including the amount of snow and predator activity.
Babies are under the full care of their parents for about a month. Then they begin to molt, unite in a nursery and actively study the world around them. After molting, they learn to swim in the ocean and forage for themselves. Before that, their parents feed them with caught krill.