Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
penguins engaged in a duet to the sky

When on an Antarctic island in the midst of thousands of penguins, it is easy to get distracted. Fortunately, I spotted this duet and was able to capture it in time. Penguins on land are pretty clumsy, but in this case the duo presented an image, although not a sound, of elegance. An expedition leader quipped that penguins are so dumb that they vocalize to the sky with mouths open like this even when it is raining hard and, thus, have been known to drown.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 02.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Antarctica
Camera: X-H1
Copyright: © Steven Hannes