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In this 360° video from Cape Royds, Antarctica, see Adélie penguins in their natural habitat. Find out what they eat, how they nest, and how scientists track them.Editor's Note: CORRECTION: At <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r7abWWpLTI&amp;t=3s">0:03</a>, we state that Cape Royd's Adélie colony is the southernmost penguin colony in the world. It is actually the southernmost Adélie penguin colony.

In this 360° video from Cape Royds, Antarctica, see Adélie penguins in their natural habitat. Find out what they eat, how they nest, and how scientists track them.

In this 360° video from Cape Royds, Antarctica, see Adélie penguins in their natural habitat. Find out what they eat, how they nest, and how scientists track them.

Visit the World's Southernmost Adélie Penguin Colony

Planet Earth

Narrator: This is Cape Royds in Antarctica, home to the southernmost penguin colony in the world. Every year, a few thousand Adélie penguins make the long journey here to breed. See the piles of pebbles? Those are their nests.It's October, still the beginning of breeding season, which means no eggs yet. But by mid-November, each mated pair should have two to keep warm. The parent who's not busy incubating the eggs will travel across that sea ice in the distance to dine on fish and small crustaceans called krill.This colony is doing pretty well. But scientists predict that more than half of Adélie colonies will be in decline by the end of the century. Researchers are working to identify and track at-risk groups. One indicator they rely on, you just landed in it. This pinkish gray substance isn't dirt. It's guano, or penguin poop, that has been building up for 10,000 years. You can even see it from space!Some scientists are looking for guano in satellite imagery to estimate how many penguins are in a given area and even to monitor their diets. Comparing satellite data between colonies can help researchers understand which factors are most important for penguins’ survival.To learn about these penguins’ neighbors, the Weddell seals, play Nova's Polar Lab.

Visit the World's Southernmost Adélie Penguin Colony

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Support Provided By

Explore More

Antarctica Finally Lets Loose Iceberg the Size of Delaware

Antarctic Extremes

In search of Antarctic biodiversity? Look no further than penguin poop