World Penguin Day is a holiday that’s observed annually on April 25th. It’s a day that pays homage to these aquatic, flightless birds that live in the Southern Hemisphere. These birds are highly adapted for life in the water and are known for their dark and white plumage.

This holiday encourages people to learn more about these beautiful birds and the environment where they live, which is disappearing at an alarming rate.

Unfortunately, an increasing number of penguin colonies have been lost to the ravages of climate change, and even more will be lost if immediate action is not taken. It is for this reason alone that we encourage everyone to observe this holiday.

The History of World Penguin Day

World Penguin Day was created by McMurdo Station—an American research center on Ross Island. This holiday coincides with the migration of the Adélie penguins.

It was conceived as a way to commemorate this event and honor the penguins. But it was also conceived to raise awareness about the challenges that these penguins, and other penguins, face due to climate change.

Some Important Facts About Penguins

We don’t want to just breeze through this article on World Penguin Day without taking some time to talk about the subject of this holiday: the penguins themselves. We’re sure that there are quite a few things that people don’t know about penguins, so we decided to go ahead and list some of the facts that we learned through our research.

• Penguins don’t have teeth. Instead, they have serrated ridges on the tops of their mouths that they use to break up food.
• The only penguins found north of the equator are the Galápagos Penguins.
• Currently, there are 18 different species of penguins.
• Modern penguins originally began their existence in Australia some 22 million years ago.
• Penguins are monogamous and mate for life.
• A group of penguins on land is known as a waddle. If it’s in the water, it’s known as a raft.
• Penguin populations are quickly declining, and they are considered to be endangered.

Observing World Penguin Day

On this day, everyone is encouraged to learn more about penguins and how climate change is challenging their continued existence on this planet. Of course, this holiday doesn’t have to be all about doom and gloom.

People can also take the time to visit their local zoo to see penguins for themselves or watch a documentary about penguins. People can even adopt a penguin remotely. Everyone celebrating this holiday can also spread their love of penguins far and wide by using the hashtag #WorldPenguinDay online.

Of course, one of our favorite ways of enjoying this holiday is by watching one of the many penguin-based movies that exist out there. What penguin-based movies? Well, allow us to share some of our favorites with everyone below. We think the following movies are a great way to celebrate World Penguin Day.

• Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011)
• Happy Feet (2006)
• March of the Penguins (2005)
• Penguins of Madagascar (2014)
• Happy Feet Two (2011)