Galapagos Penguin

The Galapagos penguin is the only penguin species found north of the equator, living year round on the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador. It is one of the smallest penguin species and survives in a tropical environment thanks to the cool, nutrient-rich Cromwell and Humboldt currents that bring cold water and abundant small fish to the islands. It nests in caves, crevices, and burrows dug into volcanic rock or coral rubble to escape the intense equatorial sun. Its population is small and highly sensitive to El Nino events, which warm the surrounding waters and sharply reduce the fish it depends on, making it one of the rarest penguin species in the world.