There are 19 different types of penguin species with Gentoo Penguins (like we have here at The Deep) being the third largest, only King and Emperor Penguins are taller.
It’s not entirely clear where the name Gentoo originated from. One suggestion is from the term “Johnny Penguin” which sailors called this bird back in the 18th century. The Spanish pronunciation of “Johnny” is Juanito and its pronunciation therefore closely resembles Gentoo. What is clear though is where Gentoo Penguins got their Latin name pygoscelis from, which means ‘brush-tailed’. They are called this as their brush like tail sweeps the floor from side to side as they walk.
A penguin’s diet can be very high in salt due to the salinity of the sea, which means they ingest high amounts of sodium. To reduce their sodium levels in their body, Gentoo’s have a special gland behind their eyes which produces an extremely salty solution, which they then expel from their beak. When doing this they make a slight ‘hiss’ sound and shake their head, which makes it look and sound a bit like they are sneezing.
Of the 19 species of penguin, all are good swimmers, however the Gentoo Penguins take the top spot with being the fastest swimming Penguin. They can reach speeds of up to 35kph or around 25mph! They can also dive to depths of up to 200m and stay underwater for around 7 minutes.
All penguin species live in the Southern Hemisphere, with the Galapagos Penguins being the only species that can possibly venture north of the equator in the wild. So unfortunately you’ll never find a penguin at the North Pole.
Aside from “colony” being the standard noun referencing a group of penguins, a group in the water can be referred to as a “raft” and a group of penguins on land can be called a “waddle”.