A Penguin Post Office!

Brrr. It’s a snowy day at Port Lockroy in Antarctica. You need to mail a letter. So you bundle up and head out into the cold.

Suddenly, you hear something. Roo! Roo! Roo! As you walk closer, you see hundreds of penguins. Where are you? You’re at the Penguin Post Office!

Port Lockroy is mostly home to snow and ice. There are only a few buildings here. One of them is a post office! For more than 30 years, it’s been surrounded by about 1,500 gentoo penguins. Why do these penguins live at a post office? Because it’s the perfect place for them to build nests and lay their eggs.

The colony, or group, of penguins lives here only during the summer months. They waddle around the post office and raise their young. When winter comes and their babies are old enough, the colony of penguins leaves the post office in search of food. They hunt for fish in the ocean.

But when summer comes again, the penguins return to their post office home!

People come from all over to see the Penguin Post Office. You can visit too! You won’t be able to touch, feed, or play with the penguins. But you can watch the birds from a safe distance or buy a gift at the penguin-themed shop.

Or you can simply mail a letter. Just be sure to watch out for penguin poop!