Photographer Spots A Yellow Penguin, Potentially The First Of Its Kind

Yves Adams, a Belgium photographer, has snapped a rare yellow penguin, believed to be one of its kind. He took the photo in December 2019. The image was then taken by different media and has since gone viral.

When spotting the bright creature, which was bobbling in a sea of over 100,000 penguins, Yves Adams was on a trip to a small Island in South Georgia. Most flightless birds wore the usual tuxedo-like suit, but one was unique with cream-colored feet and yellow feathers.

It is believed that Yves Adams, who documents wildlife and landscapes globally, is the first-ever photographer to take photos of this infrequent penguin. He posted the image on Instagram. Then explained how this glowingly colored penguin walked in their direction amidst Antarctic fur seals, sea elephants, and many other kingdoms penguins after arriving on the South-Georgina remote beach as they unpacked their rubber boots.

The unusual color of the penguin is leucism, a condition that causes the black feet and feathers into a brighter hue. Typically, king penguins have black and white fathers with a collar with bow-tie-like strips. The dark pigment, known as melanin, gives the feathers their dark color. Pigment anomalies in penguins are rare but can occur, and when they do, they are either albinistic (all white), melanistic (all black), or leucitic ( a mix of both). Scholars believe that the penguin’s unique mutation might put it at a disadvantage. Penguins use their color to select mates and as a protection from both the sun and predators.