There are penguins and then there are penguins. This particular penguin, a Gentoo Penguin Pygoscelis papua, is one heck of a brave (or foolhardy) penguin. Watch as it literally jumps onto a sea lion seal, a sea lion seal that is none too happy about being used as a trampoline, I might add. I know nothing else about this video, other than I found it through Equals 3, a great YouTube video review show done by Ray William Johnson. Seriously though, this penguin deserves either a medal or a slap upside the head. Either way, cool video!
Not a Sealion, but a seal, a Southern Elephant Seal I believe. Not much of a threat to it, unless it crushed it.
I concurr with Claire. A “brave” penguin would have pulled that stunt on a leopard seal.
@Clare: Corrected, thanks.
@Duncan: Come on, I’d be afraid to get that close to an elephant seal. That penguin is gutsy (yeah, yeah, yeah, don’t anthropomorphize, but, whatever).
I’d be cautious around a bull, maybe. But they are the most approachable of the seals. And that thing is still a weiner.
Clearly a slap upside the head, but it will be getting one anyway. I am pretty sure it was all submerged in thoughts, trying to come up with an excuse to tell its wife for coming home late – like a Great White Shark attack or so – when really what it had done was go twitch some famous American birders that had been spotted on a tourist “research” vessel nearby, which was so important to do as it is doing a big birdering year.