With the recent release of John Lewis’s 2014 Christmas commercial and the introduction of Monty the Penguin, penguin mania has come to a near frenzy. So there really was no choice when it came to choosing an animal from the cast of Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin to highlight in this edition of Photo Friday. It’s all about penguins!

Emperor Penguins are the largest penguin species reaching up to 4 feet tall (122 cm) and weighing up to nearly 100 pounds (45 kg). These are impressive animals who can withstand extreme Antarctic conditions and dive hundreds of feet in near freezing water to search for food. Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin is the most unique Emperor Penguin around as he wants to live on a tropical island…something easy to understand after a visit to Antarctica!

Adelie Penguins just might steal the show this holiday season after Monty the Penguin’s overnight rise to fame. (He’s already got a Twitter account, @MontythePenguin.) These adorable penguins are much smaller than their neighbors, the Emperor Penguins, weighing in at just 13 pounds (6kg) and standing only 30 inches (75 cm) tall. But don’t underestimate them. They can swim up to 45 mph (72 km/h). And in case you are wondering, Nosy Crow Books is publishing Monty’s Christmas in time for the holidays.

Chinstrap Penguins are my personal favorite because of the permanent smile they seem to have on their faces. That line however is actually a “chinstrap” that some say makes them appear to be wearing a helmet. But I just see the smile. It seems that Chinstrap Penguins have had their own fame. In 2005, two Chinstrap Penguins at New York’s Central Park Zoo became the subject of a children’s book, And Tango Made Three, after trying to hatch a rock.

There is something about penguins that we just can’t help but love. And I think I finally found the explanation.

“…the answer to every problem involved penguins…”
― Rick Riordan, The Throne of Fire

Happy Photo Friday!