Photographer in Antarctica Captures Penguin’s Epic Jump Straight Out of the Water

Are you familiar with the rock song by Van Halen titled Jump? If so, you'll understand what I mean when I say that this video that Myeongho Seo posted to Instagram was made to accompany the song, or vice versa! Seo works in Antarctica and wears many hats there, one being that he's a photographer who records penguins doing their thing.

In the video that he shared on Friday, July 12th, we see a colony of penguins standing on some ice. One penguin had just finished up hunting in the frigid waters and makes a grand exit from the water onto the ice. Make sure you have your sound on so you can hear Jump play as the penguin leaps straight out of the water. Talk about an epic jump!

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I think I've watched the video at least five times now because that penguin's jump is something to see! Seo's video received more than 600 comments, and people were just as delighted by the jump as I was. @swiftlove007 was impressed and wondered, "Do you see puffins landing in the sea? It's not so elegant.... LOL!" @wowiehowie68 pointed out, "Lowering the flaps to reduce air speed!" And @nyceater2 made me laugh when she said, "The Symone Biles of penguins!"

Related: National Geographic Explorer Captures Incredibly Rare Footage of Penguins Cliff Diving

Cool Penguin Facts

I guess I never considered how penguins got out of the water, but it was fun to see! One commenter asked the question, "Wouldn't she break her spine when she landed?" Seo responded, "Penguins have a body structure that is good at absorbing shocks." Commenter @lucian.shoots pointed out, "It fascinates me how these penguins can jump, and not kill their buddies while landing among them." and Seo replied, "Penguins have strong flippers. And they don't care where to land."

On that note, their 'buddies' really can't see them coming when they decide to leap out of the water. We all know that penguins are black and white but did you know that their tuxedo-like coloring actually helps protect them from predators while hunting? When they are swimming, if you look at them from above, their black backs blend into the dark ocean water. If you look at them from below, their white bellies match the bright surface. Penguins might be able to sense when other members of the colony are in the water nearby, but they don't actually see them until they launch out of the water!

And speaking of hunting, penguins do a lot of it. Penguins love to eat - they eat about 2 pounds of food each day, and during the winter that is doubled. They spend a lot of time in the water looking for food. Most eat fish, crustaceans, and squid, while Adelie penguins like the penguins in this video who live in Antarctica survive solely on krill and squid.

And here's an interesting fact that many people don't know about penguins...they stink! National Geographic wildlife photographer Bertie Gregory taught me that penguin colonies smell absolutely terrible and it's not a smell that you get used to. I learned this for myself when my family visited the Georgia Aquarium recently, and I could smell the penguins before I could see them. If you ever visit them at a zoo, you'll definitely remember their stinky smell!

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