20070213_goldharbor_0057

A fur seal spars with a King Penguin in Gold Harbor, South Georgia Island. The King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest penguin. Adults weigh around 29 pounds and average 37 inches in height. Females look identical to the males but are a little smaller in size. They are a beautiful species with a patch of bright orange. King penguins gather in great numbers. This colony in Gold Harbor, South Georgia Island numbers around 25,000 breeding pairs. In the past, King penguins were ruthlessly hunted for their oii and their numbers were seriously reduced, and many colonies were completely exterminated. With the end of sealing and whaling, most King populations seem to be growing at a yearly rate of 5-15 percent.