Vulnerable Species: The Humboldt Penguin

The Humboldt Penguin is a fantastic little species of penguin that is, unfortunately, vulnerable to becoming endangered in the near future. Found on the pacific coast in South America, the Humboldt Penguin is endemic to Peru and Chile, known to swim in the cold ocean current from which the penguins get their name, which itself is named after the explorer that found the current, Alexander von Humboldt. 

Alexander von Humboldt actually plays a very important factor in determining the cause for the loss of Humboldt Penguins; despite being the namesake for these penguins, his chief contribution to their welfare actually lay with prospecting their nesting areas for guano, a prime commodity in 1802 as a fertiliser that was easy to mine and high in nitrogen. Von Humboldt wrote a paper on the subject of guano which became popular in Europe, sparking demand for the resource. Ultimately, this lead to the disturbing of the Humboldt Penguin’s nesting areas and the over-exploitation of their guano reserves meant that the Humboldt Penguin’s natural habitat was destroyed very quickly.

Thanks to developments in water based, ammonium fertilisers, the Humboldt Penguin overcame the threat from guano mining; however, this was not the end of their problems as overfishing, ocean acidification and climate change, which is thought to have severe impact at key points throughout history. It is thought that the El Nino from 1982 to 1983 was responsible for a 65% loss of Peruvian Humboldt penguins at the time.

Hunting and poaching has led to a decline in the penguin population as well throughout the years, and before the penguins were made a protected species sailors used the penguins as an easy meal. Collectors captured them for private zoos and eggs were poached either for sale or consumption. Since they were granted protected status however they have been left mostly alone.

With numbers estimated between 3,000 and anywhere up to 12,000, the Humboldt penguin is still in a position that can be reversed – unfortunately their natural habitat of the South American Pacific coast is limited in terms of space and has been declining thanks to habitat destruction, so the chance for the penguins to proliferate again relies entirely upon the restoration of the habitat and the prevention of over-fishing and fishing-related debris that can entangle and drown the penguins.

These are all key problems that affect all marine life across the world; however the Humboldt penguin is an animal that has been suffering at the hands of humans for a long time now. By using more ethical fishing sources and supporting a safer method of fishing, we can cut back on the destructive practices that are threatening this lovely species and give them a fighting chance to come back from their threatened status.