Soldiers in constant battle for their whole lives

The Chinstrap penguin is named after soldiers of WWI, as their line under their chin resembles that of the soldiers wearing the helmets that were worn on the battlefield. The life of a chinstrap penguin is somewhat of a constant battle. A battle against the elements - the waves, the wind, the sun, the sun and the cold. A battle against competitors - whether they are other chinstrap penguins competing for the same potential mate or other chinstraps and/or animals competing for the same food source. Lastly, especially during the summer breeding months its a constant battle against predators - protecting their chicks from skuas and constant stalking Leopard seals near their breeding colony.

If you simply look at the adorable cuteness that is a waddling penguin making its way up a rocky hillside you don’t automatically revert back to just how tough life is on these animals. For instance, just that climb up to their nests itself, which can be a huge cliff is exhausting for some people whom attempt to do it for fun. These chinstraps will at times have to complete that climb multiple times a day. I have seen these small-legged waddling penguins over take humans attempting to walk up the same hillside all the time.

This photo itself really highlights for me that struggle. The endless battle these animals go through in order to survive themselves and to ensure their success of breeding a future generation.