Beck's Blog #5 - Where have all the Penguins gone?

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Michael Beck
  • 349th
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Now that Antarctica is consumed with 24 hours of darkness, the sun is not the only thing missing from the station.

Penguins, all our feathery little friends have left us, heading south, as they march in their little formations following their natural migration instincts. Initially I was really surprised with how big they are; of course it depends on whether they are an Emperor or Adelie penguin. Both are frequent visitors here and can range from cute, cuddly, and pocket size to some that stand waist high.

Regardless the size these little guys are a fan favorite here and whenever a group would stray into town the "Penguin sighting alarm" would sound throughout the station in the form of e-mails and pages. This was followed by the local Paparazzi grabbing their cameras and rushing out to capture the adorable creatures scooting along, wadding or sliding around on their belly's, feeding, swimming, shooting out of the water like corks from a bottle, standing around squawking with each other, or clapping their little wings and flopping face first in the snow to take a nap. I have to remind myself to dress warm before dashing out to watch the circus style entertainment; their activities were so captivating to me that the minutes quickly turn into hours. It's fascinating to watch them negotiate obstacles with their quick transition from a waddle to a belly flop then sliding on their stomach while using their feet to propel them around.

Their desire for companionship is obvious as they are rarely seen alone and are frequently seen strolling around together and locked in romantic cuddles, which amplifies the heartfelt 'awe' factor for everyone watching them. I think we are equally interesting for them to watch as they quickly call out to their groups as if to announce our presence, waddling and sliding close enough to touch. As we slip and fall on the ice trying to position ourselves for that perfect picture, they're quick to point out our clumsiness by their clapping and squawking, at times you can't help but feel they are making fun of us. Before their retreat we even had a little couple visit the fire station, playing in the snow drifts until exhaustion; they just fell over with a face plant in the snow, sinking off to take a little nap before continuing on their little adventure.

If the Penguins on station or on the flight line become a nuisance and have to be corralled somewhere operationally more suitable, that tasking falls to the fire department and we have special equipment to encourage them along. After each little penguin rodeo we are required to file a wild life removal form describing the event; did we touch them, where we touched them, were they marked with a tracking number or have any other unusual markings.

I know one thing for sure; the creators of the Madagascar movie have captured the personality of the little quirky creatures perfectly.