Why are Antarctic penguins afraid of the dark?

Penguins don't swim in the water when night falls because of fear of being attacked.

Most researchers think penguins have low visibility in the dark so they don't swim in the water when night falls.

But in a recent study, two marine ecologists Ainley and Ballard said that the cause is not actually the same. They explained that they feared being attacked by the leopard and the whale. Even when migrating from the southern seas, they also avoid facing these predators.

To show the possibility of this species being seen in the dark, they experimented with 65 adult Adelie penguins with a time-depth measuring device. Results showed that they were often attacked at a depth of 50-100m below sea level - the water was completely dark. This bird can dive as deep as 500m.

Why do penguins not hunt at night? Researchers believe that because marine newspapers often operate at this time. Penguins just stay in the water after getting enough food. Then they have to go to their accommodation with a distance of up to 5 km.

The cause is also influenced by the habit of migrating birds. Emperor penguins moved the herd at the end of summer in Antarctica. But instead of reaching the rich and near waters, they swim north to the poor waters. During that journey, up to 20-30% of the members became prey to the leopard and predatory whales.