Viktória Wilujeng Botka
Unbeknownst to the human population, between the tropic of Cancer and the equator line, there existed an undiscovered island. It was a subtropical island: small but still big enough that a large number of animal species could live on it. The animals lived safely and comfortably alongside and among each other—no hunters, no tigers, no nothing. They called this island “Island Doris,” which meant “The Gift of the Ocean.” The most interesting thing about this tropical island is—however peculiar it may sound—the penguin.
Another thing that humans have failed to grasp is that penguins didn’t originate in Antarctica. They supposedly migrated from an unknown land and found their way to the South Pole. But this here is the story of how penguins ended up on their dry, numbingly freezing habitat.
On a warm, breezy day, a penguin became stranded on Doris’ shore. She was first spotted by the seagulls. When they found her, she was just a baby, so she was taken to Momma Seagull, who cared for her for a few years until she was able to find her own food and live independently.
Despite being classified as birds, as you may know, penguins can’t fly. Their wings function as flippers, which enable them to swim, but for flying, these are rendered completely useless, because their bodies are too heavy to be lifted with such short wings.
The birds had no idea that penguins don’t fly. They thought the penguin had been injured on her way to the island, which had left the poor thing crippled. The penguin pecked on insects, seeds, and nuts before discovering her own natural ability to glide underwater.
Island Doris had a beautiful lagoon, which Pinguin (as the other birds called her) longingly admired. The birds always warned Pinguin not to get into the water, but one day the sun was glazing too brightly and Pinguin’s thick, densely packed feathers were making her sweat. Her natural instincts led her to dive into the clear, opal blue water. She had a memorable time; she was a natural swimmer. She successfully caught some fish, found out they were delicious, and saved some for momma seagull.
Penguins are social and friendly animals. Pinguin got along with the other species on Doris Island very well. They liked her for her politeness and goofiness; she was also helpful, and they thought she looked rad with her feather coat colours: black, yellow, and white. She was always welcome at social gatherings and parties and was treated kindly too. She made friends with the fishes too, and they would go hunting together.
Even though all the others loved her, she still felt left out, as if she didn’t belong anywhere. Yes, she swims and protects the fish from potential predators, but she isn’t a fish. Sure, she went searching for nuts and insects with the birds, but when they flew up high, she was the one left behind. It was not like the fish and birds were being mean to her. It was not that they found her weird. She just felt like she wasn’t part of them.
So, Pinguin made up her mind and decided to search for her family. After exchanging farewells with friends who loved her but never quite understood her, she told them she was going to explore the world. She set out into the ocean and left Island Doris to face the unknown. It was a long voyage for her. She had to travel to several islands that might be her home.
At long last, she found a friend. His name was Penggu; they met on one of the small islands of Australia. Unfortunately, Penggu didn’t know where the other penguins lived either.
“The harsh climate and severe hurricanes in their native area forced my parents to migrate. I was their only child they were able to bring. See, I was still an egg. However, they died a long time ago, and the other penguins probably did too.”
Pinguin abandoned the mission to find her family. And after she lived with Penggu for quite a while, Pinguin realised that she had found family. She had Penggu with her, and Penggu had her.
After a while, Pinguin and Penggu decided that the island was too small for them and too hot. The effect of the southern oscillation phenomenon was responsible for the dryness and warmness in Australia. They wanted to go somewhere cooler. By following their survival instincts, they arrived in Antarctica and found that they could adapt to the extreme conditions, such as its bone-freezing temperature. The happy couple had baby penguins, and they enjoyed a happy life together as a family before it grew into a large colony.
“Birds of a feather fly together!”