Yellow penguin can be captured for the first time: ‘exceptional and super precious’

While unloading the things, the penguins came to take a look out of curiosity. “Suddenly I saw a pale specimen in the waves. As a bird watcher I know my species, but I did not know this one. Adams immediately dropped all of his gear. “I grabbed my camera and started taking pictures. Miraculously, he swam over to us and waddled around on the beach. There he really put on a show, right in front of us.”

The virus appears to be suffering from leucism, an abnormality that leads to decreased pigmentation, Polet says. “The penguin doesn’t have albinism, because you can still see where it should be black on its back and the paws have a certain color as well. In alibinism, an animal is also bright white.”

Bright future

That the penguin is yellow seems like a pure coincidence. “Sometimes there is such a play of nature that an animal’s normal color pattern does not develop. And that of course creates the response ‘eh, what is it now?’. Polet doesn’t worry about the yellow beast. “The other penguins will notice he looks different. Whether it works for him or against him, I have no idea. But I hope a bright future awaits him.”

Photographer Adams is still in shock at all the attention the photos get. “Het is onvoorstelbaar. Ik wou dat dit gebeurde met al mijn foto’s. Het overtreft al mijn verwachtingen, maar uiteindelijk heb ik ook maar gewoon een paar foto’s gemaakt. Ik vind persoonlijk de foto’s die ik maakier van de lachtiacht mijoo” he.