Gentoo penguin, Petermann Island, Antarctica Jan 20, 2026

Penguins thrive in some of Earth"s coldest waters. Today"s image shows a gentoo penguin beneath a vault of shimmering blue ice, its sharp silhouette etched against the frozen world around it. The gentoo is among the most agile swimmers of all penguins. With strong flippers and a sleek, tapered build, it can navigate icy waters with quick, confident bursts of speed. Its bright bill, bold white head stripe and upright posture make it instantly recognisable, even in colonies where thousands of birds gather along the shore.

© Paul Souders/DanitaDelimont.com/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Jan 20, 2024Macaroni penguins

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jun 17, 2025Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States
Nov 11, 2023Val di Funes, South Tyrol, Italy
Jul 31, 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States
Jun 13, 2024Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Jun 6, 2024Greater flamingos at Pont de Gau Ornithological Park, Camargue, France
Feb 12, 2024Galápagos tortoise
Nov 24, 2025Gwalior Fort, Madhya Pradesh, India
Oct 15, 2025Amethyst laccaria mushrooms, Seabeck, Washington, United States
Jan 11, 2025Heri es-Swani in Meknes, Morocco
Dec 26, 2024Christmas lights at Mousehole harbour, Cornwall, England
Nov 22, 2023Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
Sep 20, 2025Swing carousel at Oktoberfest, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Nov 15, 2024Chiang Mai, Thailand
May 18, 2024Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Canada
Jul 5, 2024Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
Oct 4, 2023Tarantula Nebula
Jun 11, 2025Greater flamingos
Apr 25, 2024Adélie penguins, Antarctica
Oct 16, 2024Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England
Dec 24, 2025Starling murmuration, Brighton, England
Feb 6, 2024Lake Tahoe
Jul 13, 2025Basalt columns in Kálfshamarsvík cove, Skagi peninsula, Iceland
May 4, 2025Plaza de España, Seville, Spain
Oct 11, 2025Wood duck hen
Jun 16, 2025Sea turtle, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
Oct 8, 2025Octopus cyanea
Dec 15, 2025Spiegelgracht canal in Amsterdam
May 17, 2025A delta in the Venetian Lagoon, Italy
Apr 8, 2024European hedgehog
Nov 7, 2025Polar bear in Canada