In The Penguin Lessons, we see Steve Coogan’s character Tom Michell rescue a penguin during his time teaching at a boys’ boarding school in Argentina in the 1970s. After finding the penguin soaked with oil on a beach in the Uruguayan resort of Punta del Este, he finds himself responsible for the animal and it becomes the solitary Michell’s only friend, naming it Juan Salvador.
The film is based on a memoir by the Cornish author, Tom Michell, about his real-life experience of befriending a penguin in Uruguay.
Is the penguin in the film real?
It would be easy to assume the penguin has been added in with clever CGI, but the film primarily features a live Magellanic penguin. There are a few moments within the film where the team may have used robotic or CGI penguins, but for the most part, the acting real-life penguin is the star of the show. The filmmakers worked closely with animal handlers to ensure the penguin’s safety and wellbeing.
What is a Magellanic penguin?
The Magellanic penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus, is a medium-sized penguin found in South America, with colonies in Patagonia – particularly Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands. It was named after the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who first found the penguin in 1520.
With black and white bands across their head, neck, and breast, the Magellanic penguin is easy to spot. It is generally shyer than other Falkland penguins, and is known locally by the name “Jackass”, because of its distinctly loud, donkey-like braying call.
Their nesting behaviour is also rather unique among penguins, burrowing long tunnels in the soil or nesting under shrubs, while other penguins prefer nesting on rocks or ice.
Where can you find Magellanic penguins?
They are generally found in the Falkland Islands, arriving in early September and leaving in April. They will lay eggs between October and November, with juveniles fledging around February. In the winter months, they leave their colonies and travel great distances, reaching as far as southern Brazil. They are more migratory than most other penguin species, travelling thousands of kilometres – something that is quite unique among penguins.
How many are there in the world?
There are estimated to be about 1.3 million breeding pairs globally, with around 100,000 pairs of Magellanic penguins in the Falkland Islands alone.
What do they eat?
Magellanic penguins mainly feed on small fish and squid.
What are their predators?
Sea lions are their main predators at sea, although striated caracaras may also snatch small Magellanic penguin chicks during their early months.
Magellanic penguin statistics
Average height: 61-76cm tall
Average weight: 2.5-6.5kg
Life expectancy: Up to 25 years in the wild, up to 30 years in captivity
More on penguins
Penguin species guides
Top image: Two Magellanic Penguins gaze out over the Beagle Channel from their burrowed nest on Martillo Island near Ushuaia in Patagonia Argentina. In the distance are the Dientes de Navarino mountain range in Navarino Island, Chile (credit: Getty Images)