This week we meet a number of animals who live on Macquarie Island.

Millions of seabirds, most of them penguin and thousands of elephant seals arrive on Macquarie Island each year to breed and moult. Royal penguins are the most numerous. They spend seven months of the year at Macquarie foraging offshore for shrimps and fish. They have a yellow sort of crown on their head - I suppose that’s where they get their name royal from.

There are Gentoo penguins they are smaller than the King penguins. The King penguins are quite majestic with their bright orange colour. King penguins and Gentoo penguins spend all year on the island.

Penguins moult in the warmer months. A number of birds breed on the island including the Great skua. And don’t forget the seals. The biggest seals that breed on Macquarie Island are the elephant seals.

For more information about the penguins, birds and seals on Macquarie island go to the Australian Antarctic Division website.