In 2018, Jamie Hayes was traveling with her family through the sub-Antarctic islands when she spotted something both hilarious and painfully relatable — a teenage penguin deep in the throes of an awkward molting phase.
Amidst the breathtaking scenery, the disheveled young penguin stood out dramatically.
“The chicks don’t swim until after they molt, and this guy clearly got wetter than he meant to,” Hayes told The Dodo. “He had such a funny, human-like vibe — like someone who had a really rough day and just wanted to go home and change clothes.”
Hayes couldn’t help but empathize with the penguin’s tragic, emo energy — and it seemed even the penguin’s parent wasn’t thrilled about the situation.
Before this trip, Hayes had never witnessed anything quite like it. But after that first encounter, she began noticing teenage penguins everywhere.
“One colony we visited had around 100,000 king penguins,” Hayes said. “The chicks were all in different stages of molting their fluffy baby feathers. Some were still completely woolly, while others had patchy spots that looked like chest wigs — and some even rocked awkward mohawks.”
For penguins, molting is their version of a very public and very cringey puberty.
King penguins, the second-largest penguin species, are known for their sleek, upright posture and vivid coloring — traits that, during adolescence, are still very much a work in progress.
Penguin chicks start out covered in thick, brown fluff, which they begin shedding around 10 to 12 months old. In its place grows their adult waterproof feathers — black backs, white chests, and striking orange markings around their ears and throats — along with a healthy layer of insulating blubber to survive the icy seas.
Although Hayes and her family witnessed countless incredible wildlife moments during their trip, that grumpy, soggy teenage penguin remains one of her most unforgettable memories.
