The Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is the only penguin species found north of the equator and the smallest of the banded penguins, standing about 19–21 inches tall. Native exclusively to the Galápagos Islands off Ecuador, it survives in this tropical setting thanks to the cool, nutrient-rich Cromwell and Humboldt currents, which bring an abundance of fish like sardines and mullet. These penguins have adapted to the heat with behaviors such as panting, seeking shade in rocky crevices, and holding their flippers away from their bodies to dissipate warmth, along with sparse feathering around their faces and legs that helps release excess heat. They are monogamous and typically mate for life, nesting in caves or crevices along the rocky coastline to protect their eggs from the intense equatorial sun. Unfortunately, the Galápagos penguin is classified as endangered, with a population of only around 1,000–2,000 individuals, threatened by climate variability (especially El Niño events that reduce food supply), introduced predators, fishing net entanglement, and disease.
