Penguin Town

There are a lot of movies about penguins.

Penguins on ice,

penguins in the snow,

tons of marching.

Then...

there's these birds.

They boldly go where no penguins have gone before.

Meet the endangered African penguins.

Around here, they're known as...

jackass penguins.

Every summer, they descend on Simon's Town, South Africa...

and mingle with the masses.

But they're not just here to socialize.

Step aside, paparazzi.

These birds are taking over this town.

The locals give them full VIP access.

Some penguins may be emperors.

In this place...

they are gods.

The takeover begins every November

as penguins arrive in waves.

Literally.

They have six months to complete their most important mission.

Choose a partner,

stake a claim,

and...

make more penguins.

All...

while staying out of trouble.

Sounds easy enough.

Right?

If they get it wrong,

they face extinction.

No pressure.

Colony numbers have been declining.

Their survival depends on strong relationships.

Few work harder at that

than these two.

The perfect pair.

The poster penguins for monogamy.

Meet the Bougainvilleas.

They're around twelve years old.

Middle-aged for penguins.

And they have been together most of their adult lives.

This couple knows how to build the colony better than anyone.

But before they get down to business, they need a good home.

The Bougainvilleas have learned a secret.

In Simon's Town,

the closer to humans, the safer the nest.

But not too close.

The best part of living with giants,

they scare predators away.

Dangerous animals don't get the same backstage pass that penguins do.

Nevertheless, penguin housing is first come, first served.

And the Bougainvilleas already know the best nest around.

They've raised a dozen penguins... right here in this bush.

If something works, why change it?

It's one of the coolest spots in the neighborhood.

Crucial in this African heat.

But just 'cause they've been coming here for years,

doesn't mean they own the place.

At least that's how this grumpy young loner sees it.

He doesn't have love or a shady place to chill.

He wants what they have.

Don't let the cute faces fool you.

The Bougainvilleas are prepared to defend their turf.

And...

it's two against one.

The Bougainvilleas have the upper hand...

for now.

But the loner leaves them a clear message.

He's not done causing trouble.

On the beach to the north,

this dashing young bachelor is a lover, not a fighter.

Well, he's not a lover yet.

He's four, finally old enough to mate.

But he's not just looking to hook up.

He wants someone to grow old with.

Finding penguin love in this modern world can be tricky.

There's no app for that.

Plus, there's stiff competition.

And many of the hens have already found someone.

But wait.

Check her out.

She's beautiful.

And single!

Quick.

Go sweep her off her feet

before another guy does.

Oh, she's watching...

every move he makes.

Good swimmers with big beaks make good partners.

- -

Maybe she didn't see that.

He's put his best flipper forward.

Now, it's up to her.

At the end of the day, there's got to be chemistry.

Some couples are just meant to be.

It's a nice day for a black and white wedding.

A little dancing.

And a bunch of making out.

You guys are just too cute!

Introducing, for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Culvert.

No time for a honeymoon.

They need a nest.

And the housing rush is really heating up.

More than a thousand penguin couples

will settle here this mating season.

That means prime real estate fills up fast.

And competition for that perfect spot...

gets ugly.

At least their human neighbors are less territorial.

Almost nothing is off-limits.

If you can climb it...

it's yours.

In the garden, the Bougainvilleas are way ahead of the curve.

A finished nest already?

Nice!

Experience pays off.

But laying eggs and raising chicks will take a lot of energy.

They need to fatten up.

Time to go fishing.

The downside to living in the suburbs...