Penguins bite - apparently

Slowly I make my way through all the pictures, I shot in the last couple weeks. Unfortunately I didn't seized the 2 weeks in Germany as much as I wished, but anyway... The trip I want to tell you today, took me to Boulders Beach. This is a National Reserve with a Penguin Colony, granting you the unique opportunity to walk among and swim with Penguins.

This is so dramatically different from seeing them in a zoo, I can't even describe how it felt. But hence this are wild animals, you better not touch them, no matter how tempting it is. I discovered they are basically in 2 modes: Either they don't care or they want to kill you, your family and everyone you might remotely know. Curious and eager for a good shot, I obviously climbed some rocks, walk through hip-deep water (with camera and backpack!) and got pretty far into the colony. It wasn't until then I realized the "second mode" of these guys. The way I had choose only had one way back: Through 2 narrow stones. And while I was busy taking some pictures, the Penguins decided to have some kind of assembly right at these stones. Luckily I had my backpack with me, so I could use it as shield. Otherwise my tummy or even more southern regions might have received some serious damage. Probably I should add, that it was more or less my own fault: On my way into the colony I didn't see the breading female on said stone and they get really protective about their females. Also it is forbidden by penalty to disturb the Penguins, so better be smarter than me ;)