When is World Penguin Day?
World Penguin Day 2027 is on Sunday
Sunday, April 25, 2027
April 25 every year. That's in 190 days.
until World Penguin Day begins, in your time zone
World Penguin Day is an informal day for learning about penguins and the pressures they face in a warming Southern Ocean. Its date is traditionally linked to Adélie penguins observed by researchers at a US Antarctic station.
About World Penguin Day
Penguins live almost entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, from Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands to the coasts of South America, southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Germany's Federal Environment Agency counts 18 species. Many depend on krill and small fish, and research has recorded sharp declines in some populations as sea ice retreats with climate change and krill stocks fall. World Penguin Day is used by aquariums, zoos, schools and conservation groups to share what is known about these birds and what threatens them.
No founding organization or first year is documented. The usual explanation for the date points to McMurdo Station, the US research base on Ross Island in Antarctica, where scientists are said to have noticed Adélie penguins appearing like clockwork around April 25 and turned the date into their own informal holiday, which later spread around the world. Germany's Federal Environment Agency repeated this account in a 2015 press release. Versions of the story differ on what the birds were doing: Adélies breed on land between October and February and spend the winter at sea in the pack ice, so late April fits the start of their winter journey better than a return to the colony.
World Penguin Day has no official status from the UN or any government. Researchers studying penguins today increasingly rely on satellite images, which can reveal colonies by their size or by the guano stains they leave on rock, and on drones to check counts on the ground.
Sources: German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt): 25 April is World Penguin Day (press release 15/2015), Australian Antarctic Division: Adélie penguin. How we check dates.
How to mark World Penguin Day
- Learn to tell apart a few species, such as Adélie, emperor, king, gentoo and African penguins, and where each one lives.
- Visit an aquarium or zoo with penguins and ask how it supports conservation in the wild.
- Choose seafood from well-managed fisheries, since many penguins compete with fishing fleets for krill and small fish.
- Watch a documentary about Antarctic wildlife with children and talk about how sea ice affects the animals there.
- Support a seabird or Southern Ocean conservation group with a donation or by sharing its research.
World Penguin Day dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Friday, April 25, 2025 |
| 2026 | Saturday, April 25, 2026 |
| 2027 | Sunday, April 25, 2027 |
| 2028 | Tuesday, April 25, 2028 |
| 2029 | Wednesday, April 25, 2029 |
| 2030 | Thursday, April 25, 2030 |
| 2031 | Friday, April 25, 2031 |
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Frequently asked questions
When is World Penguin Day 2027?
World Penguin Day 2027 is on Sunday, April 25, 2027. It falls on April 25 every year. In 2028, it is on Tuesday, April 25, 2028.
Why is World Penguin Day on April 25?
The date is traditionally traced to McMurdo Station in Antarctica, where researchers are said to have noticed Adélie penguins appearing around April 25 each year. No official founder or start year is recorded, and accounts of the story vary.
Do penguins live at the North Pole?
No. Penguins live almost entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. Only a few, such as the Galápagos penguin, live near the equator, and none live in the Arctic.
Is World Penguin Day a public holiday?
No. World Penguin Day is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.