World Penguin Day is celebrated on 25 April every year, coinciding with the time of the birds annual northward migration. Penguins are one of roughly 40 species of flightless birds, who who live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species of penguin, the Galapagos can be found north of the equator. World Penguin Day aims is to raise awareness of the plight of some penguins and highlighting the importance of protecting the Antarctic's marine environment.

Antarctica
Antarctica
World Penguin Day 2017
World Penguin Day 2017
World Penguin Day 2017

Spending most of their life at sea, penguins are able to dive to a depth of 565 metres – deeper than any other bird. There are 18 species of penguins, 13 of which are endangered, with some on the brink of extinction. In this gallery, IBTimesUK presents a selection of penguin photos taken around the world:

World Penguin Day 2017
A pair of Adelie penguins are pictured at Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay, East Antarctica Pauline Askin/Reuters
World Penguin Day 2017
A Gentoo penguin is pictured in Petermann Island, Antarctica Eitan Abramovich/AFP
Antarctica
Adelie penguins dive into the ocean iStock
Antarctica
Penguins can be seen walking across ice at Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay, East Antarctica Pauline Askin/ Reuters
Antarctica
Emperor penguins are seen in Dumont d'Urville, Antarctica Martin Passingham/ Reuters
World Penguin Day 2017
Adelie penguins stand atop a block of melting ice on a rocky shoreline at Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay, in East Antarctica Pauline Askin/Reuters
Antarctica
An Adelie penguin stands atop a block of melting ice near the French station at Dumont d'Urville in East Antarctica Pauline Askin/ Reuters
World Penguin Day 2017
Adelie penguins are pictured at Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay, in East Antarctica Pauline Askin/Reuters
Antarctica
Adelie penguins stand atop ice near the French station at Dumont d'Urville in East Antarctica Pauline Askin/ Reuters
Antarctica
King Penguin iStock
World Penguin Day 2017
A Magellanic penguin is seen in Magdalena Island, in the Strait of Magellan near Chile's southern tip, where tens of thousands of penguins come every year to breed Martin Bernetti/AFP
World Penguin Day 2017
A Magellanic penguin is seen in Magdalena Island, Chile Martin Bernetti/AFP
World Penguin Day 2017
Magellanic penguins are seen in Magdalena Island, Chile Martin Bernetti/AFP
World Penguin Day 2017
A Magellanic penguin is seen in Magdalena Island, in the Strait of Magellan near Chile's southern tip, where tens of thousands of penguins come every year to breed Martin Bernetti/AFP
World Penguin Day 2017
A Magellanic penguin in Magdalena Island, Chile Martin Bernetti/AFP
World Penguin Day 2017
Magellanic penguins walk in single file at El Pedral penguin colony, near Punta Ninfas in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina Juan Mabromata/AFP
World Penguin Day 2017
View of Gentoo penguins in Cuverville Island, in the western Antarctic peninsula Eitan Abramovich/AFP
World Penguin Day 2017
An adult (L) and one year old juvenile Yellow eyed penguin, on Enderby Island in the subantarctic Auckland Islands group Ross Land/Getty Images
World Penguin Day
An African penguin swims in his pool at the Servion Zoo near Lausanne, Switzerland Denis Balibouse/Reuters
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