Indigenous Peoples of Chile regard penguins as Guardians of The Sea. A story tells of the souls of fishermen who perished at sea returning as penguins who go on to guide other seafarers. The Humboldt penguin population has dramatically decreased along the central coast of Chile. They are named after the cold Humboldt Current where they bathe and are among the most vulnerable of the world's 18 penguin species, putting them at risk of extinction. The main threats to these beautiful wild penguins are marine pollution, disturbance of nesting areas, the illegal guano harvest and lack of pet supervision by humans. Guano is utilized in nest building. Shannon Waatsa's beautifully polished zebra marble penguin and little chick measure about 2" tall, 1 1/2" wide and 3/4" deep, including the lovely Picasso marble base. Incredible eyes are from jet in mother-of-pearl.
View item
