Flightless Auk

The flightless auk, Nataralces maritimus, is a flightless, semiaquatic, penguin/great auk-like alcine auk from the Polar Ocean.

In winter the Polar Ocean is largely barren. In spring, however, the sunlight produces a bloom of unicellular algae near the surface, which provides food for the microscopic animal life that forms the basis of the oceanic food chain. In spring, shoals of pelagic fish come northwards through the northern island barrier to feed on the zooplankton, bringing with them countless numbers of seabirds.

The first bird species to arrive is the flightless auk, a totally aquatic creature with paddle-like wings. In this respect they resemble the penguins, which were so successful in the Southern Hemisphere in earlier times. Except during winter the flightless auks rarely come ashore or climb onto the ice, where they are quite defenseless. Pregnant females retain their eggs until they are almost ready to hatch and lay them in the open water.