Image of penguins gathered on a snowy landscape in front of a building

robertharding/Alamy Stock Photo (post office); Shutterstock.com (all other images) 

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Penguin Post Office

You’ve probably heard of snail mail. But what about the penguin post office? Located on Goudier Island in Antarctica, Port Lockroy is the site of the world’s southernmost post office. It’s also home to about 1,500 gentoo penguins. This past November, the birds got new neighbors when four women arrived to work at Port Lockroy.

The new employees will be on the job through March. They’re taking care of the historic British site, which is also a museum with a gift shop. Their duties include sorting mail, selling stamps, and greeting the thousands of tourists who arrive on cruise ships. Team members also regularly count the penguins, check their nests, and look out for hatchlings.

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

Working at the post office is not an easy job. For one thing, the weather can be harsh. Though it’s currently summer in Antarctica (and everywhere else south of the equator), temperatures can dip to about -20 degrees Fahrenheit. When the team arrived at Port Lockroy, the post office was buried by snow. They needed help from members of the British Navy to dig it out. 

The women sleep in bunk beds in a small lodge. There’s no running water, so they have to shower on visiting ships. And with no internet service, they have little contact with friends and family. Luckily, the women have some cute critters to keep them company. As postmaster Clare Ballantyne wrote in a blog post, “Penguins are the best neighbors.” 

All About Penguins

  • Most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere (south of the equator). About 40 million live in or near Antarctica.

  • Penguins live in colonies called rookeries. Some include more than a million penguins.

  • Like all birds, penguins have wings. But they don’t fly. Penguins’ stiff wings propel them underwater at speeds of more than 20 miles per hour.

  • Penguins, like whales and seals, have a layer of fat under their skin that helps keep them warm.

  • Five species of penguins live in Antarctica: Adélie, chinstrap, emperor, gentoo (seen below), and macaroni.
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