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Today is World Penguin Day so we are revisiting this Dear Dot from the archives about the impact of our love of krill on the penguins who rely on it for their food.
I often see ads for krill oil. But I heard that overharvesting of krill is starving the penguins that feed on it. Is that true?
—Stephanie
Dear Stephanie,
Many years ago, when Dot was a just-starting-out journalist, I made my way to the 14th floor of a Four Seasons hotel where I knocked on a door and was greeted by a penguin. I followed the penguin into the room and spoke to his keeper for a story, while the penguin padded about, ultimately settling in a half-filled bathtub. I’ve long forgotten the point of my story but I’ve never forgotten the hotel penguin, so elegant in his black-and-white.
Are there any cuter ambassadors for marine conservation than those flightless, tuxedoed comics of the Southern Ocean? Dot thinks not. And the thought that anything I do might be taking food out of their adorable little mouths breaks my heart. So … am I? Are we?
And besides those who are taking krill oil supplements, who’s eating krill? And why? Why are these tiny creatures so important?
Dot dives deep into the answer. Keep reading.
