NATGEOKIDS.

COM • MAY 2021

COOL
BOOK
GIVEAWAY

SPECIAL
OCEAN
ISSUE
Dolphins, penguins, and other animals you love!
WHICH
OCEAN SAVE
ANIMAL THE
ARE SEA
YOU? FUN COMICS TIPS
 SPECIAL
OC EAEN
ISSU

PHOTO
SECRETS
Editor in Chief and Vice President,
Kids Magazines & Digital
REVEALED
Rachel Buchholz This special issue brings
Design Director, Magazines Eileen O’Tousa-Crowson you face-to-face with
Editorial Kay Boatner, Senior Editor / Digital Producer; five ocean animals and
Allyson Shaw, Editor / Digital Producer the explorers who took
Photo Shannon Hibberd, Senior Photo Editor their pictures. First, take
Production Sean Philpotts, Director a cool quiz on pages
Digital Laura Goertzel, Director 12-13 to find out which
ocean animal you’re
PUBLISHED BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PARTNERS, LLC most like, then read the
Chairman of the Board of Directors amazing stories behind
Jean Case
these wild photographs.
Chairman, National Geographic Partners
Gary E. Knell
Editorial Director PLUS: 18 WAYS you ca-2n7
Susan Goldberg
save the ocean! PAGES 24
Managing Editor, Magazines
David Brindley

Advertising Offices John Campbell, Senior Vice President,

Partnerships, john.campbell@natgeo.com
Detroit Karen Sarris, karen.sarris@natgeo.com
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Consumer Marketing John MacKethan, Vice President and
General Manager; Mark Viola, Circulation Planning Director; Bottlenose Dolphin Gentoo Penguin Polar Bears
Janet H. Zavrel, Manager, Circulation Planning
Consumer Insights and Analytics 14 16 18
Jessica Bates, Senior Director
Advertising Production Kristin Semeniuk, Director;
Julie A. Ibinson, Manager
Publicity Anna Kukelhaus, anna.kukelhaus@natgeo.com;
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DEPARTMENTS
Chandler Hueth, chandler.hueth@natgeo.com
4 Weird But True!
Parents, contact us online: kids@natgeo.com
5 Incredible Animal
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Please recycle.
 Check out these CHECK OUT
WEIRD BUT
TRUE! ON
outrageous facts. DISNEY+.

BY MICHELLE HARRIS AND JULIE BEER

THE DOT
OVER THE
LETTERS i AND
j IS CALLED A
TITTLE.
A group of owls is called a parliament. I
SCORE
TONS OF
OINKS, ER,
SOME COBRAS CAN POINTS!
SPIT VENOM
6.5 FEET. Pigs
have been
THAT’S taught to
LONGER THAN play video

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY IS MAJORITY OWNER OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PARTNERS. © BRETT KLAPROTH / DREAMSTIME (OWLS); MICHAEL RICHARDS &
A HOCKEY STICK. games.

JOHN DOWNER / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (COBRA); © TSEKHMISTER / DREAMSTIME (PIG); KEERATI / SHUTTERSTOCK (TOILET); NASA (MERCURY).
MURFSOICIANAS
PE RMED
CON CERT
LIA WITH SOME
IN AUSTRA CY NOTES
HIGH-FREQUEN

ONLY DOGS .
COULD HEAR
YOU MAY MAKE
BETTER DECISIONS
WITH A

FULL
BLADDER.
On Mercury,
the sun
appears to
rise and set
twice a day.

4 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021

 INCREDIBLE
ANIMAL FRIENDS BY ROSE
DAVIDSON

LYNX ADORES no
catfIghts

DOM ESTIC CAT

St. Petersburg, Russia
For some 12 years, Linda
here!

the Eurasian lynx could

be seen gently licking the face of a smaller cat in her enclosure at the
Leningrad Zoo in St. Petersburg, Russia. The other feline wasn’t Linda’s
baby—or even another lynx—but a domestic calico cat named Dusya.
Worried that Linda might get lonely, staff at the zoo introduced the
lynx to the domestic cat when the animals were both just two months
old. “They became friends surprisingly quickly,” the zoo’s Olga Volkova
observed. “They were different in size but similar in character.” When not
grooming each other, the roommates were snuggling during naptime or
playfully chasing each other around their
EURASIAN LYNX shared two-room enclosure.
According to Pat Bumstead of Canada’s Interna-
LENGTH About three to four tional Society for Endangered Cats, lynx don’t usually DOMESTIC CAT
feet, including the tail have close pals. “Lynx in the wild are solitary animals,
CAT COUNT There are four except for mothers with kittens,” Bumstead says. But LENGTH About 2.5 feet,
species of lynx. even as Linda grew older, she showed affection for including the tail
FURRY FOOTWEAR Eurasian her kitty companion. “It’s possible the lynx felt moth- CAT COUNT There are
lynx have large fur-covered erly toward the cat,” Bumstead says. more than 40 recognized
footpads that help them move Whatever the reason for their friendship, it’s clear breeds of domestic cat.
through deep snow. these two had a paw-some partnership.
FEMALE FELINES
EYE ON THE PRIZE A lynx Calico cats are almost
can spot a mouse from 250 always female.
feet away. GREAT HEIGHTS A cat
can jump up to six
times the length of its
entire body.

DUSYA
LINDA
MICHAEL SOLDATENKOV / LENINGRAD ZOO (BOTH)

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 5

GUINNESS
WORLD
RECORDS BY LIZ LANE

BIG BOOTS
The old lady who lived in a shoe would’ve been set if she had moved into one of
these boots. The largest cowboy boot sculpture stands at 35 feet three inches high,
taller than some of the buildings surrounding it in San Antonio, Texas. At about nine
feet wide, these boots might not be made for walking. But a 10-year-old kid could
walk under them—the gap between the back part of the shoe and the heel is about
five feet tall.

SUPER- STEP AWAY

FROM THE
SPEEDY CLIPPERS.

FFIC

KEVIN SCOTT RAMOS / GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS (BOOTS); KATHARINE LOTZE / GETTY IMAGES (TRAFFIC CONE); SOLENT
TRA

NEWS / REX FEATURES / AP PHOTO (DONKEY). INFORMATION PROVIDED BY © 2021 GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS LIMITED.
CONE
Quick! Catch that … traffic
cone? Rafael Sands holds
the record for fastest mar-
athon dressed as a traffic
cone, finishing the 26.2-mile
Los Angeles Marathon in
California in just three
hours, 45 minutes, and
26 seconds. Sands, who
ran the race in costume to
SO MUCH HAIR
raise awareness for traffic
safety, constructed his out- This animal is having a good hair day. The donkey known as the baudet du Poitou
fit using wiring, thick layers (BOH-day doo pwah-TOO) has the longest hair of any donkey breed—an average of
of fabric stiffener, papier- six inches before it breaks off. (A typical donkey’s hair length is about three inches.)
mâché, cardboard, duct To prevent the hair from breaking, keepers often allow it to grow up to three feet in
tape, and hot glue. tangled dreadlocks. No wonder some people have confused this donkey for a yak.

6 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021

 7 extreme facts to
blow your mind

2
BY PAIGE TOWLER

The
1 If
largest
Mount Everest exoplanet
sat at the deepest part discovered so far is a gas
of the ocean, its peak giant with a diameter
would still be more more than twice the size
than a mile under of Jupiter’s.
the surface.

3 5
The A canyon on
smallest 2,500
Mars is
dinosaur 4 miles long—
ever found would about the distance
425 Rhode
have weighed about from California to
Islands (the smallest
as much as New York.
U.S. state) could
2 paper clips. fit into Alaska
(the largest).
7
The United States
6 The world’s has more than
tallest 10 times more
building,
IGNACIO SALAVERRIA / SHUTTERSTOCK

the Burj Khalifa in the tornadoes

United Arab Emirates, is every year than any
almost twice the height other country.
of New York’s Empire
State Building. MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 7
 o
awesome BY SARAH WASSNER FLYNN
AND BRITTANY MOYA DEL PINO

1 BANDS OF
BLOOMS
Tulips grow in neat
rows in the Netherlands,
where millions of the
buds pop up each
spring. Originally a wild-
flower from Asia, tulips
were brought to Europe
by a botanist in the 17th
century. Today, billions
of flowers are exported
from the Netherlands
every year.

COLORFUL CORNERS
OF THE EARTH
NO FILTER NEEDED! THESE BRIGHT SPOTS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE ALL-NATURAL HUES.

2
RAINBOW
ROCKS
Natural zigzag forma-
tions in Argentina’s
Hornocal mountain
range appear to
change color depend-
ing on the shade of
the sky. A rainbow
of rock layers glows
in fiery shades of
orange and red, plus
purple and pink.

8 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021

 CHECK
OUT
THE
BOOK!

4 5
FLY HIGH
The gorgeous Fly Geyser
in Nevada was the
accidental outcome of
humans drilling for
geothermic energy. But
its radiant reddish green
glow is all natural—a
result of being covered
by colorful algae that
SHADE SHIFTERS
You never know what hue
you’re going to see at the
crater lakes in Indonesia’s
Kelimutu National Park.
Because of chemical reactions
triggered by volcanic activity,
the crater lakes here are
constantly changing color,
from navy blue to emerald

3 grow only at extreme

temperatures.
green to shocking white.

MARBLE 6
MARVEL CRIMSON
TIDE
Thanks to centuries
of erosion, the under- This wetland has visitors
belly of this towering sea-ing red! China’s
rock formation found Panjin Red Beach is
in Chile’s General covered by masses of
Carrera Lake is pure seepweed, a plant that
marble. The white-rock turns a scarlet shade
caves feature swirling each autumn. The
details that appear result? Crimson as far
blue as they reflect as the eye can see.
the glacier-fed lake.
One part is even known
as Capillas de Marmol,
or “marble chapel.”

BLICKWINKEL / ALAMY (4); ASIANDREAM / GETTY IMAGES (5); XINHUA / TAO MING / NEWSCOM (6);
FRANS LEMMENS / ALAMY (1); © KEVIN ZAOUALI / CATERS NEWS (2); IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY (3);

DEBRA JAMES / SHUTTERSTOCK (7); THE ASAHI SHIMBUN VIA GETTY IMAGES (8)

7 8
COOL CORAL BRIGHT BLOSSOMS
Dive into Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to experience Each spring, a carpet of pink wildflowers spreads below the
the world’s most amazing aquarium: Thousands of coral base of Japan’s Mount Fuji. Tourists flock to the mountain
and tropical fish in an array of bold colors stretch for for the annual Festival of Flowers, where they can view the
more than 1,400 miles, creating the planet’s largest blooms—also known as moss phlox—growing in stunning
living ecosystem. shades of magenta and blush.

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 9

 Dog Fetches
Ocean Trash
Boca Raton, Florida
Lila the Labrador jumps
off her owner’s boat and
dives into the seawater.
When she resurfaces, she
has a glass bottle in her
mouth. Good dog!
The 10-year-old Lab
often joins her owner’s
cleanup crew when they
pick up trash on local
beaches and in the water.
“I usually just say ‘Go get
it, Lila!’ and she’ll run off
to pick up the trash,” says
owner Alex Schulze, who
co-founded a company
called 4ocean that sells
bracelets made of recycled
materials.
MY EARS Lila usually collects a
ARE
POPPING.
LILA DIVES
FOR A GLASS
BOTTLE ON THE
SEAFLOOR.
10 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021
few pounds of trash when
they walk the beach. On the
boat, she barks to let
Schulze know she sees
something before diving in.
As a puppy, Lila loved
retrieving things, even
swimming to the bottom
of the family pool to try
to fetch the drain cover,
Schulze says. To train her,
first he took a tennis ball
in the pool and walked
with it into deeper water
to get her comfortable.
Eventually they played
fetch. “And then she was
catching toys way in the
deep end.”
—Bethany Augliere
GLASS BOTTLE
LILA SWIMS
BACK TO THE
BOAT WITH A
PIECE OF TRASH.
 MY WET
SUIT IS WAY
BETTER THAN
YOURS.
TRANSMITTER

YOU’RE
BUSTED.

Surfin’ Sea Lion
Perth, Australia
When photographer Nick Thake headed to the beach one winter morning,
he hoped he’d snap a photo of a surfer in the barrel of a wave. But he captured
something way better: a “surfing” sea lion!
The surfers had seen the sea lion earlier that day, but they hadn’t
noticed that the marine mammal was leaping right behind them until
Thake shared his pictures. “Turns out this sea lion likes to hang out at this
beach, and it often puts on a show for the locals,” he says.
Sea lions sometimes leap out of the water to avoid predators like sharks.
But since no sharks were spotted in the area that day, the sea lion was
probably just being playful, says Sharon Melin, a researcher and sea lion
expert with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “They’re
Spy Birds
Crozet Islands, Southern Indian Ocean
These albatrosses aren’t ordinary seabirds—
they’re secret agents.
On the open ocean, legal fishers are required
to use long-range tracking systems so govern-
ments know where they are. But illegal fishers
often turn off those systems so authorities
can’t tell when they’re fishing in places they
aren’t supposed to. The criminals catch more
than they’re allowed—and also use methods
that harm other animals like dolphins.
“It’s difficult to patrol the oceans using
boats because you can only cover a small
area,” marine biologist Samantha Patrick

4OCEAN (LILA, ALL); NICK THAKE PHOTOGRAPHY / CATERS NEWS (SEA LION); © CORENTIN MATHERON - TAAF
very curious about anything new in their environment,” she says. “I think says. That’s where the seabirds come in.

(FLYING ALBATROSS); CHRIS AND MONIQUE FALLOWS / NPL / MINDEN PICTURES (ALBATROSS ON WATER)
the animal saw the movement of the surfers and decided to join in.” No Patrick was part of a project that fitted
surfboard needed! —Alli Dickey nearly 200 albatrosses with radar-detecting
transmitters.(Large fishing ships
need to emit short-range radar to
avoid crashing into other boats.) The
DOG birds follow the fishing boats to dine
Boca Raton, on the leftover animals the fishers
Florida caught in their nets but can’t sell.
Meanwhile, the birds’ transmitters
pick up on the radar and send the
ALBATROSSES info back to officials. If the signal is
Crozet Islands, coming from an illegal boat, they
Southern Indian can send out ships to bust the crimi-
Ocean nals in the act. “This is a great example
of animals providing a conservation
SEA LION solution that humans can’t do them-
Perth, Australia selves,” Patrick says. Outlaws beware:
There’s a new sheriff on the seas.
—Aaron Sidder

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 11

 CREEPING
ALONG
THE EDGE
Welcome I’D
OF A SKY-
SCRAPER
to the
HAVE A FOR 30

SPECIAL HOOT
WITH
AN OWL.
MINUTES

OC EA N Which
forest
creature
Which
scenario
scares you
less?
SPENDING
A MONTH
LOCKED IN

ISSUE
would you A ROOM
rather be CRAWLING
BFFs with? WITH
SCORPIONS

PERSONALITY Choose
a color

QUIZ
BY KAY BOATNER
» ALL SUN,
ALL THE
TIME!
combo
for your
birthday
party.
I’M KEEPING
IT CLASSIC
WITH BLACK
AND WHITE.

I’M

Only 20 percent of the

ocean has been explored.
But thanks to wildlife
START
HERE » Where
would you
rather live:
in a place
DOWN
TO HANG
WITH
SOME
LET’S GO
BRIGHT
BLUE AND
ORANGE.
photographers, we’re able
DEER.
where the
to get glimpses of amazing sun never
ocean creatures that live sets, or one
there. That’s why this Special where the THREE-LAYER
Ocean Issue brings you sun never HAM-AND-
face-to-face with some of rises? CHEESE
WHERE’S
»

those animals—and the

adventurers who took their MY
pictures. The next 14 pages CAMERA?
include five stories about DARKNESS
how these explorers captured IS MORE
awesome images of ocean MYSTERIOUS. It’s
creatures. Plus, you’ll also lunchtime.
Which PB&J
discover ocean fun facts and
get tons of tips on keeping sandwich
this habitat healthy for the do you
many animals that call it make?
STONEHENGE
home. You’re a IN ENGLAND
But first, take this person- wildlife
ality quiz to see which ocean artist. Do
animal you are. Then dive you paint or
in—let’s get this underwater photograph
expedition started! animals? PASS THE
PAINTBRUSH.

Which
famous AUSTRALIA’S
landmark SYDNEY
would OPERA HOUSE
you rather
visit?

12 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021

 WHICH OCEAN If these
ANIMAL ARE YOU? descriptions
don’t match your
personality, don’
t
worry. These
YOU’RE A questions are
BOTTLENOSE just for
fun.
DOLPHIN!
WHAT Is there such a thing as too many friends?
ACCESSORY? Not according to you—or to bottlenose dolphins, which
I’M ALREADY can gather in pods of up to a thousand. Like these marine
IN THE WATER! mammals that can speed through the seas at up to 18

SHUTTERSTOCK (CAMERA); PTZ PICTURES / SHUTTERSTOCK (STONEHENGE); AFRICA STUDIO / SHUTTERSTOCK (PAINTBRUSHES); DAN BRECKWOLDT / SHUTTERSTOCK (SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE); MIKE FLIPPO / SHUTTERSTOCK (BEACH TOWEL); BERTRANDB / ISTOCK
CAVAN IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES (WAVE BACKGROUND); JUERGEN & CHRISTINE SOHNS / MINDEN PICTURES (OWL); JULIA TITOVA / EYEEM / GETTY IMAGES (DEER); GAGLIARDIPHOTOGRAPHY / SHUTTERSTOCK (EMPIRE STATE BUILDING); AUDREY SNIDER-BELL /
miles an hour, you have a lot of energy and participate in

(DRONE); MARILYN GOULD / DREAMSTIME.COM (SUNGLASSES); DM7 / SHUTTERSTOCK (T. REX); DANIEL ESKRIDGE / GETTY IMAGES (WOOLLY MAMMOTH); ALEX MUSTARD / NPL / MINDEN PICTURES (DOLPHIN); ANETTE HOLMBERG / SHUTTERSTOCK (POLAR
SHUTTERSTOCK (SCORPION); ELISEKURENBINA / SHUTTERSTOCK (WHITE BOW); EVRYMMNT / SHUTTERSTOCK (ORANGE BOW); KLAIKUNGWON / SHUTTERSTOCK (HAM-AND-CHEESE SANDWICH); HURST PHOTO / SHUTTERSTOCK (PB&J); BILLIONPHOTOS /
a bunch of different activities.

WANT MORE DOLPHINS? Head over to page 14 to see how a

photographer snapped a dolphin getting playful with some seaweed.

Pick a A
beach COLORFUL YOU’RE A POLAR BEAR!
accessory. TOWEL You might seem a little intense to people meeting you
for the first time, but you’ve got a huge heart. Polar
bears are intimidating, too: They can weigh as much as
seven adult men! And you’re fiercely protective of your
loved ones, just like mother polar bears when it comes
to their cubs.

WANT MORE POLAR BEARS? Flip to page 18 to find out

how a pair of polar bear cubs snuck up on a surprised photographer.
A PAIR OF

BEAR); YVA MOMATIUK AND JOHN EASTCOTT / MINDEN PICTURES (PENGUIN); DO VAN DIJCK / NIS / MINDEN PICTURES (SEAL); BY WILDESTANIMAL / GETTY IMAGES (WHALE)
ULTRA-COOL
SUNGLASSES
YOU’RE A GENTOO PENGUIN!
Gentoo penguins are clumsy on land but graceful under-
water, using their flipper-like wings to propel themselves
up to 22 miles an hour. You also might be klutzy some-
TO THE times, but since you don’t care much about what people
FUTURE, think, it’s no big deal. When you’re doing whatever it is
OF COURSE! that you love to do, you totally shine.
You’ve WANT MORE PENGUINS? Check out page 16 to read about
invented a a photographer’s encounter with a gentoo penguin.
time-traveling
device.
Where are
you headed CATCH YOU’RE A HARBOR SEAL!
first? ME IN You’re the funny friend in your group, always sharing silly
memes or cracking jokes. Harbor seals don’t swap
THE memes, of course, but the way they snort and wave their
PAST. flippers usually makes humans LOL. You love spending
time with your friends, but—like loner harbor seals—
you sometimes appreciate your “me time.”

GIMME WANT MORE SEALS? See page 20 to discover how a patient

A T. REX. photographer made a new harbor seal friend.

Choose YOU’RE A
a really HUMPBACK WHALE!
Just because you’re quiet doesn’t mean you don’t have
wild pet to big ideas. In fact, you’d make a great leader since you’re
raise. OOH, A also calm and intelligent. Like you, humpback whales are
WOOLLY supersmart: These giants sometimes blow bubbles to
MAMMOTH! make fish-catching “nets” when they hunt.
WANT MORE WHALES? Head over to page 22 to find out
how a photographer snapped a sweet moment between a mom and
baby humpback whale.

CHECK OUT OUR OCEAN HUB!

natgeokids.com/ocean

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 13

 SPECIAL
OC EAEN
ISSU
O TO SECRETS
PH
REVEALED
MAIN TEXT
BY C.M. TOMLIN
BREAKING NEWS
BY PAIGE TOWLER

Mother dolphins
whistle repeatedly
to their calves for
days after they’re born.
Biologists believe this helps
calves recognize their
moms by sound.
 1 BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN
A wildlife photographer describes his playful
relationship with a marine mammal.
PHOTOGRAPHER George Karbus
LOCATION Western coast of Ireland
“Most bottlenose dolphins live
together in groups called pods. Not
this dolphin, though. People here have
been seeing her for the past 15 to 20
years, and she’s always spotted alone.
The locals have many names for her,
but I call her Malinká, which means
‘little girl’ in the Czech language.
“I have no idea why she’s not part
of a pod—her pod might’ve rejected
her, or she could just prefer being
alone. It’s a difficult life for a solitary
female dolphin: You could easily be
attacked by other dolphins without
the protection of your own pod.
“Though she doesn’t spend time
with other dolphins, she does seem
this picture—she’ll bring me little
gifts of seaweed, and she always
seems so pleased with herself.
“She’s playful with me, but I know
she’s tough, too, since she’s lived so
long out here. The weather along the
Irish coastline can be brutal and cold.
She’s definitely a survivor.
“People here keep an eye on
Malinká and try to keep the ocean
clean and safe for her. Just as we
want to make Earth a better place
to live for our family and friends, I
also want it to be a good home for
Malinká. Animals deserve a piece of
our planet, too.”
ARCTIC OCEAN
NORTH
OPE
AMERICA EUR ASIA

ATLAN
to enjoy being around humans. I’ve PACIFIC
OCEAN
AFRICA
known Malinká for most of her life.

TIC
SOUTH INDIAN
When she was young, she would swim
OCE
PACIFIC AMERICA OCEAN
OCEAN AUSTRALIA
near me and sometimes even leap
over my head! AN

“These days, when I go free-diving, ANTARCTICA

or swimming deep underwater with Where

only fins and a mask, she often swims bottlenose dolphins
alongside me. Sometimes—like in live

BREAKING NEWS:
DOLPHINS SHOW OFF PERSONALITIES
Just like people can be either outgoing or shy, dolphins could have personali-
ties, too! For 14 years, marine biologist Bruno Díaz López filmed a pod of 24 wild
bottlenose dolphins off the coast of Italy; he found that some
GEORGE KARBUS (MAIN IMAGE); BRUNO DÍAZ LÓPEZ PHD

dolphins showed bold behavior, while others were often

(PERSONALITY STUDY DOLPHIN); MARTIN WALZ (MAP)

shy. For instance, if the pod encountered something

new—such as a snorkeler—the bold dolphins usually
moved closer. But the shy dolphins hung back.
Díaz López doesn’t yet know why dolphins
have different personality types, but he thinks
A DOLPHIN THAT they might help the group survive. Bold dolphins,
BRUNO DÍAZ LÓPEZ for example, catch more food; shy dolphins are
STUDIED SWIMS NEAR
THE ITALIAN COAST. better at avoiding danger. Both are necessary for
a thriving pod.

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 15

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16 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021

 2 GENTOO PENGUIN
A wildlife photographer recalls
coming face-to-face with a penguin.
PHOTOGRAPHER Heike Odermatt
LOCATION Falkland Islands, off the
coast of southeast South America
“Penguins swim in an unpredict-
able zigzag, mainly underwater,
before they come ashore to throw
off potential predators. So I was
very lucky to get this shot. The
gentoo penguin I was following
sprung out of the water right in
front of me with this great leap,
and then ... click!
“Although it looks like this pen-
guin is jumping for joy, it’s more
likely the bird was just relieved to
ocean, they make big jumps to travel
farther than they would by running
on the shore’s bottom—penguins
can’t run fast on their short legs. This
bird is probably thinking ‘I’m almost
there, I’m almost there!’
“Penguins aren’t typically afraid of
people and that day, some of them did
try to approach me. I’m careful not to
bother them and always keep my dis-
tance. The best way to keep penguins
wild is to give them their space.”
ARCTIC OCEAN
NORTH
AMERICA EUR
OPE
ASIA

ATLAN
be almost out of the water. The PACIFIC
OCEAN
most dangerous part of a penguin’s AFRICA

TIC
day is getting in and out of the SOUTH INDIAN

OCE
PACIFIC AMERICA OCEAN
ocean because predators such as OCEAN AUSTRALIA

AN
sea lions, leopard seals, and orcas
cruise along the coastlines to
ANTARCTICA
catch them.
“Penguins enter the water
Where
slowly, since they can’t see what’s gentoo penguins
underneath. When they leave the live

Gentoo
penguins are the
fastest water-diving
birds—after diving
into the water, they
can swim up to 22
BREAKING NEWS:
PENGUINS ‘TALK’ UNDERWATER
Ever tried talking underwater? It’s not so easy for humans … but it is for some
penguins!
Scientists knew that marine animals such as whales and dolphins could “speak”
underwater, but they had no idea about seabirds. So a research team recorded
HEIKE ODERMATT / MINDEN PICTURES (MAIN IMAGE); HIROYA MINAKU-

miles an hour. wild king, macaroni, and gentoo penguins at Marion Island, South Africa, by
CHI / MINDEN PICTURES (KING PENGUIN); MARTIN WALZ (MAP)

attaching tiny cameras with microphones using waterproof glue. (The glue later
dissolved without harming the birds.)
What they found surprised them:
All three species communicated with
chirps, even when deep underwater,
and usually while hunting. The scientists
aren’t sure why the penguins “chat”
A KING PENGUIN
while they hunt, but they think it might
SWIMS OFF help alert nearby penguins about prey—
THE COAST OF
AUSTRALIA. or it might just be excitement over
finding lunch!

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 17

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18 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021

 3 POLAR BEARS
A wildlife photographer remembers
an encounter with two sneaky cubs.
PHOTOGRAPHER Steven Kazlowski
LOCATION Kaktovic, Alaska
“I was on an open, flat boat called a
skiff with scientists off the coast of
Alaska when I saw something that
might frighten people: a pair of
polar bears swimming toward us.
The cubs, maybe about 10 months
old, seemed to want to check us out.
I quickly took a picture of the pair
before they got too close. Most peo-
ple don’t ever get to see one polar
bear in their lifetime, and I was
looking at two.
“We spotted this pair in Alaska’s
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, near
the town of Kaktovic. The bears
spend time on the area’s barrier
bears in many other remote places.
“This pair’s mom, which you can
see in the background, is so used to
humans that she didn’t seem espe-
cially upset to have her cubs near us.
That’s definitely not how most polar
bear moms act when humans are near
their babies!
“Unfortunately, sea ice in the
Arctic is shrinking, making it harder
for polar bears like these to survive.
Climate change seems like an over-
whelming problem, but humans can
live a more eco-friendly life so these
animals can continue to thrive.”
ARCTIC OCEAN
NORTH
OPE
AMERICA EUR ASIA

ATLAN
islands as they wait for the sea ice to PACIFIC
OCEAN
return so they can hunt.[Polar bears AFRICA

TIC
hunt off of sea ice.] Whalers there SOUTH INDIAN

OCE
PACIFIC AMERICA OCEAN
leave carcasses out for the bears OCEAN AUSTRALIA

AN
each season, and the bears often
come in to feed. Generations of bears
have visited this region, and almost ANTARCTICA
all of them are related. They’re used
Where
to seeing humans at this time of the polar bears
year, which isn’t the case for polar live
Polar
bears can
smell a seal up
to almost a
mile away. BREAKING NEWS:
POLAR BEARS PROTECT PLANET STEVEN KAZLOWSKI / NPL / MINDEN PICTURES (MAIN IMAGE); ANDREW DEROCHER,

Many people are concerned about how climate change is affecting the sea ice that
polar bears depend on to hunt. But polar bears in Canada’s Hudson Bay might be
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA (COLLARED MOM); MARTIN WALZ (MAP)

helping to fight climate change!

Researchers there are fitting the sea mammals with satellite
tracking collars to follow their movements, which can help peo-
ple learn how to better protect them. But sometimes annoyed
polar bears remove the devices and leave them on the ice.
That doesn’t help with polar bear tracking, but it does
help scientists track melting ice drifting across the bay.
A COLLARED POLAR How does this help fight climate change? Melting sea
BEAR MAKES ITS WAY
ACROSS CANADA’S ice is a sign of the issue; by tracking it more accurately,
HUDSON BAY. scientists can better understand how climate change is
affecting the region—and how to fight it.

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 19

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20 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021

 4 HARBOR SEAL
A patient photographer talks about
meeting a new ‘friend.’
PHOTOGRAPHER Ralph Pace
LOCATION Monterey, California
“When I jump into water that’s full of
animals, they usually all swim away. To
them, I’m just a big, goofy thing
that’s blowing lots of bubbles and
making strange noises. So I’ve
learned to be patient and wait for
the perfect shot.
“I was snapping photos of kelp and
sea urchins when I felt a pressure on
my back. It surprised me, so I quickly
turned around. It was a harbor seal,
and it was swimming away! A few min-
utes later, I felt it climbing on my
Harbor back again, and when I turned, it
seal pups hang on zoomed off, almost like it was shy.
because it just floated in the water,
totally still. I felt like it was think-
ing, ‘Whoa.’
“The kelp forests where these
harbor seals live are home to
about 800 species of animals, but
this habitat is in danger because
of ocean heat waves caused by
climate change. Connecting with
an animal like this reminds me
why it’s so important to protect
the kelp forests—let’s save this
habitat together!”
ARCTIC OCEAN
NORTH
OPE
AMERICA EUR ASIA

ATLAN
their mother’s backs Harbor seals are curious and playful, PACIFIC
in the water. OCEAN
so I figured it might come back. I AFRICA

TIC
thought, next time it comes, I’ll just SOUTH INDIAN

OCE
stay patient and see what it does. PACIFIC AMERICA OCEAN
OCEAN AUSTRALIA

AN
“After a few minutes, the seal
crawled up my back, nibbled a bit
on my hair, and then popped over ANTARCTICA
the top of my head. Then the seal
Where
stopped—it must have caught a harbor seals
glimpse of itself in my camera live

BREAKING NEWS:
SEALS LEARN TO ‘SING’
Orphaned as a pup 50 years ago, Hoover the harbor seal shocked his handlers
at the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts, by saying his name
along with other short phrases like “Get over here!” Scientists were amazed
RALPH PACE / MINDEN PICTURES (MAIN IMAGE); UNIVERSITY

LAND / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION (ALBA-

but figured it would never happen again—until now.

In a new study from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland,
OF ST. ANDREWS (GRAY SEAL); MARTIN WALZ (MAP)

two scientists taught gray seals to mimic human tones, “sing”

melodies, and even sound out vowels. The researchers did
this by playing tunes for the seals and rewarding them
when they matched the sounds. (One seal even “sings”
”Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”)
THIS GRAY SEAL
Scientists hope that by studying how animals
TROSS ON WATER)

NAMED JANICE copy human speech, they’ll discover more about

IS ONE OF THE
ANIMALS THAT how animals learn to communicate in the wild—and
LEARNED TO even how human speech first evolved.
“SING.”

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 21

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BREAKING NEWS: Ocean traffic jams may sound weird, but
they can be deadly for whales. Each year,
‘HIGHWAY’ HELPS about a thousand humpback whales
HUMPBACKS travel to the Pacific waters off Panama, a
country in Central America, to give birth
and raise their calves. But their journey
can be dangerous, since more than 17,000
ships also cross these waters and put the
whales at risk of collisions.
Marine biologist Héctor Guzmán wanted

22 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021

 5 HUMPBACK WHALES
A wildlife photographer shares how he captured
a sweet moment between a mom and baby.
PHOTOGRAPHER Brian Skerry
LOCATION Tonga, a country
in the southwest Pacific Ocean
“Humpback whales migrate between
Scientists their feeding grounds in the icy polar
identify individual seas to their breeding grounds in
humpbacks by the warmer waters. They give birth here
colors, scars, and because the newborn whales don’t yet
shape of their tails, have the layers of blubber that will
called flukes. keep them warm later in life.
“One morning, just after sunrise, I
took a slow boat into a cove and slipped
into the ocean. Immediately, I saw an
incredible pair: a resting mama hump-
back whale and her calf, which was less
than a month old. The mother can hold
scene reminded me of a human mom
with her baby.
“After I took this photo, the calf
noticed me. I realized I might be the
first human this little whale has ever
seen, and I have to be a good ambassa-
dor for the human race. We once hunted
them almost to extinction, and today
they’re threatened with boat strikes,
getting entangled in fishing gear, and
other dangers. I hope photos like this
will inspire people to help.”
ARCTIC OCEAN
NORTH
OPE
AMERICA EUR ASIA

ATLAN
PACIFIC
her breath for over half an hour while AFRICA
OCEAN
she floats in the water, but the calf

TIC
SOUTH INDIAN
can’t. So the youngster kept gliding up

OCE
PACIFIC AMERICA OCEAN
OCEAN AUSTRALIA
to the surface to take a breath, then

AN
coming back down to its mom.
“I just hung out there in my mask
ANTARCTICA
and fins, not getting too close, and
snapped pics of the two together. I
Where
watched the calf nuzzle its long face humpback whales
against its mother’s, and the sweet live

WATCH BRIAN SKERRY

A HUMPBACK
WHALE LEAPS IN ACTION as he
NEAR THE takes pictures of sea
PACIFIC COAST creatures in the Disney+
OF PANAMA. original series from
National Geographic,
Secrets of the Whales.
For details, grab a
parent and go online.
natgeo.com/planet

to find a way to protect the whales, so
he attached satellite tracking devices to
about 60 humpbacks. After studying the
whales’ travel paths for three years, he
realized that mothers and calves mostly
stuck to the coasts. Using this information,
Guzmán and his Smithsonian Institution
team helped the Panamanian government
restrict ship travel to routes far from the
coastline—and away from the whales.
Thanks to his efforts, collisions between
whales and ships in the area may have
decreased by 90 percent. Next, Guzmán
hopes to create whale-safe lanes along all
the coasts of South America—and beyond.

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY IS MAJORITY OWNER OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PARTNERS. BRIAN
SKERRY (MAIN IMAGE); GERARD SOURY / GETTY IMAGES (WHALE BREACHING); MARTIN WALZ (MAP) MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 23
SPECIAL
C EA
O ISSUEN

18
WAYS
TO SAVE THE OCEAN A GREEN SEA
TURTLE RESTS
ON A BEACH IN
BY BETHANY AUGLIERE HAWAII.

We don’t know where

you’re reading this maga-
zine. (If we could choose,
we’d read it in a hammock
between two palm trees!)
But no matter where you
IF YOU’RE AT JAYAKAR’S SEAHORSE

are, you’re connected to THE BEACH …

the ocean.

1FIX THE
Plants in the ocean
such as plankton and sea-
weed create at least half
of the world’s oxygen, so
you can thank the ocean
when you take a deep
breath. And the local
creek or stream in your
neighborhood eventually
flows into a river before
heading into the sea. Plus,
the ocean is full of animals
we love.
Problems caused by
people are putting the
ocean and the creatures
that live there at risk. But
you can help. Follow these
tips to protect the sea,
whether you’re beachside
or bedroom-bound.
TURTLE TRAP
Learn about the animals
that depend on the
beach you’re visiting.
For example, the habitat
might host nesting sea
turtles! If so, fill in the
holes that you dig into
the sand. Mama turtles
or their hatchlings can
become trapped in deep
holes as they make their
way back to the water.
(Plus, a deep crater
might give a fellow
human a sprained
ankle.)

24 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021

2NO JUNK 3STOP STRAWS
FOOD You know plastic straws
Don’t give wild animals can’t be recycled, can
food or water. Human easily blow away, and might
munchies like bread be mistaken for food.
can make animals sick, They’re especially danger-
and feeding them ous at beachside restau-
encourages the critters rants. Ask your waiter to
to come close to people skip the straw, then use
and boats. If you see an our guide to request that
animal in trouble, call a the eatery stop using
local wildlife rescue. plastic straws forever.
natgeokids.com/
KidsVsPlastic
IF YOU’RE AT
SCHOOL …

7
BAN BALLOONS
Talk to your teacher about using paper chains, streamers,
and pom-poms for party decorations instead of balloons.
An escaped balloon eventually falls back down to Earth—
and can end up in waterways. A recent study found that
4
CLEAN
balloons are the most dangerous trash for seabirds.

SUNSCREEN
Sunscreen keeps your skin safe,
but some chemicals can hurt coral
8
TRASH
9
CLIMATE
reefs. Slather on sunscreens with a
“reef safe” label, which won’t contain TRACKER CONNECTION
the harmful chemicals oxybenzone Monitor what gets We need to work together
and octinoxate. thrown into the garbage to address climate change,
can each day at school, which alters the tempera-
and think about ways to ture and acidity of the
cut down on those ocean. Write a report
about how climate change
6
items.
CALIFORNIA is impacting your favorite

5DON’T BUY
SEA LION sea animals, then share it
WILD with the grown-ups you
WATCH know.
If you see a wild animal, watch
SEA LIFE from a distance so it doesn’t
Don’t purchase jewelry have to waste energy getting
or other products away from you. That inter-
made of animals or
their parts, including
dried-out seahorses,
rupts behaviors like hunting,
nursing, or resting. If you see
other people feeding, chasing,
10
SEA SPEAK
scales, teeth, feathers, or touching an animal like a Spread the word to your
This article is part of Planet Possible,
coral, and turtle shell. sea lion or sea turtle, ask an friends and classmates National Geographic’s celebration
Fake versions of adult to call for help. (The about these sea-saving tips. of Earth and the people, places,
and animals that make it so amazing.
these products are National Oceanic and Atmo- Want to do more? Form an To find out how you can make a
OK. But if you think spheric Administration has a ocean club at school to difference in our world, go online.

the product might be special hotline people can call make big changes. natgeokids.com/SaveTheEarth

real, don’t buy it. to report a problem.)

REINHARD DIRSCHERL / GETTY IMAGES (1); DOBLE-D / GETTY IMAGES (3); KAT KA / SHUTTERSTOCK (4, LOTION),
IPEGGAS / GETTY IMAGES (4, LABEL); GERALD NOWAK / GETTY IMAGES (5); MOELYN PHOTOS / GETTY IMAGES (6);
ANNA POGREBKOVA / GETTY IMAGES (7); BICHO_RARO / GETTY IMAGES (10) MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 25

IF YOU’RE AT
HOME …
11
FISHY
FRIENDS
If you have a fish tank, make
sure any new pets are bred
in captivity rather than
taken from the wild.
12
FLOWER
POWER
Ask your parents to put
native plants and flowers
in your yard instead of
grass: Grass lawns use lots
of water, need gas-powered
mowers, and might be
fertilized with chemi-
cals that could create
toxic algae blooms
in nearby
waterways.
14
COOL CREEK
Choose a nearby creek
or stream and help keep
it clean. Hold cleanups
with your family and
friends, and make posters
to remind your neighbors
not to litter.
13
LOW
ENERGY
Climate change is creating
15
PET PROBLEMS
warmer and more acidic Pick up your pet’s waste when you take it on a
oceans, which changes walk.(Duh!) It’s not just gross to leave it: Pet poo
the way that animals can contain bacteria that wash into creeks,
behave, reproduce, and rivers, and then the sea, spreading diseases
grow. You can help by to marine animals.
biking or walking to
school instead of riding
in a car, hanging up
washed clothes instead
of putting them in the
dryer, and turning off
lights and other appli-
ances when you leave
the room.
 ALMANAC
CHALLENGE

18
National Geographic
explorer and under-
water photographer
Brian Skerry has
spent nearly half his
life photographing
some of the amazing
animals that live in
the ocean (like the
humpback whale
family on page 22).
A VISITOR SNAPS “I’ve always loved the
PICS OF PACIFIC idea of exploring the

CORDIMAGES / GETTY IMAGES (12); MIKE FLIPPO / SHUTTERSTOCK (13); THPSTOCK / SHUTTERSTOCK (14); CORBIS /
SEA NETTLES AT
CALIFORNIA’S ocean with a camera
MONTEREY BAY
and telling stories

16
AQUARIUM.
with pictures,” he

VCG / GETTY IMAGES (15); KATIE JORDAN / EYEEM / GETTY IMAGES (16); FUDIO / GETTY IMAGES (17)
says.
GOOD GIFTS Now it’s your
If the plastic packaging around new toys and gifts doesn’t make it to a recycling center or turn to tell us about
landfill, it might end up in a waterway. Reduce your trash by putting no-waste gifts on your your favorite ocean
wish list, like memberships to your local aquarium, zoo, or science museum. Or ask to animal! Send us your
“adopt” an animal—the money goes toward saving that species in the wild. drawings and stories
(along with a permis-
sion form), and your
entry may appear
in the Nat Geo Kids
Almanac 2023.

17
PICKY
Get the details and
official rules online.
EATER natgeokids.com/almanac
Some seafood is
caught in ways that
hurt other animals
when they get trapped
in nets or on hooks.
When you’re out to WIN THE BOOK!
eat, ask the waiter TRY ONLINE
if the seafood was APRIL 20-27.
natgeokids
caught sustainably, .com/may
or use an online guide
like Seafood Watch to
make your pick.

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 27

 REEF RACE
Help three newly hatched hawksbill sea turtles
race from the beach through the coral to the
open sea before hungry predators catch them.
Each turtle must take a different path.
BONUS Find these six animals hiding in the reef:
• snail • octopus • dolphin
• giant clam • manta ray • seahorse
ANSWERS ON PAGE 33

28 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021 CLAYTON "CTON" HANMER (ART); RUTH MUSGRAVE (CONCEPT)
NAT GEO KIDS 29
30
LBHWIOFS
ASE RSAST

INGALHSEF

NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021

C SOUPTO

ARNTSYIG

AES HIURNC
ANSWERS ON PAGE 33
BELOW SEA LEVEL
of underwater creatures. Unscramble

O ST L R E B
EAS GSUL
These photographs show close-up views

HAEERSOS
the letters to identify what’s in each picture.

TOP ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): © JUNDA / DREAMSTIME; © PLANCTONVIDEO / DREAMSTIME; © HANNU VIITANEN / DREAMSTIME. MIDDLE
ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): © MAYAMA / DREAMSTIME; © ANNETTE BOETTCHER / DREAMSTIME; © KELPFISH / DREAMSTIME. BOTTOM ROW
(LEFT TO RIGHT): © ERNST DANIEL SCHEFFLER / DREAMSTIME; © DEREK HOLZAPFEL / DREAMSTIME; © JOHN ANDERSON / DREAMSTIME.
FUNNY
FILLIN
PLAY MORE FUNNY FILL-IN!
natgeokids.com/ffi

SCUBA
SURPRISE
BY KAY BOATNER
Ask a friend to give
you words to fill in the
blanks in this story
without showing it to
him or her. Then read
out loud for a laugh.

My family and I went to for a beach vacation. On our last day we all went scuba
faraway place
. We off the wearing
verb ending in -ing past-tense verb noun adjective
. Under the water, I swam ahead of my family—and came face-to-face
article of clothing, plural adjective
with a(n) creature with the head of a(n) and the body of a(n)
adjective land animal
! It had covered in
water animal large number body part, plural color
stripes. “Hi,” the creature said. “My name is .” Then it at me. I turned to
celebrity past-tense verb
get my family’s attention, but the creature swam away faster than a(n) ! No one believed
noun
my story, but that’s OK. Maybe I discovered a new species.
DAN SIPPLE

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 31

 Check out how Nat Geo Kids readers
responded to this poll, then go online
to vote in the next one!
natgeokids.com/whatchathink

8%
HUMPBACK

IZZOTTI / SHUTTERSTOCK (OCTOPUS); LUNAMARINA / DREAMSTIME (SEA TURTLE); TORY KALLMAN / SHUTTERSTOCK (DOLPHINS)
WHALE

BRIAN J. SKERRY / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION (SHARK); WILDESTANIMAL / GETTY IMAGES (WHALE); ANDREA
24% Which
ocean animal

36%
GREAT WHIT
E
SHARK
is your
favorite?
BOTTLENOS
E
DOLPHIN

8% OCTOPUS

24%
GREEN
SEA TURTLE

32
 LAUGH OUT
LOUD

“SOME
PREDATORS
DON’T LIKE
CLOWNFISH.
THEY THINK
WE TASTE
FUNNY.”

“I’VE HEARD OF SAILFISH

BEFORE, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST
SALE FISH I’VE SEEN.”

“I GUESS IT'S TIME FOR ME “MY FAVORITE SANDWICH IS

TO HEAD BACK TO THE STABLE.” PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLYFISH.”

Bottom row: blowfish, sea urchin, lobster.

Middle row: angelfish, stingray, sea slug.
Top row: sea stars, octopus, seahorse.
“What in the World?” (page 30):

“Reef Race” (pages 28-29):

CHRIS WARE

“HERE COMES THE BIRTHDAY GIRL NOW.”

Answers

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 33

ART ZONE
STRANGE PLANET
These drawings made by
Nat Geo Kids readers are
out of this world!

W A Sundae Planet
Emma S., 13
Gloucester, Virginia

S The Cookie Planet

Luci A., 11
Santaquin, Utah
Upside-Down Planet X
Evelyn W., 12
Attica, New York

34 NAT GEO KIDS • MAY 2021

 Nat Geo Kids— Include your name, address, phone number, date of birth, a title for your drawing, a statement that
what you
Draw did during
lockdown.
Send us
your
original
drawings:
Lockdown Art Zone
P.O. Box 98002
Washington, DC
20090-8002
it is your own work, and the name of your parent or guardian. Your parent or guardian must sign a
release for publication if your illustration is selected. Submissions become the property of National
Geographic Partners, and all rights thereto are transferred to National Geographic Partners. Submis-
sions cannot be acknowledged or returned. Selection will be at the discretion of Nat Geo Kids.

W Rainbow Planet
Isaiah B., 10
Mooresville,
North Carolina

Dog Planet X
Marcus H., 8
Lakewood, Colorado

S Pizza Planet
Pakaporn S., 9
Fussa, Japan

S Funkytown
Jordan J., 12
Reno, Nevada

W Square Earth
Shelby K., 12
Alachua, Florida

MAY 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS 35

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omania
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