“Whether they were walking (March of the Penguins), dancing (Happy Feet), or hanging ten (Surf’s Up), these oddly adorable birds took flight at the box office all decade long.”

Penguins are popular around the world, primarily for their unusually upright, waddling gait and (compared to other birds) lack of fear of humans. Their striking black-and-white plumage is often likened to a tuxedo suit. They are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica but they are not found only in cold climates. In fact, only a few species of penguin live so far south. Several species are found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galápagos Penguin, lives near the equator. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans. Penguins for the most part breed in large colonies. Living in colonies results in a high level of social interaction between birds. Penguins seem to have no special fear of humans, and have approached groups of explorers without hesitation. Typically, penguins do not approach closer than about 3 meters (10 ft) at which point they become nervous.