March of the Penguins

Between the bronzed bodies in skimpy thongs soaking up the rays on Copacabana beach, a tiny black and white bundle of feathers struggles to emerge from the surf. exhausted and emaciated, its bones poking through the blubber, the young penguin finally collapses on the sand.
It has strayed thousands of miles from home, one of more than 1,000 penguins to have washed up on the Brazilian coast this year

No one is really sure what has caused the Brazilian exodus – at the moment, the focus is on saving the penguins rather than explaining how they have ended up in this predicament – but the prevailing theory is that changes in water temperatures have caused confusion on the migratory routes.

Fish like cold water and so South American penguins in search of food usually ride the cold Malvinas current north, gobbling as they go. when they hit the warmer Brazil current, they know it's time to stop and head back.
Only this year, the Malvinas current has been warmer than usual, meaning the penguins couldn't appreciate the difference.

Read the rest in the London Independent