Adelie penguins lay two eggs in a rocky nest near the shore above the level of melt water. The parents incubate the penguin eggs for 34 days, with the chicks hatching in late December. The baby chicks lose their down about two months after hatching, and the parents abandon them and go to sea to moult their feathers. This abandonment forces the babies to enter the water and feed themselves.
The circle of life and food chain is so evident in the Antarctic. Only about 60 percent of baby penguins live long enough to have their first swim. Even then, many are eaten by leopard seals or killer whales as soon as they enter the water. However, this cycle is just part of nature.
