These images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest show just why penguins have waddled into our hearts ...

This playful penguin colony is not shy; they swim in and around tourists in the waters of Tagus Cove ... [+] on Isabela Island. The Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus) are the only penguins ...

From the volcanic islet of Bartolome Island, east of Santiago Island, snorkel around the rocks to witness the tiny Galapagos penguins preening and resting on the shoreline. In a quick glance ...

In fact, the region is home to 45 types of marine birds and 22 land birds you won't see anywhere else (think: Galapagos penguins and Darwin's finches), not to mention other unique species like ...

The protected marine reserve surrounding the islands is home to endemic species like the Galápagos penguin ... IGTOA, the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association, is a non-profit ...

Additionally, Isabela Island is where several endangered or critically endangered species (such as the Galápagos penguin, the flightless cormorant and the mangrove finch) reside, and 16 kinds of ...