Polite Penguin Waits For Humans to Finish Taking a Selfie in Antarctica and Move Out of Its Way

It’s not an unfamiliar sight. It is everywhere in places like supermarkets, grocery stores, and ticket booths in movie theatres. The moment there’s nobody at the checkout counter, some people will boorishly cut the line and slip in front of someone who’s already waiting in the checkout queue. And we call humans the most intelligent and evolved living species! Penguins, on the other hand, adhere to the etiquette of politeness and respect. In an Instagram reel, which has cumulated over 223 million views since December 2024, an adventurous couple, Ciera Ybarra (@ciera.ybarra) and Kevin Spillman (@kevinspillman), shared an adorable behaviour by a Gentoo penguin they witnessed while on an expedition with @quarkexpeditions in the Antarctic Peninsula.

The couple shared how a Gentoo penguin in the Antarctic Peninsula patiently waited for them to clear its path as if saying, “Sir, Madam, excuse me, please!” The footage reveals a pearly white mountainous landscape with rugged, alpine-like terrain blanketed in a thick frosting of ice and snow. The backdrop features towering mountains capped in snow. Attached to the snowy ground is a red flag, probably a trail marker for the expeditioners. Here and there, little clusters of Antarctic penguins appear to be toddling leisurely. In the foreground, a couple stands in a thick mound of snow, dressed in bulky orange puffer jackets, winter caps, and shoes.

While their backs are turned away from the camera, the couple seems oblivious to a small Gentoo penguin looking at them from behind. While they’re beholding the spectacular Antarctic scenery, the penguin stands still, looking towards them, as if to say something. In a moment, they turn to look behind. At first, they appear puzzled. But then, bemused by the penguin’s polite attitude, they bowed down with respect and withdrew from the path they were blocking. Pressing their palms on their chests, they stooped down with respect, crossed their arms on their backs, and moved on either side of the flag, clearing the path of the mannerly creature. “When you’re too nervous to say excuse me and there is traffic,” the couple wrote, mimicking their sentiments at seeing the bird’s well-mannered behavior.

With the path set clear, the cute penguin waddled away, raising its flippers, bobbing its bright orange beak, and dragging its long black tail on the snow. “Who knows penguins were so polite,” the couple exclaimed in the video caption. “Who taught him these manners,” commented @justl_iam729. @relizmo_editz called the polite penguin an “average introvert.” @the_travelling_lens_v said, “Although penguins have patience, humans have not.” @cindy_the_dachshund described it with the comment, “What a distinguished gentleman!”

While this adorable penguin has already won the hearts of millions of people, other Antarctic creatures aren’t left behind, either. In another post, Ybarra shared the footage of a mesmerizing humpback whale emerging out of the cool water in Zodiacs, off the Antarctica peninsula. “I had never seen a whale in the wild, and in this one excursion we saw whales breaching, fluking, swimming, and waving. Hearing them call to one another and surface around the Zodiacs was incredible!” Antarctica, according to these videos, holds a treasure trove of beauty, and oh, not to forget the manners.

You can follow Ciera Ybarra (@ciera.ybarra) and Kevin Spillman (@kevinspillman) on Instagram to watch more videos of their adventurous excursions.