When coming out of the water, they jump up onto the rocks with both feet. Galapagos penguins are opportunistic breeders. In good conditions a pair can produce three clutches in a year. They normally molt before breeding, and are the only penguins to moult more than once a year. During the two week moulting period they avoid the water, and fast.
Courtship involves preening of the mate's head, wing slapping, and bill crossing.
Two eggs are laid in holes and crevices on the rocky shore, and both parents share incubation. Typically, only one chick survives to fledging, and it is cared for for about two months, until it can live independently. Penguins are usually silent, but at times they make a braying noise that sounds very much like a donkey. Some of my most memorable Galapagos moments involve penguins at Pinnacle Rock. In 1991 my son Jeremy and I were snorkeling and we found a few penguins sitting on some low rocks at water's edge.