Vortex (SciiFii)

The vortex (Balenornis vivipera) is a species of huge, featherless, blubbery, baleen whale-like penguin that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii, inspired by a fictional penguin from Dougal Dixon's After Man of the same name, and introduced throughout the seas around Antarctica to help boost biodiversity. The vortex is the largest bird found anywhere in the world, growing at 30 tonnes and over 12 meters in overall length including its 2.75-meter beak. Resembling many other sea creatures, it has a long, tapering, neckless body, a powerful paddle-shaped tail and four long stabilizing flippers (an ideal arrangement for efficient movement through water). Unlike modern-styled or prehistoric penguins, it has baleen-like keratin structures modified from the palatal papillae of most penguins, which is used for filter-feed on krill and plankton. Unlike most birds, including its relatives, due to its massive size and being fully-aquatic, the vortex has a modified form of reproduction, in which a single egg stays inside the mother's body until the young hatches, allowing the mother vortex to give a live birth to a young. The gestation period of the vortex can be around 1.7-2.1 years due to slow metabolism and massive size. It is a solitary animal towards its own species in most of its life except during the breeding seasons, and is often seen swimming alongside the baleen whales. The conservation status of the vortex is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the vortex's wide range.