Whether it’s an emperor penguin launching from the sea, a playful Adélie penguin or a colony of king penguins, these globe-spanning seabirds inspire awe and conservation.

They also can remain submerged for over 20 minutes. PHOTOGRAPH BY Paul Nicklen, National Geographic Image Collection By mid-December, as the Antarctic summer approaches, the chicks have started to ...

Hawaii’s community animal shelters are feeling the strain as rising costs drive up prices for just about everything.

Tight hip flexors, especially a deep muscle called the psoas, can silently stress your spine. Here's why this muscle deserves more attention—and how to strengthen it. Lower back pain is often ...

asked the 78-year-old director of the University of Washington’s Center for Ecosystem Sentinels and a National Geographic Explorer. “They’re comical, they’re curious, they’re endearing.” ...

A version of this story appears in the May 2025 issue of National Geographic magazine. Based in Syracuse, New York, National Geographic Explorer Amy Toensing photographed communities and paddlers ...