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 ...

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 ...