Life of the Emperor

Bitter cold winds howl across the Antarctic ice. A group of nearly 5,000 black-and-white birds—emperor penguins—stands practically motionless. Roughly 4 feet tall, the penguins huddle shoulder to shoulder, keeping each other warm. They’ve been doing this for two long months in temperatures 40 degrees below zero and winds up to 90 miles per hour. All while balancing an egg on their feet.

Penguins are “amazing because they’re adapted to live in the most inhospitable places on Earth,” says penguin researcher P. Dee Boersma. Over millions of years, the penguins’ ancestors evolved to master survival in Antarctica—the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on Earth. They waddle across miles of ice and dive deep beneath it to find food. The birds will fast for weeks between treks.

Cold winds blow across Antarctica. A group of nearly 5,000 black-and-white birds stands on the ice. These are emperor penguins. Roughly 4 feet tall, they huddle together to keep warm. They’ve been doing this for two long months now. They’ve survived temperatures of 40 degrees below zero and winds up to 90 miles per hour. All while balancing eggs on their feet!

Penguins are amazing, says penguin researcher P. Dee Boersma. “They’re adapted to live in the most inhospitable places on Earth,” she says. The birds have mastered survival in Antarctica—the coldest, driest, and windiest continent. They waddle across miles of ice and dive beneath it to find food. Sometimes they don’t eat for two weeks!

When the females return from the sea, their chicks have hatched. With bellies are full of fish, the females make trumpetlike calls that are uniquely theirs. Somehow—in a crowd of thousands—they find their mates and chicks by sound alone. The fathers, thin and exhausted, transfer the chicks to the moms’ feet. To feed her chick, a mother penguin regurgitates food stored in her belly. With their child care shift complete, the fathers begin the long trudge to the ocean to refuel. The parents repeat this process several times until the chicks are old enough to live on their own.

Once the chicks hatch, the females return from the sea. Their bellies are full of fish. The females make trumpetlike calls that their mates will recognize. In the crowd of thousands, they find their partners and chicks. The penguin dads are thin and exhausted. They transfer the chicks to the moms’ feet. To feed her chick, a mother penguin coughs up food stored in her belly. Then the fathers begin the long walk to the ocean to get their own food. The parents repeat this process several times. Finally, the chicks are old enough to live on their own.

In April 2024, filmmakers for the Disney+ series Secrets of the Penguins captured a jaw-dropping moment. Hundreds of young emperor penguins crowded at the edge of a towering 50-foot ice cliff—and jumped. Why did they do it? Scientists believe the leader got lost and the others followed. They were stranded and hungry. There was no other way to reach the sea below. “They are driven by instinct,” says Boersma. “Eventually they got up the nerve and they went.” Most survived the leap, splashing into the sea and quickly swimming off.

Scientists say these bold leaps may become more common. Antarctica is changing. Sea ice is forming later in the year and melting earlier in the spring. Massive ice shelves are breaking apart and drifting away. For emperors, this is bad news. They rely on stable sea ice to raise their families. Without it, entire colonies are at risk. Scientists warn that if climate change continues at its current pace, up to 80 percent of emperor penguin colonies could disappear by 2100.

Boersma has hope for emperor penguins’ future in a warming world. These animals are resilient—they’ve survived for millions of years. It’s possible they’ll adapt to their changing environment. The question is, will they be able to do it fast enough?

In April 2024, filmmakers for the Disney+ series Secrets of the Penguins were shooting in Antarctica. They captured a jaw-dropping moment. Hundreds of young emperor penguins stood at the edge of a 50-foot ice cliff—and jumped. Why did they do it? Scientists believe the leader got lost. Then the others followed. They were stranded and hungry. There was no other way to reach the sea below. “They are driven by instinct,” says Boersma. “Eventually they got up the nerve and they went.” Most of the penguins survived the leap. They splashed into the sea and quickly swam off.

Scientists say these jumps may become more common. Antarctica is changing. Sea ice is forming later in the year. It melts earlier in springtime. Massive ice shelves are breaking apart and drifting away. For emperor penguins, this is bad news. They rely on stable sea ice to raise their families. Without it, entire colonies are at risk. Scientists warn that if climate change continues at its current pace, penguins will pay the price. Up to 80 percent of emperor penguin colonies could disappear by 2100.

Boersma has hope for emperor penguins’ future. These animals have survived for millions of years. They may adjust to their changing environment. The question is, will they be able to do it fast enough?