Leconte

You might think that we have the world pretty well mapped. But Antarctica we are still finding new islands. Here are the locations of five islands and a larger island groups I discovered last week!

Scientists have discovered that the shrinking sea ice in the Antarctic force penguins to crowd into smaller patches of stable ice to moult.

On #WorldWildlifeDay, explore how researchers from @bas.ac.uk are studying this phenomenon using satellites imagery: bit.ly/40K4iQI

Dr. Peter Fretwell's video from euro news 28/02/2026

Emperor penguins face growing threat as sea ice disappears
www.euronews.com/embed/2874241
@ptfretwell.bsky.social
@bas.ac.uk
#EmperorPenguin #Antarctica #seaice #climatechange #globalwarming #エンペラーペンギン #コウテイペンギン #南極 #海氷 #気候変動 #地球温暖化

Three emperor penguins walking in a line across a snowy landscape under a soft pink sky, with distant icebergs bathed in the warm glow of the sunset.

Think your commute is bad? Try being an emperor penguin!

During the winter, these penguins huddle together, weathering storms as a community. Sound familiar?

As this week’s Nor’easter reminded those of us in New England, when nature presents a challenge, adapt, layer up, and lean on each other.

The ice shelf connecting Rothschild Island to Alexander Island has disintegrated. 100 km2 of shelf, a remnant from the Wilkins Ice shelf, broke up on the 1st March, making an 11km wide channel between the two islands. Images from Sentiel-1

Satellites Reveal New Climate Threat to Emperor Penguins - Inside Climate News Ice loss in the Antarctic Ocean may be killing the sea birds during their molting season.

Emperor penguins were molting on what seemed to be stable sea ice. Then that platform crumbled before they could replenish their waterproof plumage.

Spoiler: this story has a sad ending ...

Accidental discovery reveals grim future for emperor penguins - British Antarctic Survey Scientists studying satellite images of Antarctica have stumbled upon a discovery that sheds new light on moulting emperor penguins – and reveals a troubling threat to their survival.

Here's the full story on our website:
www.bas.ac.uk/news/acciden...

And here's the paper in Communications Earth & Environment:
www.nature.com/articles/s43...

A big group of emperor penguins and chicks photographed at Snow Hill Island (Credit: Peter Fretwell/BAS)

Last year, in 2025, the conditions were much better.

But BAS emperor penguin expert Dr Peter Fretwell @ptfretwell.bsky.social has only spotted a small proportion of the penguins we'd normally see.

These penguins haven't yet been spotted elsewhere, suggesting that thousands of penguins died.

The coastline is Marie Byrd Land, a remote area of West Antarctica which historically has retained its sea ice through the summer.

It's where 40% of emperor penguins migrate to safely shed their feathers.

But 2022-24, sea ice in the region shrank from an area the size of Spain to almost nothing.

A moulting penguin trying to look dignified. There's a big patch of long thick and fluffy looking feathers still attached over its shoulder and back, but underneath are low-profile smooth feathers (Credit: NSF)

Emperor penguins replace their feathers all in one go.

It takes up to 40 days, burns half their body weight in energy, and leaves them completely unable to enter the water until new feathers come through.

If the ice breaks up before they're done, they will likely freeze and die.

🧵 2/5

This satellite footage shows the days in early 2023 when the ice literally disappeared from beneath the feet of thousands of emperor penguins.

And here's the issue: they were likely moulting at the time.

Welcome to Marie Bryd Land, Antarctica...

🧵 1/5

Shrinking sea ice threatens future for emperor penguins Emperor penguins may be facing the biggest threat to their existence so far. Shrinking sea ice means ice has been disappearing from under penguins during their moulting season

Shrinking sea ice threatens future for emperor penguins
apnews.com/video/shrink...
@ptfretwell.bsky.social

#EmperorPenguin #エンペラーペンギン #コウテイペンギン @apnews.com

A black and white photo of Hubert Hudson, a member of Shackleton's expedition. He is a think white man with short hair, holding two emperor penguin chicks, one under each arm

They don't let you do this any more

Emperor Penguins must change their feathers - it may now be killing them The birds moult to protect themselves, but in a warming world, it could be endangering them.

Our latest paper is now out, and it's not good news www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Our first paper from the 'EPIC' project- 'How will Emperor Penguins Respond to Changing Ice Conditions?'🐧❄️ - is now out. 🎉

My first first-author penguin paper🐧! w co-authors @changingice.bsky.social, Chris Stokes, Melanie Marochov, @ptfretwell.bsky.social, Stéphanie Jenouvrier

tinyurl.com/4635pdwh

Take a moment to enjoy 15 seconds of Adelie penguin waddles. 💙

[Video description: A group of Adelie penguins waddling across the screen. Text overlaid reads ‘15s of Adelie penguin waddles.’]

Text reads ‘If 2026 is the new 2016 we want the same for climate.’ Surrounding the text is four screenshots of news articles from 2016 and 2025, showing the difference between the two. 2016 shows headlines of signing the Paris agreement for climate, and 2026 shows headlines of 2025 being one of the warmest on record.

2026 is our year to put nature & climate first. 💯

New data shows the world has already warmed to 1.4°C - incredibly close to the 1.5°C limit set in the #ParisAgreement, signed by the UK in 2016.

The solutions exist – we just need the momentum we had in 2016, & more. 👇
wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?15...

It’s Penguin Awareness Day! Here’s a diving Emperor Penguin showing off some of its amazing anatomical adaptations that allow it to survive and thrive extreme frigid environments. These birds are super cool aquatic avian dinosaurs!
#sciart,  #penguin, #PenguinAwarenessDay #anatomy #AnimalAnatomy

Penguin Awareness Day 2026 | WWF
🔗 www.wwf.org.uk/learn/world-...
@wwf.org.uk
#PenguinAwarenessDay

Two penguins face each other symetrically, with penguin chicks by sheltering by their legs in a snowy landscape

A young penguin by the coast with sea and seagulls in the background

It's #PenguinAwarenessDay 🐧

Explore penguins on Art UK 👉 artuk.org/discover/art...

1) 🧑‍🎨 Daphne Gradidge (b.1953) © the artist. 📷 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust

2) 🧑‍🎨 Henry Stacy Marks (1829–1898) 📷 V&A Museum

Colour illustration of an adult Southern Rockhopper and chick.

Colour illustration of an adult and juvenile Magellanic penguin

Colour illustration of a group of African penguins, with a single adult in the foreground

Colour illustration of an adult and juvenile Macaroni penguins

It's #PenguinAwarenessDay so to celebrate these flipper-ing amazing marine birds we have illustrations from volume 2 of the Challenger Expedition reports

The penguin species are Southern Rockhopper, Magellanic, African and Macaroni 🐧

📖 E.I:Gb.1

Advert for Penguin chocolate biscuits. Features a penguin in wellington boots carrying a large Penguin bar.

🐧 It's #PenguinAwarenessDay ...they always were my favourite chocolatey biscuit 🐧

#ペンギン啓発の日 #ペンギン啓発デー
#エンペラーペンギン #コウテイペンギン #ペンギン

Happy #PenguinAwarenessDay 🐧🩵

In the not-too-distant future
When this little chick becomes a parent
What will the Earth's environment be like
Due to climate change and other factors?

We must protect the penguins
We must not let them become extinct

#EmperorPenguin chick, 10 days old
📷 2025.10.10

Adelie penguin jumping into the water from a blue toned iceberg. Its captured mid-jump with its wings back open wide as it arches in shape. Four penguins' sand on the side of the ice to the top left.

Waddle you know? Research shows penguins are on the move! 🐧

WWF-supported scientist Zuzana tracked 62 Adélie penguins in Antarctica.

She found they travelled 1,550 km west after moulting, way beyond where we thought they stayed!

Now, we’re hoping to better protect these unknown grounds. 💙

For many years we have watched the Wilkins Ice shelf slowly break up. In 2009 it detached from Charcot Island to form Attenborough Strait. Yesterday, the last sliver joining it to Rothschild Island began to disintegrate. I'm waiting for tomorrow's image.

The satellite tags from our recent emperor penguin fieldwork are still going strong. Some have traveled amazing distances!

あけましておめでとうございます🌅

Wishing you a Happy New Year. May 2026 be a happy and great year for you and all the penguins.

A fantastic crowd enjoyed our penguin-themed event with Peter & Lisa Fretwell last Thursday. We all learnt a lot about these beloved birds and are now fully versed in how to do the various types of penguin walks!
Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas from Authors In Oundle.

ヒナちゃんから #メリークリスマス⭐️

Joyeux #Noël ☃️🎄❄️🌲✨

wishing you all a #MerryChristmas and a happy holiday season 🩵🐧
#Christmas #Christmas2025
#EmperorPenguin #manchotempereur
#エンペラーペンギン #コウテイペンギン
#アドベンチャーワールド