Penguins up close: an extraordinary photo documentation

The life of emperor penguins in different phases: from finding a partner to raising young penguins

Personal experiences shown by the photographer and his insights into the mystical Antarctic winter

A unique photographic documentation of an emperor penguin colony in Antarctica with emotional texts about the life and survival of the animals in the eternal ice.

There is only one bird species that hunts in summer and rears its young in winter: the Emperor Penguin. These extraordinary animals survive the relentless Antarctic climate, thanks to their special adaptation to the cold, as well as their loving, attentive, and helpful interaction with each other and with their offspring.

Emperor penguins have fascinated laypeople and scientists alike for decades. The penguins live in the most ruthless place on earth, Antarctica, where the average winter temperature is -49 degrees Celsius. They are even able to raise their young there—in the middle of the Antarctic winter. While you spend the summer months in the sea and go hunting there, you spend the winter on land, during this time you hardly eat any food, but you breed and raise your young. Emperor penguins are the only animals that breed in the Antarctic winter.

For this impressive penguin book, award-winning photographer and physicist, Stefan Christmann, accompanied a penguin colony in Antarctica, capturing different stages of their lives. His sensitive images are a beautiful document of penguin behavior, as well as the rugged, hostile ice landscapes they call home. In 2012/13 he spent 14 months at a German research station in Antarctica, the close ties between the penguins that keep them alive —the loving way in which they work together, protect their eggs, protect their offspring from the cold, wind and predators. The colder it gets, for example, the closer the colony stands together to protect itself from wind and weather and to give each other warmth.

Our reading tip for more info on the book:
"Penguin - A story of survival" - Stefan Christmann