by Claire O'Neill

In Partnership With National Geographic

Way out in the middle of the Indian Ocean, somewhere between Antarctica and Africa, wildlife photographer Stefano Unterthiner forged his way up a volcanic ridge and, when he finally reached the summit, stared out at the sea. Strangely, the sea appeared to be white and black, and spotted with orange — it also appeared to be waddling. Unterthiner was staring at the sea of king penguins gathered on Possession Island in the Crozet archipelago — tens of thousands of them ready for mating season. His photos appear in National Geographic's September story, "Every Bird a King."

  • On a remote, ice-free realm north of Antarctica, king penguins gather at American Bay on Possession Island to molt before mating season.
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    On a remote, ice-free realm north of Antarctica, king penguins gather at American Bay on Possession Island to molt before mating season.
    Photos by Stefano Unterthiner/National Geographic
  • Male and female penguins take turns spending several days at sea to gather fish for their young. They return to shore, stomachs full of fish, which they then regurgitate for the chicks.
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    Male and female penguins take turns spending several days at sea to gather fish for their young. They return to shore, stomachs full of fish, which they then regurgitate for the chicks.
  • Once king penguin chicks reach a few months of age, they lose the attentive care of parents and must keep together for safety and warmth. The chick mortality rate is very high; many die in the winter.
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    Once king penguin chicks reach a few months of age, they lose the attentive care of parents and must keep together for safety and warmth. The chick mortality rate is very high; many die in the winter.
  • An adult king penguin challenges a skua attempting to take off with a freshly killed chick.
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    An adult king penguin challenges a skua attempting to take off with a freshly killed chick.
  • Whales may seem like gentle giants, but orcas such as this one will eat whatever they can get, which is bad news for these penguins.
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    Whales may seem like gentle giants, but orcas such as this one will eat whatever they can get, which is bad news for these penguins.
  • King penguins gather each year for "ecstatic display." Birds of both sexes do what they can to market themselves by puffing their chests, lifting their heads and calling out to potential mates.
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    King penguins gather each year for "ecstatic display." Birds of both sexes do what they can to market themselves by puffing their chests, lifting their heads and calling out to potential mates.
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Penguins are known as being "serially monogamist." Mating pairs remain together at least until their young are self-sufficient. Unterthiner is something of a monogamist as well: When he chooses to tell an animal's story, he stays with them for an extended period of time. A relatively new member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, he has authored five wildlife books, although this is his first appearance in National Geographic.

To learn more about the story behind these penguins, read the article on ngm.com.

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