Brave penguin chicks Leap into the Unknown
For the first time ever, the world gets a front-row seat to a remarkable display of nature’s boldest first steps: baby Emperor penguins plunging off a 50-foot ice cliff into the Southern Ocean below. Captured by National Geographic in January 2024, this dramatic scene unfolds at Atka Bay on Antarctica’s Ekström Ice Shelf.
The never-before-seen footage shows nearly 700 emperor penguin chicks huddled at the edge of the towering ice ledge, peering over to the dark waters beneath. Tension builds until one courageous chick finally takes the leap—breaking the hesitation for the rest of the group. Soon, one by one, the other chicks follow in a flurry of flapping wings and tiny dives.A First-of-Its-Kind Moment Captured on Film
This extraordinary event, previously observed only by scientists in the field, has never before been recorded for television. The scene was filmed by award-winning cinematographer Bertie Gregory, who spent two months living alongside a colony of approximately 10,000 emperor penguins to get the shot for the new National Geographic documentary series, Secrets of the Penguins.Gregory described the moment as the culmination of patient exploration. “What excites me most is the possibility that, around the next corner, you might see something no one’s seen before,” he said in an interview with Good Morning America.From One-Foot Drops to Daring Freefalls
Typically, emperor penguin chicks begin their aquatic life by leaping from relatively low sea ice—just one or two feet high. But this year, something unusual caught the attention of the crew. “We noticed chick trains heading toward a different location,” Gregory recalled. When he launched a drone to investigate, he was stunned to find the chicks lining up on the edge of a massive 50-foot ice cliff.With the usual route to the ocean blocked, the only option left for the fledglings was the steep plunge downward. Against all odds, the chicks jumped—and survived.The First Swim of Their Lives
“These chicks were falling into water filled with chunks of ice—like hitting concrete,” Gregory said. “But to my amazement, they weren’t just surviving—they were thriving. They’d pop back up and just start swimming. This was their first swim ever—the first swim of their lives.”
This rare and heart-stopping moment is a testament to the resilience and instinctual bravery of these young emperor penguins, who begin life in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.A Must-Watch Earth Day Premiere
Secrets of the Penguins, executive produced by legendary filmmaker James Cameron, will premiere on National Geographic and Disney+ on Earth Day 2025. Cameron called the footage “truly incredible” in a social media post, echoing the sentiment of viewers around the world who now have the chance to witness this remarkable piece of penguin history.
For the first time ever, the world gets a front-row seat to a remarkable display of nature’s boldest first steps: baby Emperor penguins plunging off a 50-foot ice cliff into the Southern Ocean below. Captured by National Geographic in January 2024, this dramatic scene unfolds at Atka Bay on Antarctica’s Ekström Ice Shelf.
The never-before-seen footage shows nearly 700 emperor penguin chicks huddled at the edge of the towering ice ledge, peering over to the dark waters beneath. Tension builds until one courageous chick finally takes the leap—breaking the hesitation for the rest of the group. Soon, one by one, the other chicks follow in a flurry of flapping wings and tiny dives.A First-of-Its-Kind Moment Captured on FilmThis extraordinary event, previously observed only by scientists in the field, has never before been recorded for television. The scene was filmed by award-winning cinematographer Bertie Gregory, who spent two months living alongside a colony of approximately 10,000 emperor penguins to get the shot for the new National Geographic documentary series, Secrets of the Penguins.Gregory described the moment as the culmination of patient exploration. “What excites me most is the possibility that, around the next corner, you might see something no one’s seen before,” he said in an interview with Good Morning America.From One-Foot Drops to Daring Freefalls
Typically, emperor penguin chicks begin their aquatic life by leaping from relatively low sea ice—just one or two feet high. But this year, something unusual caught the attention of the crew. “We noticed chick trains heading toward a different location,” Gregory recalled. When he launched a drone to investigate, he was stunned to find the chicks lining up on the edge of a massive 50-foot ice cliff.With the usual route to the ocean blocked, the only option left for the fledglings was the steep plunge downward. Against all odds, the chicks jumped—and survived.The First Swim of Their Lives
“These chicks were falling into water filled with chunks of ice—like hitting concrete,” Gregory said. “But to my amazement, they weren’t just surviving—they were thriving. They’d pop back up and just start swimming. This was their first swim ever—the first swim of their lives.”
This rare and heart-stopping moment is a testament to the resilience and instinctual bravery of these young emperor penguins, who begin life in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.A Must-Watch Earth Day PremiereSecrets of the Penguins, executive produced by legendary filmmaker James Cameron, will premiere on National Geographic and Disney+ on Earth Day 2025. Cameron called the footage “truly incredible” in a social media post, echoing the sentiment of viewers around the world who now have the chance to witness this remarkable piece of penguin history.
