Awe-Inspiring Antarctica, Up Close

Chinstrap penguin escapes a hunting seal patrolling the surrounding waters of Nekko Bay, Antarctica, 2006. By mid-summer, most Antarctica penguins spend their time on land, in rookeries to hatch and protect their chicks from sea predators. There has been an overall decline in the penguin population in Antarctica. Some rookeries have seen their numbers reduced by as much as 70 percent. It is believed to be the result of a drastic reduction in the krill population resulting from longer melt seasons, and a reduction in sea-ice surfaces. Krill, the shrimp-like crustaceans that live under frozen sea ice, is the main food source for penguins in Antarctica. (Sebastian Copeland)