Why Are Emperor Penguin Chicks Leaping Off 50-Foot Cliffs in Antarctica?

A record-breaking 40°C heatwave brings a brutal lesson about non-linear climate change

As climate change melts sea ice in Antarctica, more emperor penguin chicks are breeding on the permanent ice shelf — forcing them to jump from higher heights into the ocean. Photographer used his drone’s powerful zoom lens to maintain distance from the scene. (Source: )

Hundreds of juvenile emperor penguins, driven by their gnawing hunger, gather at the edge of a 50-foot (15-meter) Antarctic ice cliff, eyeing the freezing sea below. How do we get down there? — they seem to be asking each other as they pile up and push closer and closer to the abyss, their only source of nourishment.

And then, one brave chick takes the plunge, executing a belly-dive that’s as clumsy as it is daring.

The bird plummets and splashes into the icy water, only to resurface seconds later, swimming away in its quest for sustenance. One by one, others follow, using their swimming wings to break their fall as they tumble down.

It’s a surreal diving competition from a five-story ice ledge. But make no mistake — this isn’t another group of teenagers seeking some thrilling fun jump. This is climate change’s invisible hand, mercilessly forcing emperor penguin chicks to leap into the unknown.

Forced Into The Abyss

Emperor penguins typically breed on sea ice that melts away yearly and just hop a few feet into the ocean, not on ice shelves…