Sharing the winter with emperor penguins has been the most amazing experience in my brief Antarctic career. Emperors are unique in that they manage to raise their chicks in the harshest winter weather. In the space of 10 weeks, in temperatures that humans can barely cope with, these tenacious and dedicated parents oversee the development of their tiny, fragile, hatchlings into these cute and charismatic little characters. Emperors fulfill an extreme challenge and teach us to remain humble in the face of Antarctica’s wild and unforgiving environment.
Frederique Olivier
A field scientist by trade, Frederique (Fred) Olivier has dedicated the last six summers to conducting a variety of science projects down south, or guiding tourist expeditions. Spending last winter at Mawson, she assisted in the filming of emperor penguins for a BBC Natural History series, which gave her the opportunity to invest herself full time in another passion… photography.