thephotosocietyのインスタグラム(thephotosociety) - 1月20日 22時31分

Photo by @christmannphoto // With the begin of the Antarctic summer, the sea ice will eventually break open and mark the end of the emperor penguins breeding cycle. Before that happens however, the birds have to molt.

The adult feathers have been worn down over the course of the year by countless storms and sliding on the ground. Due to the amount of mechanical stress they have seen, they do not have good insulation characteristics on land or gliding characteristics in the water anymore and hence must be exchanged.

For the chicks, the change of their feather coat is even more existential. They must trade in their downy, juvenile plumage for the aesthetic emperor penguin tux in order to be able to swim. If they are not finished with their molt before the sea ice breaks open, they will drown.

Since sea ice break up speed has increased over the past years, the penguins seem to have developed an adaption strategy by climbing the dangerous ice ramps from the sea ice onto the ice shelf, where they can gain some days or even weeks in order to finish their molt. Here a group of molting chicks was staying in the vicinity of the ice shelf, while the sea ice had already broken. A spectacular sight, but unfortunately a behavior that seems to be induced by climate change.

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Follow me @christmannphoto for more images and personal stories from Antarctica and the emperor penguins at the end of the world.

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