National Geographic pictures of the year 2024 [View all]

Taking the Plunge
Atka Bay, Antarctica

A young emperor penguin jumps off a 50-foot cliff for its first swim. The species normally breeds on low-lying sea ice, but some colonies have been found on higher and more permanent ice shelves, behavior likely to become increasingly common with climate change. Left by their parents a month earlier, the chicks must fend for themselves and find food by hunting in the sea.

Photograph by Bertie Gregory



https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/graphics/pictures-of-the-year-2024