Whether it’s an emperor penguin launching from the sea, a playful Adélie penguin or a colony of king penguins, these globe-spanning seabirds inspire awe and conservation.

They also can remain submerged for over 20 minutes. PHOTOGRAPH BY Paul Nicklen, National Geographic Image Collection By mid-December, as the Antarctic summer approaches, the chicks have started to ...

Tight hip flexors, especially a deep muscle called the psoas, can silently stress your spine. Here's why this muscle deserves more attention—and how to strengthen it. Lower back pain is often ...

asked the 78-year-old director of the University of Washington’s Center for Ecosystem Sentinels and a National Geographic Explorer. “They’re comical, they’re curious, they’re endearing.” ...

(Related: Find out why Brașov made National Geographic's Best of the World 2025.) The Matca Hotel, a Relais & Châteaux property, features 18 rooms, 20 villas, a spa, and a gym with views of the ...

An advertisement for the 1994 World Cup, fast food wrappers, COVID-19 masks—what birds used to build their nests reflects a world with more plastic. A coot bird in London on a nest made of twigs ...

A version of this story appears in the May 2025 issue of National Geographic magazine. Based in Syracuse, New York, National Geographic Explorer Amy Toensing photographed communities and paddlers ...