Jac Madsen, Between the bergs (LANDSCAPE & ENVIRONMENT 2026)

Between the icebergs frozen in place by sea ice off the coast of East Antarctica, the Auster Emperor penguin colony gathers each winter. This capture shows a group of adventurous penguin chicks exploring away from their adults, some wanting to get a closer look at the photographer. Behind them, adults slide on their bellies over the fresh snow, and icebergs tower over them. Above, a predatory Skua scans the colony for prey. Each moment at the colony is unique - from the birds, to the ice conditions, to the shapes of the icebergs. The icebergs may appear stable, but they are very dynamic, with loud cracks frequently breaking the furore of the penguin chatter, and pieces of icebergs carving off or the entire berg flipping - even in the depths of winter when everything should be frozen in place. Each moment spent in this unique isolated environment is a true privilege, and the photographer seeks to share that.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.