Collapse of Earth’s largest penguin colony

Once home to the world’s largest gathering of penguins,
Zavodovski Island has lost 63% of its occupied chinstrap
nests since 2011 as warming seas transform the ecosystem

Zavodovski Island
Remote volcanic island
north of Antarctic continent

ARGENTINA
CHILE

Falkland
Islands

South
Georgia
Island

South
Sandwich
Islands
(British
overseas
territory)

Puerto
Williams

Chinstrap penguin:
Primarily eats krill, which
is moving southwards
amid rising ocean
temperatures

More
adaptable
macaroni
penguins
are thriving –
switching food
supply from krill to fish.
Biggest change in penguin
community composition at
single Antarctic location

SOUTHERN
OCEAN

ANTARCTIC
PENINSULA

300 miles
500km

Sources: BBC, National Geographic
Pictures: Newscom, Getty Images
© GRAPHIC NEWS