Hi, it’s me again, Nils. Here on Board of Polarstern I am responsible for the deep-sea camera, and when I am not busy taking pictures of the ocean floor, I film what is happening around me. And of course the most impressing thing one can film here on the ice is wild penguins. The small, funny Adelies and the nearly 1 m tall, very dignified Emperor penguins are en route to their brooding places.
Of course I have to film that. At first from a great distance. But I am not satisfied with the pictures. I want to make a good film.
The problem is that I can’t just walk up to a penguin to film him up close. The rules between penguins and people are clear and simple. We people may approach the animals to a distance of 15 meters, No further! The penguins, on the other hand, may come as close to us as they wish. Fair rules for both sides.
So I look for a good spot and wait for a curious penguin to come sliding over to me. On its belly! Penguins do not walk on the ice, they lie down on their bellies and push themselves forward with their feet. Kind of like bobsledding.
There is one. Sliding straight toward me, taking a turn about 30 meters away and disappearing. It doesn’t seem to be that easy to film penguins in the right light, from the right angle and from the right distance. OK, next try. I lie down in the snow and wait. Lying flat on the ice, I can hold the camera better and keep it straight, and it is a good perspective. Nothing happens for a while. Then a penguin appears, but not long enough for a good shot. I wait. A small Adelie approaches me. But after a short moment he turns away and slides off. I have to get up, walk around, get warm, lie down again. Over there I see another penguin. I take footage of him until he disappears out of my sight. I wait, but does not return.
Now it must be possible to get exposures like the real makers of documentaries, like David Attenborough. You know, big cinema.
I walk a little way toward the penguins. A small group is gliding toward me, I am impressed. I film the small group. I only need a few seconds, when... two orange red scientists walk across the picture. My colleagues stand right in the middle of the image, directly in front of my camera, smack in the middle... well, there is a lot going on here on the ice.
A particularly gorgeous Emperor penguin is standing a little distance away. Suppose he might come over this way? Wait and see. I have been lying here for 10 minutes already, 15 minutes — I am getting cold, 20 minutes. Well, that’s it. I am too cold and my leg is falling asleep. I turn the camera off, stretch myself, and the penguin lies down and takes off. I can not believe it. I throw myself down, camera on, penguin gone. And this goes on and on.
Only hours later I succeed in getting some really nice footage of an Adelie which has no fear of people and is very curious and comes as close as about 3 meters. Great shots. Thanks little penguin.
And my respect to all the camera-women and men who wait patiently for hours without losing hope for nice nature documentaries.
Nils Brenke, Senckenberg
Photos: T. Riehl, University of Hamburg, F. Pey, University of Bergen and B. Ebbe, Senckenberg