Hundreds of baby emperor penguins stranded on breakaway iceberg miraculously survive without their mothers for four months

Hundreds of baby emperor penguins have miraculously survived after a breakaway iceberg caused thousands of chicks to be cut off from their mothers.

An Antarctic ice shelf as big as the Isle of Wight fractured to form a new berg four months ago, separating the newborn penguins from their parents, who were off hunting for fish at the time.

Scientists believed the chicks had met an unfortunate end, but satellite images have confirmed many of them have pulled through.

Peter Fretwell of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) told The Mail on Sunday that the baby penguins had ‘dodged a bullet’.

‘We don’t know how they’ve done it,’ he said. ‘They’d been extremely unlucky, so I was very relieved when they turned up on the satellite image and looked reasonably healthy.’

An Antarctic ice shelf as big as the Isle of Wight fractured to form a new berg four months ago, separating the newborn penguins from their parents

Before now, his team could not confirm whether the colony – either adults or chicks – had survived the breaking up of the ice, but satellite images have confirmed many of them have pulled through

In 2019, British Antarctic Survey scientists discovered a three-year ‘catastrophic’ decline in breeding within the once significant penguin colony which already posed a threat to its future

Before now, his team could not confirm whether the colony – either adults or chicks – had survived the breaking up of the ice, with image quality reduced due to the six months of darkness that occur during Antarctic winters.

But the images show the chicks teetering on the edge of the ice shelf and Mr Fretwell warned that they were ‘not out of the woods yet’. 

‘Twenty years ago, a similar ice shelf caused a lot of problems,’ he said. ‘We cannot say for sure if they will survive. The adults should do, but it’s not hopeful for the chicks as one big storm would take out the rest.’

In 2019, BAS scientists discovered a three-year ‘catastrophic’ decline in breeding within the once significant colony – which already posed a threat to its future. 

Now, said Mr Fretwell, ‘with the ice sheet broken off, the chicks are exposed to the ocean meaning they’re in a tenuous position. Sea ice breaking up early is happening more and more each year but for now this is an ongoing story.’

Having endured many close-calls and near fatalities, the surviving emperor penguin chicks now need to cling on to the remaining sea ice until December when they will be strong enough to swim away.