#567: A Rare Podcast at 30 Below Zero — Sue Flood on Antarctica, Making Your Own Luck, Chasing David Attenborough, and Reinventing Yourself
The Tim Ferriss Show
From Adversity to Aspiration
This chapter explores the speaker's early life, focusing on their challenging birth story and the medical predictions that initially limited their potential. Through determination and innovative treatment, they overcame these obstacles, symbolized by a childhood brace that represents resilience and gratitude. The narrative transitions into their journey toward becoming a wildlife filmmaker, highlighting key influences and experiences that defined their career path.
A Rare Podcast at 30 Below Zero — Sue Flood on Antarctica, Making Your Own Luck, Chasing David Attenborough, and Reinventing Yourself | Brought to you by UCAN endurance products powered by SuperStarch®, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating. More on all three below.
Sue Flood (IG: @suefloodphotography TW: @suefloodphotos) is a photographer and former BBC filmmaker. Her work takes her all over the world, but she has a special passion for the wildlife and icy beauty of Antarctica.
A Durham University zoology graduate, Sue spent 11 years with the BBC Natural History Unit, working on series including The Blue Planet and Planet Earth with Sir David Attenborough, before turning her focus to photography. Her most recent book, Emperor: The Perfect Penguin, with a foreword by Sir Michael Palin, was published in September 2018.
She has appeared on screen for the BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic; been featured on the series Cameramen Who Dare; and has had her images in National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Geo, and other distinguished publications.
Her work has won multiple awards in competitions including Travel Photographer of the Year, International Photographer of the Year, International Garden Photographer of the Year, and a Royal Photographic Society Silver Medal. In February 2021 she won the Climate Change category in the Science Photographer of the Year contest, run by the Royal Photographic Society.
In recognition of her photographic achievements, Sue was invited to meet Her Majesty The Queen during a special Adventurers and Explorers event held at Buckingham Palace.
Please enjoy!
This episode is brought to you by UCAN. I was introduced to UCAN and its unique carbohydrate SuperStarch® by my good friend—and listener favorite—Dr. Peter Attia, who said there is no carb in the world like it. I have since included it in my routine, using UCAN’s powders to power my workouts, and the bars make great snacks. Extensive scientific research and clinical trials have shown that SuperStarch provides a sustained release of energy to the body without spiking blood sugar. UCAN is the ideal way to source energy from a carbohydrate without the negatives associated with fast carbs, especially sugar. You avoid fatigue, hunger cravings, and loss of focus.
Whether you’re an athlete working on managing your fitness or you need healthy, efficient calories to get you through your day, UCAN is an elegant energy solution. My listeners can save 30% on their first UCAN order by going to UCAN.co/Tim.
*
This episode is also brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Pro Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.
And now, my dear listeners—that’s you—can get $250 off the Pod Pro Cover. Simply go to EightSleep.com/Tim or use code TIM at checkout.
*
This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.
Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.
*
From where is this episode being recorded? [06:51]
The origin of the word “penguin.” [07:44]
If we’re so remote, why might you hear the sound of machinery in the background? [08:55]
What kind of structure is keeping us safe from the southernmost continent’s most punishing elements? [09:47]
How Sue emerged from childhood with the ability to walk even after her parents were told she’d be wheelchair-bound for life. [11:43]
Inspired from a young age by the work of David Attenborough to become a wildlife filmmaker, how did Sue begin the path that would lead her to work with him? What set her apart from probably tens of thousands of other youths in pursuit of the same career? [15:35]
Sue’s first television gigs. [24:02]
What it was like to finally work with David Attenborough — a job opportunity she still describes as “better than winning the lottery.” [28:03]
For anyone somehow not in the know by now, who is David Attenborough? What does he bring to the table apart from being one of the most charismatic television presenters of all time? [30:28]
One of Sue’s top life experiences: reading the acknowledgments from her book Emperor: The Perfect Penguin to David Attenborough in person. [34:10]
What is tobogganing, and why do emperor penguins do it? [35:46]
Why emperor penguins leave such distinctive tracks, how the males incubate eggs, and how much of a toll this takes on their bodies every season. [36:55]
A couple of “firsts” Sue captured on camera: polar bears hunting beluga whales, and orcas attacking grey whale calves. How did she succeed in situations where even National Geographic had failed? [41:20]
Evidence of orcas learning to become better predators and teaching tactics to their offspring. [49:55]
How dangerous is it for humans to swim with orcas — aka “killer whales” for a reason? [55:50]
The divorce whale. [58:35]
Common mistakes Sue has witnessed aspiring wildlife photographers making in the field. [1:01:47]
How Sue and her husband Chris keep their relationship intact while she spends so much time away from home. Does she think it’s easier than being married to someone who’s working in close proximity for months at a time? [1:02:58]
What prompted Sue to hang up her production hat after over a decade at the BBC and focus on photography? [1:07:11]
On Nuclear icebreakers and hybrid electric ships (with an aside explaining why people experienced with spending time in Antarctica often refer to emperor penguins as “the inspectors”). [1:10:17]
Observations even experienced people often miss when camping in Antarctica. [1:13:53]
Books gifted most often. [1:17:29]
How do polar bears sustain their gigantic mass in a landscape so seemingly barren? What makes their size a benefit rather than a hindrance? [1:19:29]
What are the Pinatubo bears, and how was a volcanic eruption in the Philippines directly responsible for their success? [1:22:30]
Why are you likely to sleep a lot better in a tent on the sea ice in the Antarctic than in the Arctic? [1:24:32]
Sue could be anywhere in the world at any time, but here’s how to find her online every time. [1:26:46]
Why is Sue so patient with animals and not with people? [1:27:52]
Embarrassing Sue, meeting the Queen, plans to podcast from the other pole, Russian banya hats, and other parting thoughts. [1:29:23]
*
For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.
Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.
For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.
Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.
Follow Tim:
Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss
Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss
Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss
YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss
Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Balaji Srinivasan, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, Dr. Michio Kaku, and many more.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
