Emperor Penguins and the Evolution of Polar Exploration

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!

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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]

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