James Cameron-backed 'Secrets of the Penguins' set to premiere on National Geographic this Earth Day

By A Representative

This Earth Day, National Geographic invites audiences on an awe-inspiring journey to the ends of the Earth with its latest three-part documentary series, "Secrets of the Penguins." Executive produced by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-at-Large James Cameron, the series premieres on Tuesday, April 22 at 7 PM on National Geographic, with all episodes available to stream on JioHotstar.

Narrated by Blake Lively, the series is fronted by Emmy® and BAFTA Award-winning National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory, who leads viewers into the heart of penguin colonies across some of the planet’s most extreme and remote habitats. From Antarctica’s frozen cliffs to Namibia’s desert caves, "Secrets of the Penguins" uncovers never-before-seen penguin behaviours with breathtaking cinematography and innovative filming techniques.

A standout moment from the series includes never-before-filmed footage of hundreds of emperor penguin chicks fearlessly leaping off a 50-foot ice cliff at the Ekström Ice Shelf in Antarctica — a jaw-dropping clip that previously went viral with over 165 million views across Nat Geo’s social platforms. The full scene, along with newly revealed footage, is now part of this cinematic spectacle.

Over two years in the making, the production team—including over 70 scientists and filmmakers—spent 274 days embedded in some of the world’s harshest environments, capturing intimate, surprising, and even humorous moments in the lives of penguins. The series highlights remarkable behaviour such as emperor penguins practicing egg transfers using snowballs, young chicks navigating dangerous crevasses, and a daring fish heist by Galapagos penguins.

Additional stunning sequences include:

- The discovery of healthy “rockaroni” chicks — a rare hybrid between rockhopper and macaroni penguins.

- The first-ever footage of African penguins nesting in hidden cave colonies.

- A courageous rockhopper penguin fending off a southern sea lion.

The series features insight from world-renowned scientists and conservationists including Dr. Pablo Borboroglu, Dr. Michelle LaRue, Dr. Andrea Thiebault, and others who shed light on penguin evolution, climate resilience, and conservation.

Episode Guide:

- "Heart of the Emperors" (April 22, 7 PM): A deep dive into the frozen world of emperor penguins and the complex social bonds that help them survive.

- "Survival of the Smartest" (April 29, 7 PM): Explores how penguins adapted to deserts, tropics, and even urban life by becoming the most inventive of their kind.

- "Rebels with a Cause" (May 6, 7 PM): Follows the fearless rockhoppers, gentoos, and macaronis across the Southern Ocean’s toughest outposts.

"Secrets of the Penguins" follows in the footsteps of National Geographic’s Emmy-winning “Secrets of” franchise, which includes "Secrets of the Whales" (narrated by Sigourney Weaver), "Secrets of the Elephants" (narrated by Natalie Portman), and "Secrets of the Octopus" (narrated by Paul Rudd).

Produced by Talesmith for National Geographic, the series boasts an impressive production team: executive producers James Cameron and Maria Wilhelm (Lightstorm Earth), Emmy and BAFTA winners Ruth Roberts and Martin Williams (Talesmith), and Bertie Gregory, who also serves as lead storyteller, cinematographer, and producer. Serena Davies is the series producer, and Pam Caragol serves as executive producer for National Geographic.

Comments

When growth shrinks people: Capitalism and the biological decline of the U.S. population

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Critically acclaimed Hungarian-American economic historian and distinguished scholar of economic anthropometric history, Prof. John Komlos (Professor Emeritus, University of Munich), who pioneered the study of the history of human height and weight, has published an article titled “The Decline in the Physical Stature of the U.S. Population Parallels the Diminution in the Rate of Increase in Life Expectancy” on October 31, 2025, in the forthcoming issue of Social Science & Medicine (SSM) – Population Health, Volume 32, December 2025. The findings of the article present a damning critique of the barbaric nature of capitalism and its detrimental impact on human health, highlighting that the average height of Americans began to decline during the era of free-market capitalism. The study draws on an analysis of 17 surveys from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (...

US-China truce temporary, larger trade war between two economies to continue

By Prabir Purkayastha The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan, South Korea on 30 October 2025 may have brought about a temporary relief in the US-China trade war. But unless we see the fine print of the agreement, it is difficult to assess whether this is a temporary truce or the beginning of a real rapprochement between the two nations. The jury is still out on that one and we will wait for a better understanding of what has really been achieved in Busan.

Is vaccine the Voldemort of modern medicine to be left undiscussed, unscrutinised?

By Deepika* Sridhar Vembu of Zoho stirred up an internet storm by tweeting about the possible link of autism to the growing number of vaccines given to children in India . He had only asked the parents to analyse the connection but doctors, so called public health experts vehemently started opposing Vembu's claims, labeling them "dangerous misinformation" that could erode “vaccine trust”!

Justice for Zubeen Garg: Fans persist as investigations continue in India and Singapore

By Nava Thakuria* Even a month after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore under mysterious circumstances, thousands of his fans and admirers across eastern India continue their campaign for “ JusticeForZubeenGarg .” A large digital campaign has gained momentum, with over two million social media users from around the world demanding legal action against those allegedly responsible. Although the Assam government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has arrested seven people, and a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe, public pressure for justice remains strong.

Govt claims about 'revolutionary' rice varieties raise eyebrows: SC order reserved since Jan '24

By Rosamma Thomas * In a matter of grave importance for agriculture, public health awaits Supreme Court ruling, even as top Government of India bureaucrats stand accused of “willful and deliberate disobedience” of the top court. While a contempt petition filed by Aruna Rodrigues , lead petitioner in the Genetic Modification (GM) of crops matter remains pending in the Supreme Court since July 2025, the Union ministry of agriculture asserts that two home-grown gene edited rice varieties are of superior quality, and hold potential for “revolutionary changes in higher production, climate adaptability, and water conservation.” In May 2025, the Press Information Bureau released a press release stating that a “historic milestone” had been reached, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ; the new varieties, DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1 , the press release stated, offer both benefits – increased production and environmental conservation.

Banks, investors pour $52 billion into metallurgical coal expansion despite global climate pledges

By A Representative A new report by the German environmental and human rights NGO Urgewald has revealed that banks and institutional investors have poured nearly $52 billion into the expansion of metallurgical coal, or “met coal,” despite global commitments to phase out coal financing. Between 2022 and 2024, banks provided $21.96 billion in loans and underwriting to met coal developers, while investors held $30.23 billion in securities of companies expanding coal mining operations. The report, Still Burning: How Banks and Investors Fuel Met Coal Expansion, warns that loopholes in coal exit policies have allowed continued support for coal used in steelmaking — a sector responsible for about 11% of global CO₂ emissions.

Gujarat civil society to move Supreme Court against controversial electoral roll revision

By Rajiv Shah A recent, well-attended meeting of Gujarat civil society activists in Ahmedabad , held to discuss the impact of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court against the controversial exercise initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) across the country. Announcing this, senior High Court advocate Anand Yagnik , who heads the Gujarat chapter of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), said that a committee has already been formed to examine the pros and cons of SIR. “While the SIR exercise began in Gujarat on November 4 and is scheduled to continue for a month, we will file a supporting petition in the case against SIR in the Gujarat High Court or the Supreme Court after observing how it proceeds in the state,” he said. Yagnik’s announcement followed senior advocate Shahrukh Alam —who is arguing the SIR case in the Supreme Court—urging Gujarat’s civil society to also file ...

Trump escalates threats of war against Venezuela, as millions in US set to lose essential benefits

By Manolo De Los Santos The United States government is in the grips of one of its longest-running funding gaps in history. The ongoing government shutdown has already stretched beyond 30 days and now, the food security of millions of Americans is at risk as the funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is drying up and Trump officials have refused to tap into contingency funds . Approximately 42 million individuals per month rely on SNAP benefits and are set to lose them beginning on November 1.

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Search This Blog