British Photography Awards BirdLife Shortlist 2025 – Chinstrap Mountain!

Have I mentioned that I love penguins?! This image has been shortlisted in the British Photography Awards BirdLife category 2025!

Following on from my previous blogs about Antarctica (if you haven’t read them, please be sure to give them a quick going over!) – this image also came about on the trip of a lifetime!

This image was a lot harder for me to get due to my health and fitness. We had just landed from the zodiac and in front of us was what seemed like a sheer vertical cliff, covered in thick snow, glistening in the sun and blinding us all in the process! People started their accent as I stayed at the bottom, watching how long it took ‘healthy’ people to reach the summit. It actually wasn’t as long as I thought- about 25 minutes give or take.

I procrastinated, knowing that waiting at the top was a colony of chinstrap penguins and likely a breathtaking view, but I knew that it would absolutely ruin me to make the climb up there and potentially cause an M.E ‘crash’. I watched as zodiacs dropped more people off and they started up the mountain. Then the first group who landed passed me on their way to head back to the main boat, smiling from ear to ear from what they had just witnessed and expressing what an incredible view they were rewarded with.

I grabbed a walking pole and decided that my only regret would be if I didn’t see the penguins.

It took me a lot longer than 25 minutes. Not only did I have to stop a lot more but the glare of the snow in my eyes even with my sunglasses on, was making me feel off-balance. I took it step by step, glancing back at my progress and then panicking half way up at the thought of having to get back down. A problem for the future, I thought.

Eventually, I reached the top and – WOW! What a view!

The top of the walk was not the location of the colony, so I still had a little way to go but this was walking along the top of the mountain – looking at what seemed like sheer drops either side but realising that I had just walked up one of those sides!

I reached the edge of the colony of Chinstraps and it was every bit as magical as I had imagined. More so.

In the background I could see our boat, which looked so small now, waiting in the bay, surrounded by mountains covered in snow. It was picture perfect, just like a postcard.

Annoyingly, I only had one camera body and lens with me and one battery, which, because it was cold, was dying at an alarming rate. Good tip for that by the way – take the battery out and put it against your skin, somewhere warm, like under your arm – it helps the battery get a new lease of life!

I had to move fast, which for me is like mission impossible but I had penguins waiting and a short deadline to get back down the mountain and back to the boat.

I didn’t venture too far into the colony, rather just concentrating on enjoying the Chinstraps that were closest to me, watching their behaviour and trying to capture their personalities. The prime nesting spots are the highest, because when the sun warms and melts the ice, it helps the chick development. But that does mean that the parents who have the best real estate, have to work extra – extra hard! How they make multiple trips out to sea and then climb a mountain is beyond crazy but they do it – and they do it so well!

I followed one particular penguin who looked super grubby after climbing up the mountain, I remember thinking that I could imagine how he felt because I too, was exhausted!

He jumped up on to the rock and the weather behind had started to change, creating these moody clouds – all of a sudden it looked really dramatic and as though his standing on this rock was a symbol of strength and resilience, even with his arms stretched behind, as a kind of ‘I did it!’ A perfect environmental portrait, that is now known as ‘Chinstrap Mountain’

After such a wonderful experience, it was time to face my own fears and figure out how on earth I was going to get back down the mountain. I would have liked to have just slid down on my bottom, probably would have been safer for me, but Antarctica had very strict rules in place due to avian flu, where nothing or no-one could touch the ground.

Luckily, I had some help down the mountain as my legs had gone like jelly and I was getting really bad dizzy spells. To be fair, they were keeping me up-right or I think I would have collapsed. I’m not quite as tough as a little penguin!

Although this trip completely wiped me out, it was worth every moment! I wish I had more time there!

People say that you shouldn’t judge your own images by your level of connection to it, whether physical or emotional. But, it’s hard not to have that attachment, especially when you pour everything you have into getting the image.

So, I’m proud this photograph has made it to the British Photography Awards Shortlist 2025, because of everything that it stands for and for the journey that I took in order to capture it.

If you would like to show me some love and support, you can vote for this little penguin in the British Photography Awards People’s Choice Award, until Monday 20th October – the link is here: Vote for Chinstrap Mountain!

Next Time: BirdLife Shortlist – Gannet Get Together!