New Island, Falklands (2006) — From the rocky shoreline and exposed kelp, rockhopper penguins look out to sea and prepare to forage. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Beagle Channel to Ushuaia, Argentina (2007) — The waters surrounding Antarctica are the coldest, roughest, and most isolated on the planet. If the passengers had to abandon the ship, then one of two fully enclosed lifeboats aboard would be the only chance of survival. Its vivid, reddish orange color is a safety requirement, allowing it to be spotted from great distances, including by satellites. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Ushuaia, Argentina (2006) — Looking more like a mini submarine, the motorized lifeboat had a capacity for 43 people, and, except for the pilot’s, all seats faced inward and had heavy straps to hold people securely against the hull. On an elevated seat, the pilot could navigate by looking out the small windows on top. The lifeboat was self-righting in case large waves rolled it over. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Steeple Jason, Falklands (2007) — With a maximum wingspan that reaches nearly 8 feet, the black-browed albatross is an amazingly efficient flyer. It spends most of its life at sea, can soar hundreds of miles a day in search of food, and is a frequent passerby of ships in the open ocean. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

DVD chapter / Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (2006) — The yellow ground orchid is one of the colorful flora species found in the forest understory of Tierra del Fuego National Park. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — Rockhopper penguins return with their bellies full after foraging at sea for krill, squid, and fish. Heavy surf is hardly an obstacle for them compared to the South American sea lions patrolling the waters just offshore. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — Though the first landing of the voyage went smoothly, the Protector III shipwreck just offshore reminded us that it was not always smooth sailing. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

DVD Chapter / St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia (2007) — Glacier ice crystals grow from snowflakes, which are tiny, individual ice crystals themselves. The weight of subsequent snowfall compacts the snowflakes, and then they fuse together, forming small crystals that can continue to grow over time. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — A lone king penguin, with the orange feathers on its upper chest, makes itself at home in a small colony of gentoo penguins and their chicks. At a height of over 3 feet and weighing well over 20 pounds, kings are smaller only than emperor penguins. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — To survive in the harsh conditions of these remote islands, animals must be opportunistic feeders. Few are bolder or more aggressive than skuas, which can often be seen hovering over penguin colonies and waiting for just the slightest chance at a quick meal. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — About the size of a small hawk, the striated caracara is intelligent, mischievous, and seemingly fearless around humans. This one, perched on a cliff covered in yellow lichen, keeps a close eye on an albatross chick. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — Though the smallest penguin species in the region, the rockhopper penguin more than makes up for it by also being one of the feistiest inhabitants of the Falkland Islands. This rockhopper was caught in midair during a rock hop. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — Rockhopper chicks, like other penguin chicks, are covered in down feathers that provide them with soft, warm coats. But the chicks are unable to swim until they molt into their adult feathers. So, they must rely on their parents to bring them food. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — The hints of color, arresting gaze, and exquisite eyes of the black-browed albatross make it one of the most beautiful animals around. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Pacific Grove, California (2010) — One of the larger gulls, the western gull is an opportunistic feeder that hunts prey along the coast and at sea. Though always on the lookout for an easy meal, they will boldly swoop onto the water to where whales break the surface while feeding, snatch food from seals, and swim after feasting sea otters to scavenge dropped bits. Out of all the creatures portrayed in Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, from dinosaurs to alien life forms, the very first animal shown was a western gull. In fact, it made five separate cameos within the very first 2 minutes of Sagan’s series-opening scene in Big Sur, California, including a 15-second shot where it descended out of sky and “floated” in for a landing on coastal rocks surrounded by waves. That’s some big-time screen time. The ice plant in the foreground plays a role in Cosmos, too. Sagan holds of piece of it when explaining how plants might be used to terraform Mars. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — A skua perched on a rock along on the path from the colony to the ocean provides quite an obstacle for the rockhoppers. When healthy, the penguins are too big for the skua feed on, but this doesn’t stop it from messing with them. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — As the albatross feeds the chick, its mate has already begun a journey that will take it over vast stretches of ocean in search of more food for the chick. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — With hungry chicks anxiously waiting back at their nests, rockhoppers returning from the ocean after feeding must climb over giant strands of Durvillaea kelp exposed by the low tide. “Seaweed” and “algae” are names that just don’t do it justice. Kelps are the bushes and tall trees of the ocean. In large numbers, they are rain forests of biodiversity and breeding grounds for countless species of sea life that humans depend upon. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — Though the name “cushion plant,” as well as its fuzzy green appearance, make it seem inviting, it is quite coarse to the touch. A small piece pinched from it smells like carrots. Growing around it are white flowers and green leaves from the branches of diddle-dee. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — The Magellanic penguins are by far the shiest and most skittish penguins in the region. So it is not surprising that instead of nesting on the ground, they instead have burrows. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

New Island, Falklands (2006) — It is a good thing that penguins are remarkable swimmers, because they are abysmal at flying. Even though penguins are one of the few flightless birds, this one was flapping its flippers like mad to show that it could do more than just waddle. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

DVD Chapter / Carcass Island, Falklands (2007) — Geology is the study of pressure and time. And for some rocks, heat. Layers of sandstone and mudstone form much of the Falkland Islands. Red and green seaweed adorns this coastal rock formation. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Steeple Jason, Falklands (2007) — Protected by a vigilante parent on top and surrounded by its tall, tubular mud nest, this hungry black-browed albatross chick eagerly awaits its other parent, which is flying hundreds to thousands of miles in search of the chick’s next meal. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Saunders Island, Falklands (2007) — The group of Magellanics returning from the sea wastes no time moving up the beach, whereas the group farther from the water’s edge, looking in all directions, seems much more indecisive. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Carcass Island, Falklands (2007) — At more than 6 feet tall in places, tussac grass grows in large clumps that can easily conceal a penguin hiding behind crisscrossing blades. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Carcass Island, Falklands (2007) — Magellanic penguins, along with the other species of penguins, were widely hunted for the relatively small amount of blubber in the outer layer just beneath their feathers and skin. Populations were decimated but have been recovering now that boiling them down to make penguin oil has stopped—though oil spills are still one of the man-made threats they face. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Steeple Jason, Falklands (2007) — Stretching from one end of the coast all the way to the other, this black-browed albatross colony is the largest in the world. The colony contains hundreds of thousands of these stunning birds, which, except for their much wider wingspans, are about the same size as geese. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Steeple Jason, Falklands (2007) — While waiting for the return of a parent, the albatross chick must stay protected in its nest surrounded by the other fortifications. If the chick leaves the nest, then it will become easy prey for marauders. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Steeple Jason, Falklands (2007) — The windward coast, to the right, shows the heavier surf and more rugged shoreline. Viewed to the southeast from a small peak 1.5 miles away as the crow flies, the tallest peak of the island stands at a height of nearly 1,000 feet. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Steeple Jason, Falklands (2007) — The relatively long legs of the caracaras, which can be seen better when the birds are not hunching down, make them quick and nimble on the ground. This gang of caracaras and several others followed me around. When I stopped, they stopped. When I got going, they were always in my rearview mirror. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Steeple Jason, Falklands (2007) — The three penguins here, making an overland crossing, look like a Falklands version of the Abbey Road album cover, minus one of the Beatles. (Photo by Dan Linehan)

Steeple Jason, Falklands (2007) — Like many other birds, penguins feed their young by regurgitating the food that they just recently ate. Though the diets of penguins vary somewhat between species, they all get their food from the sea—typically squid, fish, and crustaceans, especially krill. (Photo by Dan Linehan)