Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) dive into Antarctica’s Port Charcot. The species is the fastest underwater-swimming bird on Earth, reaching speeds of up to 22 miles per hour. Photographer Romain Barats captured this raft while snorkeling as the penguins headed out to fish and feed on krill. “These iconic birds are incredibly curious, so they went straight to me to evaluate if I could be a threat or not,” he tells National Geographic. “They spent a while swimming so fast around me.” This photograph was a winning entry in the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year competition.
