Secrets of the Penguins: release date, episode guide, more

The iconic Emperor penguin (Image credit: National Geographic)

From the winning waddle to the warming huddle, penguins have always held a special place in our hearts. But besides being cute, these loveable flightless birds are also resourceful and resilient, as explorer Bertie Gregory reveals in his globe-trotting new wildlife documentary series all about penguins.

From South Africa and South Georgia to the Galapagos, Namibia and Antarctica, Secrets of the Penguins captures remarkable behaviour from different species in contrasting habitats as they negotiate life's challenges, including finding a mate, rearing chicks, catching food and evading predators. And, most importantly for the iconic Emperor penguins featured in episode one, keeping warm!

Here's everything we know as Bertie describes some of the picture-perfect moments we can look forward to in his fascinating and enchanting three-part penguin profile…

Emperor penguins and chicks in a winter storm — (Image credit: National Geographic)

Secrets of the Penguins release date

In the US, Secrets of the Penguins will air on the National Geographic cable channel on Sunday, April 20, with all three episodes airing hourly from 8 pm ET/PT. They'll also show on the Disney Channel on Tuesday, April 22, or Earth Day. Don't have access to Nat Geo's channel? Here's our in-depth guide on how to watch the National Geographic channel at home.

Alternatively, you can stream Secrets of the Penguins on either Disney Plus or Hulu as both will get the episodes one day later: Monday, April 21. Both of these streamers cost $9.99 per month for the ad-enabled plan, but you can get both for $10.99 monthly via the Disney Bundle.

In the UK, you can watch it on Disney Plus from Monday, April 21, with all three episodes streaming at the same time. One day later, the show will air on the Nat Geo Wild channel, (here's how to watch National Geographic channels in the UK, for those who don't have access). Episodes will air hourly from 7 pm until 10 pm.

What happens in each episode?

EPISODE ONE: HEART OF THE EMPERORS

Embedded with an Antarctic colony of Emperor penguins, Bertie captures some remarkable footage, including two expectant penguin parents practising how to transfer an egg from one set of claws to the other by using a snowball, and hundreds of chicks leaping from a 50-foot-high sheer cliff into the icy ocean below.

He also reveals the power of the huddle, which protects the colony from harsh winter storms during which wind speed reaches 120mph and temperatures drop to below minus 50! When the chicks are left to fend for themselves as their parents head off to sea, it’s a vital survival strategy they must learn quickly.

"It's really interesting," says Bertie, who is forced to take shelter from the winter storms in his tent, while the chicks brave the elements. "As this wind starts to build, a lot of the chicks that before were just kind of scattered around all start gravitating together. Just like their parents do, the chicks start forming their very own huddle, with the bigger ones protecting the smallest!"

EPISODE TWO: SURVIVAL OF THE SMARTEST

For Gentoo penguins living on the Antarctic Peninsula, there are rich pickings to be had in the Southern Ocean. "The cold, nutrient-rich water is full of different food including fish, krill and squid," explains Bertie. "And Gentoos can eat them all, so they have the most diverse diet." But when he takes to the water to film the penguins, he notices a large gathering hesitating to dive in, and sees something lying in wait, hoping to grab a penguin-shaped snack!

"There was a leopard seal, which is like the grizzly bear of the sea," explains Bertie. "And while I wasn’t on the menu, the penguins definitely were!"

It’s up to the Gentoos to out-think and out-maneuver this predator, and their tactic is strength in numbers allied to sheer speed.

"Gentoos are the fastest penguins in the world!" says Bertie. "Their wings are like a fighter jet’s — shorter, flatter and denser than flying birds — and they're doing these amazing evasive manoeuvres where they jink back and forth. They can reach 22 miles an hour!’

EPISODE THREE: REBELS WITH A CAUSE

The Galapagos penguins have figured out that, when it comes to hunting, you’re best off letting someone else do the donkey work. "The currents are unpredictable, so they’ve got to work really hard to find fish," explains Bertie, who captures the penguins’ ingenious strategy on film.

"The penguins watch the pelicans and, when they see a pelican dive to catch fish, they zoom over," he reveals. "When the pelican’s mouth is full of water and fish, it needs to push out the water and hold on to the fish, and at that point it is vulnerable. So the penguins steal the fish right out of the pelican’s beak!"

He also sees penguins banding together to prey on a "bait ball", which is a shoal of small fish in a spherical formation. "The way they herd the ball together is so clever," he says. "The lava shoreline of the Galapagos has lots of big cracks that the penguins can drive the fish into and single them out. I’ve seen penguins do some pretty amazing things, but that definitely comes top!"