Images of the Day

Heart-warming pictures of playful penguins diving off an iceberg into freezing Antarctic waters

• Penguins captured diving of an iceberg and into the freezing water in their Peterman Island habitat
• Antarctic Gentoo, Adelie and Chinstrap penguins pictured under the water in these stunning images
• Photographer Justin Hoffman braved sub zero temperatures to take amazing underwater pictures

By Hayley O'keeffe
PUBLISHED: 2 November 2013

These penguins have made a giant iceberg their playground, and the perfect place for a dive into the freezing water.
The huge colony of waddling animals slowly made their way to the edge of the huge expanse before diving into the icy depths.
Gentoo, Adelie and Chinstrap penguins were photographed enjoying a splash on Peterman Island in the Antarctic peninsula.

These playful penguins are not fazed by the sub-zero temperatures as they dive into freezing water from a giant iceberg 

Photographer Justin Hoffman braved the adverse weather conditions to capture the unique moment from a different perspective.

 

He even went into the freezing -2 degrees Celsius water to take the photographs.
But he says that getting into the water to capture the shots has enabled him to look at the birds with a new perspective.

The huge colony are pictured slowly making their way to the edge of the huge iceberg before jumping into the water

The penguins are pictured above and below the icy water on Peterman Island in the Antarctic peninsula

A penguin gets ready to take a leap into the water. Justin Hoffman braved the sub zero temperatures to get these amazing shots

Mr Hoffman, 30 from Grand Terrace, California, said: 'While working in the Antarctic, I have seen more penguins than I can count. Some colonies can have 100,000 penguins all working hard to breed successfully.
'And with careful boat handling, I was able to bring the boat right up to the icebergs, hang my camera over the side and take plenty of shots.'
He added: 'A few of the shots were taken while I was snorkeling.

This stunning image of a penguin enjoying an afternoon swim was captured by Californian photographer Mr Hoffman

'It's colder than you can really imagine. The temperature of the water is often below freezing. The salt lowers the freezing point of water, taking it down to -2 C.
'Because I'm trying to move stealthily and limit any erratic motions, I tend to get cold quickly since I'm not generating a lot of body heat. Most outings last less than an hour and occasionally I can hold out for only 30 minutes at a time.
'Seeing these dumpy little birds, who look so awkward on land, making a living in the most harsh environment on the planet is amazing.'

A penguin stamps along the snowy top of the iceberg, perhaps deciding where to jump in. These photographs capture the birds both above and below the surface

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