About a million penguins

Heard Island from the International Space Station on 23 December 2023 seen by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen. When Andreas shared the picture on social media, he said:

"I have captured many volcanos on my Huginn mission and here is another: Heard Island, located in the south Indian Ocean, an uninhabitated island far from anything. We might even have been the closest people to the island as we flew over.

The island originates from a volcano, which has erupted over the last decade, but remains mostly covered in ice in the form of glaciers. However the glaciers have been retreating over the last 50 years, most likely do to climate change. The island is also one of the few places on Earth without any animals introduced by humans, making it a truly wild place, where around 1 million penguins live together with other seabirds.

Sealing was a big issue for the local seal population in the 1800’s but the island and its surrounding waters are now protected and seals are left to thrive on the little rocky island."

Visit Huginn mission page to learn more about Andreas' mission.