For over 15 years, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) School of Earth and Environment’s Associate Professor Michelle LaRue has been tracking emperor penguins across Antarctica. Her expertise in understanding how these remarkable birds survive and adapt in one of Earth’s harshest environments recently took on a new form, helping bring their story to the screen in National Geographic’s acclaimed new documentary series, Secrets of the Penguins.
Associate Professor LaRue, who first visited the continent in 2008 and has returned almost annually since, combines satellite imagery and animal tracking to study population trends, migration patterns and the impact of environmental change on species such as emperor penguins, Adélie penguins and Weddell seals.
Associate Professor LaRue served as scientific consultant for the first episode of the documentary series, The Heart of the Emperor, advising filmmakers on emperor penguin behaviour, ecology and accessibility. Her collaboration with British producer Heather Cruickshank and wildlife cinematographer Sara Matasick began in 2023 and took them to Atka Bay, one of only a few sites where emperor penguins can be safely filmed.
“It’s a filmmaking showcase as much as a science story,” Associate Professor LaRue says. “The crew captured some incredible moments of emperor penguins, but what really struck me was how much the process relied on teamwork, trust and patience. Those are the same qualities we rely on in Antarctic research.”
Her team’s work involves placing lightweight satellite transmitters on animals to record where they travel and feed, providing crucial insight into how Antarctic ecosystems are responding to shifting sea ice conditions.
Last week marked the opening of the 2025/2026 Antarctic Season in Ōtautahi Christchurch, which means later this month she’ll head back south for another field season at Cape Crozier, where UC researchers work alongside international collaborators and Antarctica New Zealand.
The annual celebration marking the start of the Antarctic summer research season highlights the region’s role as a key Antarctic gateway. As part of the opening celebrations, UC’s Kōawa Studios, Faculty of Science and Antarctica New Zealand hosted a special screening of The Heart of the Emperor at the University’s Jack Mann Theatre, celebrating both Antarctic research and the art of storytelling. The event included a Q&A session moderated by Associate Professor LaRue, with the documentary’s Heather Cruickshank and Sara Matasick sharing the challenges of filming in Antarctica’s extreme environment.
“We have an incredible opportunity at UC to bring science and storytelling together,” Associate Professor LaRue says. “Antarctica inspires people in different ways. It’s a place of extreme challenge, beauty and mystery, and through working with filmmakers, artists and other disciplines, we can share that sense of wonder and help people connect with the science that’s happening there.”
