Emperor penguins shot wins a top photo awardOctober 18, 2012 - 12:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A scene containing a frenzy of plumage and bubbles as emperor penguins prepare to blast their way through a hole in the ice has earned Paul Nicklen one of the world's top photo awards, according to BBC. The Canadian braved the extreme cold of Antarctica and attack by leopard seals to get the shot, BBC News reports. His picture won the Underwater Worlds category and the overall title in this year's Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. It is called "Bubble Jetting Emperors". The emperors have to run the gauntlet of leopard seals who will try to grab and eat the birds as they exit the water. But the penguins have evolved a very clever strategy to evade capture. First, they surface to survey the danger, but as they do so they trap as much air into their plumage as they can manage. Then they dive and, from deep down, they shoot for the edge of the ice, squeezing their feathers as they rise. This expels millions of small bubbles. The "coat of air" reduces drag and accelerates the animal upwards and beyond the marauding seals. "The science shows they can double or even triple their speed. They can go from 10km/h to 30km/h as they come rocketing up," Nicklen said. The photographer fired off more than 50,000 frames over the course of a three-week period in the Ross Sea, near Cape Washington. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |