1 of 11

Suspiciously QuietA plush penguin toy gets a genuine penguin grooming in Antarctica on January 13—just one of the National Geographic Digital Media photo editors' favorite pictures from January. The Adélie penguins were observed by researchers and crew aboard the icebreaker Aurora Australis, which was in Antarctica to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of Australian explorer Douglas Mawson's landing on the continent. (Also see "Rare Pictures: Scott's South Pole Expedition, 100 Years Later.")Adélie penguins live on the Antarctic continent and on many small surrounding coastal islands. Male Adélies help their mates rear their young, taking turns sitting on eggs to keep them warm and safe from predators.Why We Love It"The composition of this image reinforces what to me is its main point: communication. The 'talking heads' are not sure what to make of this oddly familiar intruder."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor"Isn't anthropomorphism fun? I love the humor of this picture and imagine it took a bit of patience to get this frame-however staged the situation may have been."—Chris Combs, news photo editor —Korena Di Roma

Photograph by Dean Lewins, European Pressphoto Agency