This Month in Photo of the Day: National Geographic Magazine Features

Emperor penguins are Olympian swimmers, capable of diving to 1,750 feet and remaining underwater 20 minutes on a single breath. "I was mesmerized by their beautiful bubble trails," says Nicklen, who braved 28°F water to capture these images.

See more pictures from the November 2012 feature story "Escape Velocity."

See Paul Nicklen's winning image from the 2012 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition »
See pictures from Paul Nicklen's Polar Obsession »