For 700km, day and night, we slithered through the vast uninhabited Sahara desert, sleeping on top of Mauritania’s infamous iron ore train. Heading for the coast, we hoped to find a place of forgotten shipwrecks and unknown surf.
A story told by my grandfather sparked a fascination. Far to the east lies a land, wild and vast, inhabited by the legendary warriors who rescued my grandfather. Mongolia. For fifteen years, I’ve returned to this country, seeking to understand the raw beauty and tenacity that shapes those who call it home.
Emperor penguins can propel themselves out of Antartica’s icy waters in astonishing leaps that defy gravity. Following my own close encounter with the penguins’ main predator, leopard seals, I entered Antarctica’s freezing waters to observe how they can achieve this remarkable feat, escaping predation.
For centuries, the nomadic Nenets reindeer herders of the Siberian arctic have migrated across one of the most challenging environments on Earth. Today, the permafrost is melting, posing significant threat to their unique way of life. This is the intimate story of Lena, a young Nenets mother, and her journey to birth.
