Counting Penguins

Reflections on a life-changing three months at the edge of Antarctica

At 64° South, on a tiny Antarctic island bustling with penguins, even the smallest lives leave a mark.

Welcome to Port Lockroy – the world’s southernmost post office, a tiny outpost on a football-pitch-sized island off the Antarctic Peninsula, shared by a handful of humans and a thousand curious gentoo penguins.

When travel writer Peter John Watson boards a ship bound for Antarctica, he has no idea how deeply life at the end of the world will change him. Between long shifts counting penguin chicks, welcoming passing cruise ships and sorting mail, he discovers a whimsical world where climate science, storied heritage and captivating wildlife converge in one of the most inhospitable places on earth.

From the secret wartime origins of Base A – Britain’s first continuously occupied base in Antarctica – to the tender rituals of pebble-gifting penguins; from Christmas spent in perpetual daylight to the heartbreak of the natural order and the quiet triumph of new life, this is a story of connection, resilience and wonder in one of the planet’s most inhospitable and remote places.

As the gentoos shed their feathers and Peter prepares to leave before winter closes in, Counting Penguins becomes a tender meditation on isolation and hope – a reminder that even in the coldest corners, small acts of care can ripple far and wide.Peter John Watson is an adventure travel writer and founder of outdoor travel blog Atlas & Boots. His work has featured in The Guardian and National Geographic, among others. In 2023, he joined the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, a charity responsible for maintaining British heritage on the Antarctic Peninsula, including the southernmost post office at Port Lockroy. In 2025, Peter was selected to join the Port Lockroy team as a wildlife monitor for three months.