Counting Penguins: How a Penguin Colony Stole My Heart and Changed My Life

We’re delighted to announce Counting Penguins, a new book written by UKAHT’s very own Peter Watson and published by DK on 22 October.

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

When UKAHT comms officer and Port Lockroy wildlife monitor 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 counting penguin chicks, welcoming passing ships and sorting mail, he discovers a place where climate science, Antarctic heritage and captivating wildlife meet in one of the most extreme environments 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 in perpetual daylight to the heartbreak of the natural order and the quiet triumph of new life, Counting Penguins is a story of connection, resilience and wonder in one of the planet’s most 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.

• Available for pre-order now
  
• Published on 22 October 2026, with delivery soon after
  
• Signed by the author, Peter John WatsonPublished by DK RED
  
• Hardback
  
• 256 pages
  
• Dimensions: 13.49 x 1.59 x 21.59 cm