A hidden 9,000-strong colony of emperor penguins has been discovered in the Antarctica.
Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey and US colleagues discovered the colony of one metre tall penguins from satellite images.
The birds' toilet habits gave away their location in Antarctica's Princess Ragnhild Coast , by leaving faecal stains on the ice.
Three experts from Belgium's Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar research station visited the site in early December and have become the first people to visit and photograph the colony.
Expedition leader Alain Hubert described the moment as "unforgettable".
The team had been studying ice loss some 50 kilometres from the colony at a remote site 250 kilometres from the Princess Elisabeth research station.