#567: A Rare Podcast at 30 Below Zero — Sue Flood on Antarctica, Making Your Own Luck, Chasing David Attenborough, and Reinventing Yourself

A Rare Podcast at 30 Below Zero — Sue Flood on
Antarctica, Making Your Own Luck, Chasing David Attenborough, and
Reinventing Yourself | Brought to you
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Sue Flood (IG:
@suefloodphotography TW: @suefloodphotos) is a photographer
and former BBC filmmaker. Her work takes her all over the world,
but she has a special passion for the wildlife and icy beauty of
Antarctica.


A Durham University zoology graduate, Sue spent 11 years with the
BBC Natural History Unit, working on series including The
Blue Planet and Planet Earth with Sir David
Attenborough, before turning her focus to photography. Her most
recent book, Emperor: The Perfect Penguin, with a foreword
by Sir Michael Palin, was published in September 2018.


She has appeared on screen for the BBC, Discovery Channel, and
National Geographic; been featured on the series Cameramen
Who Dare; and has had her images in National
Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Geo, and other distinguished
publications.


Her work has won multiple awards in competitions including Travel
Photographer of the Year, International Photographer of the Year,
International Garden Photographer of the Year, and a Royal
Photographic Society Silver Medal. In February 2021 she won the
Climate Change category in the Science Photographer of the Year
contest, run by the Royal Photographic Society.


In recognition of her photographic achievements, Sue was invited
to meet Her Majesty The Queen during a special Adventurers and
Explorers event held at Buckingham Palace.


Please enjoy!


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*


From where is this episode being recorded? [06:51]


The origin of the word “penguin.” [07:44]


If we’re so remote, why might you hear the sound of machinery in
the background? [08:55]


What kind of structure is keeping us safe from the southernmost
continent’s most punishing elements? [09:47]


How Sue emerged from childhood with the ability to walk even
after her parents were told she’d be wheelchair-bound for life.
[11:43]


Inspired from a young age by the work of David Attenborough to
become a wildlife filmmaker, how did Sue begin the path that
would lead her to work with him? What set her apart from probably
tens of thousands of other youths in pursuit of the same career?
[15:35]


Sue’s first television gigs. [24:02]


What it was like to finally work with David Attenborough — a job
opportunity she still describes as “better than winning the
lottery.” [28:03]


For anyone somehow not in the know by now, who is David
Attenborough? What does he bring to the table apart from being
one of the most charismatic television presenters of all time?
[30:28]


One of Sue’s top life experiences: reading the acknowledgments
from her book Emperor: The Perfect Penguin to David Attenborough
in person. [34:10]


What is tobogganing, and why do emperor penguins do it? [35:46]


Why emperor penguins leave such distinctive tracks, how the males
incubate eggs, and how much of a toll this takes on their bodies
every season. [36:55]


A couple of “firsts” Sue captured on camera: polar bears hunting
beluga whales, and orcas attacking grey whale calves. How did she
succeed in situations where even National Geographic had failed?
[41:20]


Evidence of orcas learning to become better predators and
teaching tactics to their offspring. [49:55]


How dangerous is it for humans to swim with orcas — aka “killer
whales” for a reason? [55:50]


The divorce whale. [58:35]


Common mistakes Sue has witnessed aspiring wildlife photographers
making in the field. [1:01:47]


How Sue and her husband Chris keep their relationship intact
while she spends so much time away from home. Does she think it’s
easier than being married to someone who’s working in close
proximity for months at a time? [1:02:58]


What prompted Sue to hang up her production hat after over a
decade at the BBC and focus on photography? [1:07:11]


On Nuclear icebreakers and hybrid electric ships (with an aside
explaining why people experienced with spending time in
Antarctica often refer to emperor penguins as “the inspectors”).
[1:10:17]


Observations even experienced people often miss when camping in
Antarctica. [1:13:53]


Books gifted most often. [1:17:29]


How do polar bears sustain their gigantic mass in a landscape so
seemingly barren? What makes their size a benefit rather than a
hindrance? [1:19:29]


What are the Pinatubo bears, and how was a volcanic eruption in
the Philippines directly responsible for their success? [1:22:30]


Why are you likely to sleep a lot better in a tent on the sea ice
in the Antarctic than in the Arctic? [1:24:32]


Sue could be anywhere in the world at any time, but here’s how to
find her online every time. [1:26:46]


Why is Sue so patient with animals and not with people? [1:27:52]


Embarrassing Sue, meeting the Queen, plans to podcast from the
other pole, Russian banya hats, and other parting thoughts.
[1:29:23]


*


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