Blake Lively Narrates a Baby Penguin Swim Lesson in New ‘Secrets of the Penguins’ Sneak Peek [Exclusive]

Earth Day is tomorrow, April 22, and ahead of the celebration of environmental conservation, National Geographic has teamed up with Collider to share an exclusive sneak peek of their upcoming three-part series, Secrets of the Penguins. It’s part of National Geographic and James Cameron‘s Emmy-nominated Secrets Of franchise. This installment is narrated by actress Blake Lively (Gossip Girl). Our exclusive sneak peek sees baby penguins in Antarctica attempting to learn how to swim. Unfortunately, they’re having to learn a bit early, as the ice caps are melting beneath them, forcing them to navigate their terrain partially by waddling and partially by wading through the icy slush that may very well harm them. The penguins, born with feathers, need to molt in order to be able to swim properly. As it’s explained in the sneak peek, the way their first feathers are designed keeps them warm above water, but it could also get too wet and cause them to be pulled underwater.

The logline for Secrets of the Penguins is as follows:

“The Secrets of the Penguins crew captured the heartbreaking reality of what climate change could mean for emperor penguins. A group of tenacious chicks fights through brash ice and slush, struggling to reach the true edge of the sea ice. Their journey is a stark reminder of the challenges these birds face in a rapidly changing environment.”

Do You Remember This Iconic Pop Culture Moment Featuring Penguins?

Everyone loves a good pop culture moment, and one that took place about 10 years ago on The Graham Norton Show involved penguins and actor Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). The actor was on the British talk show, and the conversation quickly segued into Cumberbatch’s inability to pronounce the word penguin properly. The irony, not lost on fans as his own name and people’s inability or willingness to spell or say it correctly, is its own pop culture phenomenon. Cumberbatch is not only asked about it, but Norton plays a portion of the New Zealand-set documentary to remind audience members and Cumberbatch just how poorly he had butchered the word on the voice-over. He told Norton at the time, “I am completely terrified” of the word penguin now. He took the moment in stride as the clip highlighted him saying the word as “pengwings” and “penlings.”.

Check out the exclusive sneak peek of Secrets of the Penguins above. The series premieres on National Geographic tomorrow, April 22. Stay with Collider for the latest updates.

Secrets of the Penguins

Genre

Documentary, Nature

Debut Date

April 21, 2025