Over their many journeys to Antarctica over the past 15 years, Jonathan and Angela Scott have observed and photographed a huge array of emblematic creatures. Each year, a spectacular number of birds flock to this remote wildlife sanctuary, whales gather in the southern oceans to feed, and the emperor pigeons make the long journey back to their breeding colonies. But in recent years, a worrying trend has emerged, and the Scotts' travels have forced them to take a closer look at the state of our planet and its last wild places. Global warming in Antarctica is just one effect of man's dramatic influence on this vast icy wilderness. Weaving together the discovery stories of explorers such as Cook, Shackleton, Scott, and Amundsen, with the ecological stories of whaling and sealing, fishing and climate change, the Scotts reveal man's impact on this magnificent continent. For such an austere, frozen, and inhospitable environment, Antarctica turns out to be a surprisingly fragile Eden.

Jonathan and Angela Scott are coauthors of the Big Cat Diary trilogy and Mara-Serengeti. They are both previous BBC Wildlife Photographers of the Year, and their photographs appeared in the Big Cat Diary series of books.