Filmmaker Werner Herzog has shared the backstory behind a scene from his 2007 documentary ‘Encounters at the End of the World’ that has resurfaced online as the widely shared “lonely penguin” or “nihilist penguin” meme.
The trend centres on an image of an Adelie penguin walking away from its colony into the barren interior of Antarctica. The clip has been widely circulated across social media platforms, with users adding captions that reflect themes of alienation, resignation and introspection. Even the White House joined the trend, posting an image featuring US President Donald Trump alongside the penguin.
The original footage comes from Herzog’s documentary. In the scene, a single Adelie penguin breaks away from its group and heads inland, instead of remaining along the Antarctic coastline where penguins are usually found in large colonies. Over time, the moment has come to be known online as the “lonely penguin”, with viewers projecting their own emotions onto the solitary bird.
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Story behind the viral ‘lonely penguin’ meme
As the clip is gaining renewed attention, Herzog reflected on how the scene was filmed and why it continues to resonate. “Everyone spoke about penguins, however, the questions I had were not so easily answered,” he said in a recent video, adding that it was striking to see how footage shot nearly 2 decades ago continues to capture public imagination.
Herzog said that before filming the scene, he spoke to scientists who study penguins and discussed unusual behaviour, including what they described as insanity among penguins. He also pointed to his distinctive narration style, revealing that he drew inspiration from the ominous tone of the crime television series ‘Unsolved Mysteries’.
He shared the video with the caption, “The story of my lonesome penguin.”
Watch the video below:
Herzog also shared a snippet from the documentary, in which he explained that the disoriented penguin appeared at New Harbor, around 80 kilometres away from where it should have been. He noted that the rules for humans in Antarctica are clear: do not disturb or stop the penguin, and allow it to continue on its path.
As he narrated, the bird was seen heading deep into the continent’s interior, with nearly 5,000 kilometres ahead, a journey that would almost certainly end in death.