Winning photo of the SEA-EU Photo Contest 2026: After all - After oil! is much more than a striking Antarctic landscape. Through a cracked iceberg in the silence of the polar world, José Teixeira captured both the beauty and fragility of our planet — a moment that resonated profoundly within the SEA-EU community.
José Teixeira, a marine biology student, took the photo during a plankton sampling expedition near King George Island in Antarctica, as part of his thesis research. What began as a scientific field mission turned into an unforgettable visual testament to environmental change.
As they approached the massive iceberg in a zodiac, one detail immediately caught his eye — a dramatic crack that ran from the top to the bottom of the ice mass.
“When I saw the huge crack cutting through it, I was completely mesmerized. While photographs can capture beauty, nothing compares to the actual feeling of standing there and experiencing the scale and atmosphere in person.”
The photo itself was taken during a field expedition to sample plankton. Surrounded by penguins resting on floating icebergs and the endless silence of Antarctica, José encountered a sight that seemed almost unreal.
“We stopped next to a huge iceberg where penguins were resting. When we crossed to the other side, I noticed an incredible crack that stretched across the entire glacier. It was one of those rare moments when you feel like the scene is not real.”
With his winning photograph, José Teixeira reminded us that climate change is not an abstract concept limited to reports and statistics. It is visible, tangible, and already changing some of the most remote places on Earth.
