With no land predators, Antarctic animals have little reason to fear people. That makes it one of the most intimate wildlife experiences on Earth. Here is who you will meet, and where and when to find them.
Almost every animal you will see in Antarctica depends on Antarctic krill, a small shrimp-like crustacean that swarms in the cold, nutrient-rich water in astonishing numbers. Penguins, seals, seabirds and the great baleen whales all eat krill, or eat something that does.
The summer burst of sunlight drives a bloom of algae, the krill feed on it, and the whole ecosystem gathers to feast. That is why a few months of summer bring so much life to such a hostile place, and why the cruise season and the wildlife season are one and the same.
Three species breed on the Antarctic Peninsula. Add South Georgia and the Falklands and you can see six or seven on one voyage.
The bright orange beak and white “bonnet” give it away. The most common penguin on Peninsula landings, and the fastest underwater swimmer of any penguin.
Named for the thin black line under its chin. Noisy, bold, and often nesting high on rocky slopes; Deception and Half Moon Islands have big colonies.
The classic tuxedoed penguin with a white ring around the eye. A true ice-lover, most numerous on voyages that cross the Circle or enter the Weddell Sea.
Tall, elegant and golden-necked, the second-largest penguin. South Georgia’s colonies number in the hundreds of thousands, with brown, woolly chicks present year-round.
Wild yellow-orange crests and a rolling gait. Huge colonies on South Georgia, usually on steep slopes viewed from a Zodiac.
Small, spiky-crested and aptly named: it hops up sheer rock faces to nest, often beside black-browed albatrosses.
Nests in burrows, and brays like a donkey. Often the first penguin you see, on the Falklands or near Ushuaia.
The largest penguin of all. It breeds on winter sea ice far from the cruise routes, so a sighting from a ship is a rare event, which is why specialist voyages to Snow Hill Island exist.
Whale sightings build through the season, and February and March are peak time.
Migrates thousands of miles from tropical breeding grounds to feed on krill all summer. Curious and acrobatic, humpbacks often surface close to Zodiacs and sometimes feed cooperatively by blowing nets of bubbles.
Smaller and sleeker, often seen surfacing among the ice floes in the channels, and sometimes swimming right under the Zodiacs.
Several distinct types of killer whale hunt Antarctic waters, from fish-eaters to pods that work together to wash seals off ice floes. A sighting is a highlight of any voyage.
The second-largest animal on Earth, often seen in the Drake Passage and around the South Shetlands by its tall, narrow blow.
Seen around the Falklands and the Valdés Peninsula on longer voyages; slow-moving, with distinctive pale callosities on the head.
The largest animal ever to live was hunted almost to extinction here. Sightings remain rare but are slowly becoming more frequent, especially around South Georgia.
The round, spotted, sleepy face on the ice floe. Weddell seals live farther south than any other mammal, and dive deep beneath the ice.
Despite the name, it eats krill, straining it through elaborately lobed teeth. One of the most numerous seals in the world, often seen in groups hauled out on pack ice.
Sleek, reptilian and powerful, the leopard seal patrols the water off penguin colonies. Watching one from a Zodiac is unforgettable.
The largest seal on Earth; a big bull can weigh as much as a small truck. South Georgia’s beaches are lined with them, belching, molting and dozing.
Hunted nearly to extinction for its fur, now recovered to millions, most of them on South Georgia. Feisty in the breeding season, so guides keep you at a respectful distance.
Seen on the Falklands and in the Beagle Channel on the way out of Ushuaia, before the voyage proper begins.
The Drake Passage and the Scotia Sea are among the great seabird routes of the world. The wandering albatross, with a wingspan of up to 11 feet, the largest of any living bird, can shadow the ship for hours without a single wingbeat. Black-browed, grey-headed and the dusky light-mantled albatross join it, along with giant petrels, Cape petrels and clouds of prions.
On land, watch for brown skuas patrolling the penguin colonies, the pure-white snow petrel among the ice, Antarctic terns, blue-eyed shags with their sapphire eye rings, and the curious snowy sheathbill, which will investigate your boots.
The Falklands are a birder’s paradise in their own right, with black-browed albatross colonies right beside rockhopper penguins. 173 voyages include the Falklands.
Based on the visitor guidelines followed by IAATO members.
Also from Pavlus: All expedition cruises · White Desert fly-in camps (the South Pole & emperor penguins) · Ushuaia port guide · Punta Arenas port guide · South Georgia port guide · Live cruise ship tracker
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