Antarctic peninsula highlights
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Adelie Penguin
Wildlife
These gallant-fighting, deep-diving namesakes of the French-claimed Antarctic Adélie Land are among the four penguin species on mainland Antarctica
Antarctic Petrel
Wildlife
These feathered fish-eaters are among the planet's most southerly nesting birds, the "petrel" of their name deriving from Saint Peter for their seeming ability to walk on water
Antarctic Shag
Wildlife
The only Antarctic bird to keep a year-round nest as long as the ice holds off, these neighbor-robbing homebodies are a welcome sight for sailors in search of land
Arctic Tern
Wildlife
Among the most nomadic birds on the planet, these sun-loving tourists summer twice a year during their ambitious routes
Black-browed Albatross
Wildlife
So efficient in the air that their in-flight heart rate barely rises above resting, these sub-Antarctic birds pack a stomach full of oil they can spit at would-be attackers
Blue Petrel
Wildlife
Spending all but the breeding season out to sea, these sole claimants of the genus Halobaena dash across the water to gain speed before liftoff
Blue Whale
Wildlife
The largest-known creatures the Earth has ever produced have lifespans comparable to ours, though not hearts: Theirs can outweigh most vehicles
Chinstrap Penguin
Wildlife
Though armed with the "stonebreaker" nickname and a quarrelsome reputation, these gentoo relatives are fading from the Antarctic – probably due to climate change
Commerson’s Dolphin
Wildlife
Named after the French naturalist who discovered them, these cetaceans are among the smallest to populate the Antarctic seas
Crabeater Seal
Wildlife
They may be Earth's most abundant seal, but their teeth are far from typical and are perhaps the most precisely designed eating tool of any living carnivore
Fin Whale
Wildlife
Akin to their blue whale relatives both in size and the low frequency of their song, these "razorbacks" have asymmetrically colored faces thought to help them while hunting
Fulmar
Wildlife
The Norse used to call them "foul ghouls" for their pungent-smelling stomach oil, but this evolutionary trait is both a defensive tactice and mid-flight energy source
Gentoo Penguin
Wildlife
These hygienic divers are the only penguin species whose population is currently increasing along the Antarctic Peninsula
Giant Petrel
Wildlife
These Greek-dubbed "long swimmers" are the only members of the Procellariidae family with legs strong enough to walk about on land
Grey-headed Albatross
Wildlife
These "gold-mouthed" mollymawks live at sea but spend most of their lives in the air, protecting their title as world's fastest horizontal flier
Hourglass Dolphin
Wildlife
We most often see these easily identifiable dolphins along the Drake Passage, though they may also appear in both Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic
Humpback Whale
Wildlife
Also known as "great-winged newfoundlanders" for their wing-like flippers, these cetaceans earned their more contemporary name by the way they bow their backs before a dive
Killer Whale
Wildlife
Technically a kind of dolphin, orcas were once thought to appear as whales in the summer and wolves in the winter
Leopard Seal
Wildlife
These "slender-clawed water workers" spend much of their lives submerged, though it's known they are the only member of their family to consume other seals
Macaroni Penguin
Wildlife
Named for their orange plume feathers, these shallow-nesting hoppers are the largest of the crested penguins
Minke Whale
Wildlife
Though the smallest of the fin whales, these migrating mammals can let out a cry as loud as a plane taking off
Pintado Petrel
Wildlife
Decked out in their distinctive dappled coloring, these dapper "little devourers" have a pigeon-like habit of pecking at the water while feeding
Prion
Wildlife
Named after the Greek word for "saw" due to their serrated bills, these marine petrels like to flock over surfacing whales to grab the fish that rise with them
Sei Whale
Wildlife
Among the largest of their parvorder, these "winged whales" usually prefer warmer waters than their polar-traveling baleen relatives
South Polar Skua
Wildlife
Smaller in features but no less aggressive than most skuas , these Antarctic seabirds will attack humans who venture too close to their nests
Southern Elephant Seal
Wildlife
The largest of their species, southern elephant seals are often found in haul-outs along Antarctic coastlines
Southern Right Whale
Wildlife
These dorsal-less sailors know when it's time to take a load off, occasionally holding their back flippers in the air and letting the wind push them through the water
Sperm Whale
Wildlife
The inspiration for the white whale of Moby Dick, sperm whales have the largest heads, biggest brains, and make the loudest sound of any animal on Earth
Storm Petrel
Wildlife
Due to the belief that their arrival heralded the storm, these ill-omened "Mother Carey's chickens" were also referred to as "satanites," "water witches," and "birds of the devil"
Wandering Albatross
Wildlife
These remarkably efficient gliders, named after the Greek hero Diomedes, have the largest wingspan of any bird on the planet
Weddell Seal
Wildlife
Named after the British navigator and sailor James Weddell, these extensively studied seals live farther south than any other mammal
Wilson's Storm Petrel
Wildlife
These storm-savvy seabirds are the smallest warm-bodied creatures to breed in Antarctica, evading the most violent tempests by flying in the troughs of waves
