Antarctica looks empty from the air and turns out to be full of life the moment you reach the water. This is what is most frequently seen on the peninsula during the austral season.
Marine life
- Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri)
- Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) and leopard seal
- Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), the base of the whole food chain
- Antarctic minke and humpback whales
- Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni)
- Wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans)
- Antarctic octopus and the sea star Odontaster validus
Life on land and ice
- Adélie, gentoo and chinstrap penguin colonies
- Antarctic skua and giant petrel
- Lichens, mosses and only two vascular plants
- Microscopic invertebrates that survive frozen
How to watch without disturbing
The IAATO protocol sets minimum distances, limits on people ashore and boot disinfection between landings. Our guide enforces them: the animal always decides the distance, never you.
