ANTARCTICA
Antarctica has an abundance of animal life like penguins, whales seals, albatrosses, other seabirds that live far more interesting and complex lives than we can imagine of and a range of invertebrates such as krill which form the basis of the Antarctic food web. Almost all of these animals of the south polar region are seasonal visitors and are dependent on the sea. As the animal life is dependent on the sea and are mainly warm blooded, they tend to be pretty large as a survival technique against the extreme and relentless cold. As Antarctica can support such an abundance of large animals, which becomes a result of the productivity of the southern polar sea.
Although Antarctica is open to tourists, you can only travel there by specialist ships and planes – and a polar expedition permit is mandatory to visit there to prove that tourists are fully prepared and have the expertise on-board needed for the extreme conditions.
Read more about Antarctica visa, vaccinations and permit.
https://www.antarcticaguide.com/antarctica-visa-vaccinations-and-permits
There are no hotels in Antarctica. All tourist accommodation is aboard expedition ships. Some tour operators include a one-night pre-tour stay in a hotel in Argentina, Chile, New Zealand or Tasmania.
South Georgia and Falklands
There are over 35 species of seal worldwide, however, only 6 species are found in Antarctica. Much of Antarctica’s early exploration was an attempt to find new seal colonies as seals were frequently get hunted for their valuable oil and skins which results in wiping out of the entire species. Now they are again protected and increasing in their numbers once again. And also due to rich marine life and lack of polar bears in Antarctica , seals are far more in Antarctic than in the the Artic. The 6 species of seals found in Antarctica are Antarctic Fur Seals, Leopard Seals, Ross Seals, Crabeater Seals, Elephant seals, and Weddell Seals. And due to less predators , seals are more open to photographers. The outlying islands like South Georgia and the Falklands and surrounding ice packed Antarctica are the breeding ground for seals and will often get over a million seals in the breeding season, as they com out from the sea to land during this season.
Deception Island and Shetland Islands
The Antarctica Peninsula is home to literally millions of heart winning penguins. Their charismatic behaviour lends themselves to photographers like Antarctica seals. Penguins spend most of their lives in the water and enjoy swimming with their powerful paddle muscles at a speed of up to 25 mph. Out of the 17 species of penguins found world-wide, only 7 are found in Antarctica.
And they are most famous Emperor penguins, Adélies, Gentoos, Chinstraps, Macaronis, Rockhoppers, Kings. Unlike other Antarctic penguins, Emperor penguins breed in winter and tend to occupy areas further in land. Whereas the King penguin is far easier to spot and they allow human to walk into their colonies in South Georgia. Book Weddell Sea Cruise to see Emperor penguin in Antarctica. There are other cruise operator as well ,who will know the best spot to see different species.
Chin strap penguins are mainly seen on rocky Deception Island away from ice. Adelie penguins tend to like pack ice areas and Gentoo penguins can be found in the northerly areas such as the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Shetland Islands.
Paradise Bay
The colossal size and elusive nature whales are the most fascinating and popular animals in Antarctica. There are 7 species of whale found in Antarctica– Blue whale, Killer whale, Sperm whale, Humpback whale, Minke whale, Southern right whale, Sei whale and the Fin whale. These extremely intelligent animals often demonstrate extensive social life, including one of the most advanced forms of communication in the animal kingdom. Often tourists spot the beautiful Killer whales popping their heads up to search for prey which is a stunning sight. The planet's largest creatures Blue whales are also seen passing the boats. There is no exact place to spot whales, however there are certain locations that are popular for whales but Paradise Bay is perfect to spot Humpback whales.
Scotia Arc Islands
Every year millions of Antarctic seabirds breed along the peninsula and the outlying islands . Due to the small amount of snow-free nesting areas, they gather in huge concentration in the islands . There are 35 species of birds found in Antarctica, however, only 19 of these actually breed here. Scotia Arc Islands is known for the most notable Antractica seabird Albatross, with the largest wingspan in the world, Albatrosses glide gracefully through the skies and often cover over 500 miles in one day. But most birds leave Antractica ,as summer months approaches and fly to temperate climates. Another impressive species is the Blue Eyed Imperial Shage,these birds are abundant in the Scotia Arc Islands and are the only member of the cormorant family to venture this far south.