BLUE WHALES Southern hemisphere 'true' blue whales were reduced from around 225,000 pre-exploitation to probably less than 2,000 now and are classified as endangered. They are one of the fussiest eaters in the Antarctic, usually eating only Antarctic krill.
ANTARCTICA WILDLIFE
SPERM WHALES The name 'sperm' comes from the liquid wax called spermaceti located in the whale's head. This substance was once used in lubricants, oil lamps and candles. Sperm whales are the largest toothed whale and can be found anywhere in the open ocean.
GENTOO PENGUINS Gentoo penguins have a distinctive bright orange beak and a white patch around and behind the eye. They are mainly found on the Sub Antarctic Islands and can make as many as 450 dives per day when foraging for krill, their main diet.
SOUTH AFRICA
ATLANTIC OCEAN
MINKE WHALES Minke whales grow to nearly 9m long and are about 10 tonnes in weight. They are also very inquisitive animals and are often seen approaching ships.
MADAGASCAR
CHINSTRAP PENGUINS Chinstraps are one of the most distinguishable of all penguins. They have a thin black line running across their cheeks making them look like chin straps. They are medium-size in build and usually breed on hillside slopes.
South Georgia
EMPEROR PENGUINS At 1.1m tall, the emperor penguin towers above any other living penguin on Earth. They are mainly found on the Antarctic mainland and are also the only species to breed in the winter months. MACARONI PENGUINS Macaroni penguins are mostly found on the Sub Antarctic Islands. Their longevity is not well known, but estimated at 20 years or more. KING PENGUINS King penguins are the second largest penguin, standing 85–95cm tall. They typically breed in 2 years out of 3, they have no nests and their eggs are incubated on the adults’ feet. ORCAS Orca whales are found almost everywhere throughout the earth's oceans. They catch single prey, ranging from fish, squid, penguins, seals, dolphins, porpoises and even whales. HUMPBACK WHALES Humpbacks are one of the most active whales, they frequently breach, slapping their tails and fins on the water surface. They also have the longest annual migration of all mammals. ROCKHOPPER PENGUINS Their eyes are red and at 50cm are considerably shorter than other penguin species. They often burst from the water and land with a belly flop. ROYAL PENGUINS
Heard Island
ADÉLIE PENGUINS Adélies are found around the entire coast and small islands of Antarctica. They are excellent swimmers and have been recorded swimming as far as 300 km to forage for food for their chicks. CRABEATER SEALS Crabeater seals are the most abundant of all seal species, with a total population of 15 million. They have slender bodies, long snouts and their fur ranges from dark brown in winter to blonde in the summer. LEOPARD SEALS With the exception of orcas, leopard seals are pretty much at the top of the Antarctic food chain. Their name comes from their spotted fur, which resembles that of a leopard skin. WEDDELL SEALS Named after British Whaler James Weddell, this seal is in fact found all over Antarctica. Weddell seals can swim as deep as 800 metres and are considered one of the cutest seal species in Antarctica.
ARGENTINA
South Sandwich Islands
Falkland Islands
Ushuaia
WEDDELL SEA
CHILE
Antarctic Peninsula
Punta Arenas
DRAKE PASSAGE
INDIAN OCEAN
ANTARCTICA
Commonwealth Bay
PACIFIC OCEAN
SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS The largest of all seals, the male southern elephant seal can weigh up to five tonnes. They are best found on the Sub Antarctic Islands such as Macquarie Island or South Georgia. ANTARCTIC FUR SEALS One of the smallest of all seals, the Antarctic fur seal is the common name given to the Antarctic , Sub Antarctic and New Zealand fur seals. They have teeth, whiskers, thick fur and are able to walk on all fours. They are distant relatives to dogs and sea lions.
Macquaire Island
AUSTRALIA
Campbell Island
Auckland Islands
TASMAN SEA
Royal penguins get their name from the yellow crest on their heads. The only place in the world that they breed is Macquarie Island which is also home to its largest colony. ROSS SEALS By far the hardest seal to see, the Ross seal lives almost exclusively in heavy pack ice in East Antarctica. They are solitary animals and their prey, mainly squid and fish, are caught in midwater at depths below the pack ice.
NEW ZEALAND
GIANT PETRELS Southern giant petrels breed on the Antarctic continent, Antarctic Peninsula and on Sub Antarctic Islands including South Georgia, Marion and Iles Crozet.
WANDERING ALBATROSS Wandering albatross have a white head, neck and body, a wedge-shaped tail and a large pink beak. They are best found off the Sub Antarctic Islands which include Macquarie and South Georgia.
SUB ANTARCTIC SKUA They can be found on the Sub Antarctic Islands off the coasts of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America. Their estimated lifespan is approximately 11 years.
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0800 131 900 | vivaexpeditions.com
0800 131 900 | vivaexpeditions.com
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