Photography in Antarctica

Whales are definitely amongst some of the most magnificent mammals in the world. The whales found in Antarctic waters migrate long distances, heading to warmer waters during the Antarctic winter (June-August) and returning in the austral spring. Due to the receding ice edge in these warmer months, the Southern Oceans become a rich feeding ground for the whales. Whale calves are born in these more hospitable seas as they would struggle to survive in the colder Polar waters. 

There are 8 different species of whale that are known to live in Antarctic waters, listed here with the largest ones at the top:

• At 150-200 tonnes, the Blue whale is the largest, not only of all the whales, but of all animals ever to have lived (including dinosaurs)!
• The Fin whale is the second largest, most common and fastest of all the large whales.
• Southern Right whales are slow-swimming, easy-going mammals, often found near the shore.
• Only male Sperm whales are found in Antarctic waters. These whales are the deepest divers of all species, catching the giant squids that live in the darkest depths of the oceans.
• Amongst the larger whales, Sei whales are the species you're least likely to spot. They don't come very close to land or travel in groups.
• Out of all the large whales, the Humpback whale is probably the best known. They travel slowly and in groups, drawing attention to themselves by breaching or lob-tailing.
• Minke whales are one of the smaller whale species, with the average adult growing to 9m long.
• Killer whales (orcas) are commonly known as the 'sea-wolves', as they hunt down, in their packs, anything from krill and fish, to penguins, seals and even other larger baleen whales.

Antarctic seals will often be seen lounging on large ice floes as you pass them in your cruise ship or zodiac boat. Although they are primarily marine mammals, they all leave the water to breed, rest and molt.

Of the 6 Antarctic species, 4 live on the ice:

• Ross and leopard seals are more solitary, tending to stick to the heavier pack ice, where few cruises pass. They are the largest of the Antarctic seals, with a female ross seal reaching over 3 metres in length.
• Crabeater seals live on the edge of pack ice and form small family groups during breeding season. Despite their name, they mainly eat krill. This species, with estimates at 30 million, accounts for more than half of the world's seal population.
• Weddell seals are probably the ones that you're most likely to spot. They tend to be found on inland ice around the continent, in groups of up to several hundred Weddells! This species feed mainly on fish, and can dive to extraordinary depths to find their food.

Fur and elephant seals, on the other hand, breed in dense colonies on the Antarctic beaches:

• Elephant seals are most commonly found on the sub-Antarctic islands. They grow extremely large, with males measuring up to 4.5m, and have to dive deep in order to satisfy their massive appetites with large fish and squid.
• Unlike other Antarctic seals, fur seals form part of the eared seal family. They have known to be extremely unfriendly with humans, moving fast enough to outrun them. Their breeding season starts around December-time in very dense colonies, and their population doubles every 5 years on South Georgia island - a species to watch out for, in more ways than one! 

Antarctica is home to a stunning and unique array of seabirds. 35 different species live south of the Antarctic Convergence, though only 19 breed on the White Continent itself. There are probably 100 million or more that breed along the coast and on the offshore islands of Antarctica.

Just to list a few, you may well find various species of comorants, skuas, shags and petrels. Most of these birds breed in large concentrations and during the austral summer, when there is plenty of plankton and fish for the chicks to feed on.

At some point on your cruise, if you look to the skies, you are likely to find the wandering albatross. With a wingspan exceeding 4m, the albatross is one of the great wonders of Antarctica, made even more mystical by its association with Coleridge's poem 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'.