What to expect when visiting a penguin rookery
Adelie penguins
A colony of nesting chinstrap penguins
Gentoo chicks
Perhaps the main wildlife attraction in Antarctica, seeing penguins in their native habitat is likely to be one of the highlights of your time exploring the White Continent.
Visiting a penguin rookery is an assault on all the senses. First, the eerie braying cacophony carries on the wind as your zodiac pulls onto the shore. Then the utterly unique and somewhat gut-wrenching smell will hit your nostrils. As the penguins come into view, it is a visual feast as your eyes dance across the colony, trying to decide where to look first.
There is always something to see at a penguin rookery, whatever time of year you are visiting. In November and early December, the colonies are bustling with activity as the birds lay and protect their eggs. Predatory skuas and giant petrels are on the hunt for an easy meal from an unattended nest or a distracted parent-to-be.
In late December the first chicks begin to hatch and the harried new parents are run ragged as they feed their rapidly growing nestlings. As the chicks grow more independent they leave the nests and begin to explore along with newfound friends.
By March many parents are returning to sea for good, abandoning their chicks and pushing them into fending for themselves. The chicks look comical as their downy feathers are pushed out by their new waterproof coat and their curiosity and hunger leads them into all sorts of scrapes. Meanwhile, some grumpy-looking adults can be found huddled in quiet spots, going through a “catastrophic moult” as they grow in a new set of feathers.
It’s important to give these birds plenty of space as they cannot feed until they are waterproof again, which can mean weeks without food - staying still and conserving energy is vital.
Top tips for penguin watching
Watching penguins is a favourite activity for the Swoop team when we’re in Antarctica, and we’ve pooled all of our top tips to help you make the most of your time with these comical creatures.
Don’t forget the shoreline
When landing near a rookery, the temptation is to dash off to the rookery itself, spend the whole time there and then race back to the beach in time for the last zodiac out. However, we really recommend that you spend some time watching the penguins on the shoreline.
Watching them indecisively gather waiting for the perfect moment to dive in can be hilarious. Even better is watching them rocket out of the water on the way back in. This can be especially fun if they’re leaping up onto icy ledges. Photographers can get some brilliant action shots with a bit of patience.
Adelie penguins
Keep your distance
Once you reach the edge of a penguin rookery it is absolutely essential to stick to the IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) regulations and keep a safe and respectful distance from the penguins at all times.
The expedition team will usually plant various crossed flag poles to illustrate where you must not cross but sometimes common sense is required. You cannot walk through or into the rookery itself and the key is to avoid doing anything that would interrupt or alter their normal behaviour.
As with all wildlife, the best thing to do is sit quietly and enjoy!
Gentoo penguins on the move
Watch out for the pink snow
When approaching a rookery you will start to notice patches of pink snow – please avoid standing or sitting in these. Penguin poo is often dyed pink as a result of the key component of their diets: krill. This discolouration of the snow actually helps scientists studying satellite images to find new colonies of penguins from space!
This is one of the reasons you will need to make sure you give your boots a thorough scrub every time you come back aboard, to avoid biosecurity contamination from one landing site to the next.
A penguin rookery on the Antarctic Peninsula
Get down on their level
To really enjoy your penguin experience and to see the world from their perspective, we highly recommend sitting down. This also has the benefit of giving you a much better angle for intimate-feeling photographs than looking down over the rookery. This is where your waterproof trousers/pants will really come in handy!
Photographers in Antarctica
Swoop says
You don't need a long lens to get a great shot in Antarctica, but a little bit of zoom helps to keep you at a safe distance.
Put the camera down and watch the drama in widescreen
We have all succumbed to the temptation to spend entire landings with our eyes welded to the viewfinder of our cameras, or watching through the screen of our smartphones, and we are all guilty of coming home with thousands of photos of adorable penguins to sort through.
However, the reality is that if you are too busy taking photos, you are in danger of missing out on the pleasure of seeing the organised chaos that is the whole rookery. When glued to your camera, you have a very narrow field of view, and you could be missing out on high drama happening just a few penguins away.
It’s unrealistic to put your camera away for the entire time, but we strongly recommend trying to give yourself at least 5-10 minutes per landing where you are technology-free. This makes it much easier to be totally present and soak up all the nuances of this unique environment.
Gentoo penguins
Watch your step (holes/ penguin highways)
When heading ashore in Antarctica, you may find strange grooves trodden into the snow. These miniature “footpaths” are in fact penguin highways, and it is essential to steer clear of these, allowing penguins to come and go undisturbed.
If you are visiting during the early season, the snow can be deep and the holes left by your boots sinking into the ground can be a deathtrap for any penguin who falls in and can’t get out. Therefore please follow the pathways marked out by your expedition team to minimise your impact on the site.
Walking with penguins, Cuverville
Penguins you may spot during your expedition
During your time exploring the Antarctic Peninsula, there are three main penguin species that you should keep your eyes open for. Find out more below about individual species and how to identify them.
Gentoo penguins
Gentoo family
The gentoo penguin is the most common penguin to see during an expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula, despite surprisingly being one of the least numerous penguins in Antarctica overall. Nesting on low hilltops and open beaches of the northern Peninsula, they have some of the most accessible rookeries for visitors to enjoy.
The gentoo is easily identifiable by the white patch above its eye, which wraps around like a pair of large white headphones or a headband. They have a distinctive bright orange beak and feet. At 24 inches (61cm tall) they are taller than adelies and chinstraps, and adults generally weigh around 13lb (6kg).
They tend to fish within 2.5 miles of their nests but can dive up to 495 ft (225m). Estimates suggest that there are approximately 300,000 breeding pairs in Antarctica. With a further 100,000 found in South Georgia and 70,000 in the Falkland Islands.
Lizzie says
Fledgling gentoo chicks can be highly inquisitive – a bit like a toddler on the loose. You may see them pecking at flag poles, rucksacks and even tourists’ boots as they acquaint themselves with the world and look for an easy meal!
Lizzie Williams Polar Product & Partnerships Manager
Adelie penguins
The iconic adelie penguin gets its name from the French explorer Jules Durmont d'Urville who named them after his wife, Adèle. They are easy to identify with the distinctive white ring around the eye, with the head otherwise completely black.
Petite at 23 inches (59cm) and weighing in at 11lb (5kg) these powerful swimmers have been known to travel up to 62 miles to feed. Preferring to feed near extensive sea ice, their populations have been pushed further south in the Peninsula as sea ice has declined.
These are true Antarctic penguins, as they are not found further north, unlike some other species mentioned on this list. There are currently about 2.5 million breeding pairs found across the continent’s coastline.
Adelie penguin, Antarctica
Chinstrap penguins
An easy species to identify, this penguin derives its name from the interesting mark around its chin – like the strap of a soldier’s hat. They tend to be a noisy bunch and often one individual trumpeting will set off a contagious display across the colony.
Like the adelie, the chinstrap lives throughout the Antarctic Peninsula as well as the sub-Antarctic regions, with over 1.5 million pairs breeding on the South Sandwich Islands and an estimated 8 million pairs in total.
With the reduction of sea ice, chinstrap colonies are often replacing locations that were previously home to adelies. Though similar in height to the adelie at 23 inches (59cm) they tend to be slimmer at 8lb (3.8kg).
Chinstrap penguin, Antarctica
Penguins you aren’t likely to see
Emperor penguins
Emperor penguins with their chicks
Despite being the poster child for many Antarctic documentaries, it is important to note that it is extremely rare (almost miraculous) to see an emperor penguin when visiting the Antarctic Peninsula on an expedition cruise. The only exception is if you are travelling on a dedicated voyage to the remote Weddell Sea on a ship with the helicopters needed to reach their rookery at Snow Hill Island.
For the vast majority of visitors to the Antarctic Peninsula, the penguins you encounter are likely to be one or more of the three species mentioned above.
Standing at 35 inches (90cm) and weighing up to 40kg, the emperor penguin is found at a select (and more difficult to reach) number of locations in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands including the Weddell Sea, Queen Maud Land, Enderby and Princess Elizabeth Land in East Antarctica, as well as the Ross Sea. They are also found close to the French research station in Southern Antarctica, which is also close to the location where they spend each winter breeding (the only Antarctic bird to do this).
King penguins
King penguins on South Georgia Island
For those visiting purely the Antarctic Peninsula, king penguins will not be on your wildlife sightings list. It is only if you are heading to sub-Antarctic Islands such as South Georgia that you will be able to see this colourful penguin in colonies thousands strong.
Closely related to the emperor penguin, the elegant king penguin is the second largest penguin standing at 25-29 inches (65-75cm). King penguins are found on 7 of the sub-Antarctic islands with a breeding population of around 1-1.5 million pairs.
Like the emperor penguin, the king lays one egg and this is carried around on the feet of both parents until it hatches 55 days later. The breeding season lasts 14-16 months including rearing the chick. This is much longer than other species which means they only breed twice every three years.
The king penguins of South Georgia
Macaroni penguins
Macaroni penguins
Despite being the most numerous penguin species in the world, only a few hundred pairs are found on the Antarctic Peninsula itself and it is very rare to spot one there. Like the king penguins, this is another species found mainly in the sub-Antarctic Islands, where they flourish. This characterful bird is known for its yellow-tasselled plumage, which distinguishes it from fellow penguins (although it is similar to the slightly smaller rockhopper penguin).
Their astonishing overall number of breeding pairs (11.8 million) are mainly concentrated throughout South Georgia, where you're bound to catch sight of some of the over 5 million pairs.
One of the most interesting things about this penguin is its unusual breeding cycle. Two eggs are produced, but the first is 40% smaller than the second. The first is often not fully incubated and is usually lost/removed from the nest before the second egg hatches. Only one chick is ever raised.
What our customers think of Penguins of Antarctica
Most memorable moment was seeing penguins for the first time as we were on the mountaineering walk. Chinstrap penguins - they were so close! 🥰 Read the full review
Travelled: December 2019
Sarah Gillett - Switzerland
We loved the antics of the penguins and the curiosity of the chicks. Up close viewing of seals and whales was awe inspiring. Our outstanding leaders helped to deepen our understanding and appreciation of this amazing world.
Travelled: February 2018
Sue - Australia
Penguins were definitely the highlight. I could have watched them for hours. Lemaire Channel was spectacular though we had to turn around at the end due to iceberg blocking the way. We saw many whales - fin, humpback and orca. Read the full review
Travelled: March 2017
Nathalie Lemaire - United States Of America
As a bird watcher and photographer, the penguins were the standout act, followed by the landscapes, and ice. I had wondered about the point of visiting the Falklands but after visiting the black-browed Albatross colony I quickly became enchanted.
Travelled: February 2017
Grahame - Australia
Review:
