7 species of penguins to observe in Antarctica

Find out all there is to know about these seabirds, which thrive in extreme cold

From the biggest to the smallest, follow our guide to learn how to recognise these endearing and curious birds, the true sentinels of Antarctica. From the majestic emperor penguin to the mischievous southern rockhopper, Escales unveils their hidden talents.

The emperor penguin is wonderfully well-adapted to the freezing conditions of Antarctica. What sets it apart is its ability to dive to depths of up to 500 metres and stay underwater for 30 minutes. As if that wasn’t enough, the emperor penguin is also the only penguin to breed on pack ice during the southern winter. The female lays a single egg then entrusts it to the male, who incubates it beneath his feet, protected under a fold of skin, until it hatches in mid-July. During this time, the female takes to the sea with the task of storing up enough food in her stomach to be able to regurgitate it and feed it to her chick upon her return.

The king penguin is the second largest species of penguin, after the emperor penguin. Although their elegant silhouettes may appear similar, they are in fact very different. Unlike the emperor who breeds on the pack ice of Antarctica, the king penguin prefers the mainland and beaches of the subantarctic islands for breeding, where it forms huge colonies.

Penguins live in colonies for enhanced protection and to ensure their survival as best they can, particularly against predators, birds and marine mammals. The collective warmth generated by staying grouped together helps them to withstand the polar temperatures. Colonies are also true social constructs: living together makes it easier to find a mate and share responsibility for foraging and reproduction.

Gentoo penguins can lay claim to being the fastest swimmers in the penguin family, reaching speeds of up to 36 km/h under water! They mainly nest in areas that are sheltered from the snow, preferring beaches, valleys and small cliffs, where they are protected from flooding. When breeding, both gentoo parents incubate their two eggs for 37 days, having built a nest by piling up small stones, dry grass, feathers and other sufficiently resistant materials foraged from their environment.

Rémi Bigonneau, PONANT naturalist guide.

In 1837, French explorer Dumont d’Urville was the first to record a sighting of a new species of penguin, which he named Adélie after his wife Adèle. To nest, Adélie penguins gather on rocky ground close to the sea, building their nests by piling up pebbles found nearby or by stealing those from neighbouring nests. Both parents incubate their two eggs together for 35 to 37 days, and raise their chicks until they are two months old.

Rémi Bigonneau, PONANT naturalist guide.

When you reach territories shared by Adélie penguins and gentoo penguins, be sure to keep your eyes open for huge colonies of chinstrap penguins, which are often not far away. Their ‘chinstrap’ name comes from the thin black stripe that goes around their throat. They lay two eggs precisely three days apart between October and February. Like Adélie penguins, they are incubated by both parents for 37 days.

Did you know? In 2023, CNRS researcher Paul-Antoine Libourel shared some astonishing data collected in Antarctica: chinstrap penguins nap for an average of 4 seconds, up to 10,000 times a day! This is how it manages to get its daily dose of 11 hours’ sleep!

The macaroni penguin was given its name by British sailors in the early 19th century, as its yellow crest evoked the outfits of the fashionable ‘macaroni’ men – a bit like today’s hipsters – from the 18th century. This sociable bird spends much of its life at sea and nests on rocky coasts and cliffs. Two eggs are laid by the female and incubated by both parents for between 33 and 37 days, with only one egg eventually hatching.

The southern rockhopper penguin certainly lives up to its name. It has the astounding ability to climb to the top of cliffs, ascending with a succession of small, graceful hops. The colonies, which can be made up of hundreds of thousands of individuals, are established on rocky land near the shore, where they nest. Although two eggs are incubated by both parents for 32 to 34 days, it is rare for the smaller of the two to survive.

Discovering penguin colonies beyond Antarctica

While Antarctica and the subantarctic islands are prime penguin spotting territory, some species can be viewed elsewhere in the southern hemisphere. The coastline of New Zealand’s South Island, the Chatham Islands, Stewart Island, the southern coast of Australia and Tasmania are all natural habitats of the little blue penguin, the smallest of these seabirds. The African or Cape penguin, meanwhile, can be found along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia, while the Magellanic penguin can be observed along the coast of the Falkland Islands and on the southern coasts of Argentina and Chile.

Penguins and auks: how to avoid confusing the two

Although we tend to confuse them, auks and penguins are quite different and are found in diametrically opposed areas of the planet. Auks live in the northern hemisphere and are flying birds, unlike penguins, who are native to the southern hemisphere and whose wings are more like fins, making them extremely dynamic and agile in the water.

Photos credits: ©StudioPONANT: M. Monneret; M. Lanco; O. Bleunven; J. Marchi; O. Blaud; N. Michel; A. Morlent;
©PONANT Photo Ambassador-Sue Flood

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