Types of Penguins You’ll Find in Antarctica

Penguins – they are charming, resilient, and incredibly cute! One of the main reasons people go on our expeditions to Antarctica is to see the wildlife, and penguins are right up there at the top of the list.

Penguins are amazing animals, and their characteristics have long fascinated the world over. For instance, did you know that their stomachs are adapted to allow them to drink saltwater? Each species is unique in its appearance and habits.

There are 8 species of penguins in Antarctica and the surrounding region: Emperor, Adélie, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Macaroni, Magellanic, Chinstrap, and King. Let’s learn a little more about each one.

Emperor Penguins

Emperor Penguins are the tallest and the heaviest of all the penguin species. After the female lays a single egg, she leaves it behind, and the male will keep it warm by balancing the egg on his feet and covering it with his feathers. Emperor Penguins can dive deeper than any other bird. Their thick layer of fat and rigid waterproof feathers help them stay dry and warm. They are rarely encountered on our Antarctic voyages since they are primarily located inland.

The emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest of all species seen during our trips to Antarctica

King Penguins

The second largest species is the King Penguin. They live in dense colonies, known as rookeries, among tussock grass and gently sloping beaches. One colony in South Georgia is estimated to have over 200,000 birds! They have the longest breeding cycle of all the penguins and can live between 15 and 20 years. They can dive over 100 meters in search of prey (mainly krill and other small aquatic species), and although they are graceful underwater, they are less so on land, preferring to waddle or ‘toboggan’ as a way to move around.

Did you know that these cute, fluffy brown birds are actually king penguin chicks?

Macaroni Penguins

Macaroni Penguins look similar to Rockhoppers and also hop. They have an orange crest of feathers that flows back from the center of their forehead and are the largest of the crested penguins. They will ease their way through their colony, chin to chest, in order to keep things calm, as male Macaroni’s are known to fight each other. This species can live up to 20 years and have been recorded to dive as deep as 300 feet.

Macaroni penguins are the most numerous penguins in the world

Magellanic penguins

Named after Ferdinand Magellan, an explorer who was the first to see them in 1519 while voyaging around the bottom of Chile and Argentina, Magellanic penguins are found in the Falkland Islands but also higher north. These creatures stick together in their flock when hunting, joining larger colonies on land when breeding season begins. They can live for up to 25 years since there are few predators on the beaches where they breed. However, at sea they can fall prey to seals and killer whales.

Magellanic penguins are found in the Falkland Islands during their breeding season (Sep-Apr)

Adélie penguins

On the Antarctica Peninsula, Adélie penguins show off their amazing swimming abilities. They can travel as far as hundreds of miles to find food. These creatures have been known to migrate tens of thousands of miles, as they follow the sun around the Antarctic. These highly athletic animals start training their chicks at a young age, making them chase before they feed them. They are curious creatures and will readily approach you to inspect if you’re sitting still nearby on the shore.

Both male and female Adelie penguins are very similar to each other

Gentoo Penguins

Hundreds of thousands of Gentoo Penguins thrive on the Antarctica Peninsula. They might appear awkward on land, but underwater they are unrivalled. They can propel themselves at 22 miles an hour, which helps them evade leopard seals, orcas, and sea lions. They can make hundreds of dives in a day in search of food, diving as deep as 650 feet. Gentoos use stones to make their nests, and although they are generally well-socialized, fighting does ensue over the stones. Their stones are even gifted to the females on occasion in an attempt to woo them.

Gentoo penguins are known for being the fastest swimmers among penguins

Chinstrap Penguins

Called so because of the thin black band under their chins, Chinstrap Penguins are very recognizable and are one of the most abundant penguins in Antarctica. The largest colony found in the Sandwich Islands holds 1.2 million breeding pairs! Chinstraps are the social butterflies of penguins, gathering in large groups and communicating through bowing, preening, and gesturing with their heads and flippers.

Chinstrap penguins mostly breed on rocky, ice-free coasts and islands along the Antarctic Peninsula

Rockhopper Penguins

In the Falkland Islands, Rockhopper Penguins can be spotted hopping and bounding across the rocks, which is how they earned their name. The smallest of the crested penguins, Rockhoppers stand at just 20 to 22 inches tall. Unlike other species, Rockhoppers can become quite aggressive with one another, slapping each other with their flippers during arguments about mating, nesting sites, and food. They are well known for being very loud and communicating signals to each other. They live about 10 years in the wild.