Penguins Petrels And Prions Top Antarctica Bird Tour Spots - Nexta Expeditions
Penguins, Petrels, and Prions: Top Antarctica Bird Tour Spots

Penguins, Petrels, and Prions: Top Antarctica Bird Tour Spots

If anyone tells you Antarctica is for the birds, they’re right.

But only if they mean it literally, because birdwatchers and polar enthusiasts are well aware that Antarctica is one of the best birding hotspots on the planet.

Not only is Antarctica the only place you can see the eight polar penguin species, it’s also where some of the most beloved flying (and in some cases, very far-flying) seabirds can be found, which we’ve discussed in great detail in our Birds of the South entry.

But what Antarctic locations give you best odds of spotting these winged beauties? Well, straighten your tripods and spit-shine your lenses, because we’re about to tell you.

blog-image

The Drake Passage

Some of your best bird-spotting opportunities will take place before you even get to Antarctica.

After embarking from Ushuaia and entering the Drake Passage, you’ll pass what is known as the Antarctic Convergence, a natural boundary formed by north-flowing cold waters colliding with warmer sub-Antarctic waters.

This puts you in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone, where the marine life and bird life undergoes a shift.

In this nutrient-rich area, you may see wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels, to name a few.

blog-image

Danco Island

This starkly beautiful Antarctic island offers you the chance to see nesting gentoo penguins, to say nothing of the Weddell and crabeater seals to be found nearby.

blog-image

Port Lockroy & Jougla Point

After sailing through Neumayer Channel, you may get a chance to visit this former British research station, now a museum and post office, as well as Jougla Point. Here you have good odds of seeing gentoo penguins and blue-eyed shags.

blog-image

Half Moon Island

You may see chinstrap penguins (and Weddell seals) near Cámara Base, an Argentine scientific research station located on Half Moon Island.

blog-image

Cuverville Island

This small, precipitous island between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Rongé Island houses a large colony of gentoo penguins as well as breeding brown skuas.

blog-image

Petermann & Pléneau Islands

These Antarctic islands, located in the Penola Strait just south of the Lemaire Channel, provide a great variety of birdlife, such as gentoo penguins. As for non-bird wildlife, leopard seals, crabeater seals, minke whales, and humpbacks may also be seen here.

blog-image

Deception Island

Actually a subducted crater, this island in the South Shetlands opens into the sea and creates a natural harbor for the ship. Multiple bird species can be spotted here, such as cape petrels, kelp gulls, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns.

Wilson’s storm petrels and black-bellied storm petrels also nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay.

blog-image

Fish Islands

You can encounter one of the Antarctic Peninsula’s southernmost Adélie penguin and blue-eyed shag colonies in the Fish Islands.

blog-image

Antarctic Sound

There are sometimes emperors and Adélie penguins on the ice floes here, as well as kelp gulls, skuas, and various breeds of petrel. The area is also very scenic in terms of landscape, with jagged mountain peaks and enormous walls of ice lying shattered on their slopes.

blog-image

Brown Bluff

Located in the Antarctic Sound, Brown Bluff is perhaps the most scenic location in the entire northern tip of the Antarctic Continent: sheer canyon walls, fallen boulders, beautiful volcanic creations capped with ice.

Added to which, a large Adélie penguin rookery lives here, with gentoo penguins and nesting snow petrels also to be found.

blog-image

Gourdin Island

Chinstraps, gentoos, and Adélie penguins are a few of the seabirds that love this island, which is found just around the corner from the northwestern entrance to Antarctic Sound.

blog-image

Devil Island

Home to a large colony of Adélie penguins, Devil Island offers a magnificent vantage point for hikers willing to foot it to the top of the hill. Melting ice sometimes forms a waterfall dropping from the cliffs close to Cape Well-met.

blog-image

Snow Hill Island (rare)

Helicopters allow us to reach the famed emperor penguin colony found here, but nature makes the rules in Antarctica: If conditions aren’t favorable, we can’t take the risk of flying.

If they are, however, you’ll spend about two days at this coveted penguin rookery.

The helicopter operation takes a full day, and the flight duration is approximately 15 minutes. Each helicopter can accommodate 4 – 6 passengers per flight, and the landing site is carefully chosen so that the penguins are not disturbed.

Upon arrival, it’s about a 45-minute walk to the rookery and what is perhaps the most endearing congregation of emperor penguins (and chicks) in all Antarctica.

blog-image

Blog
go-leftgo-right

What to pack for your Atlantic Odyssey voyage? - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

What to pack for your Atlantic Odyssey voyage?

When packing, avoid burdening yourself with excessive clothing or gear. Opt for casual, practical attire that can be layered. Consider including the following:
Penguins, Petrels, and Prions: Top Antarctica Bird Tour Spots - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

Penguins, Petrels, and Prions: Top Antarctica Bird Tour Spots

If anyone tells you Antarctica is for the birds, they’re right.
First to the North Pole: Five Failed but Brave Expeditions - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

First to the North Pole: Five Failed but Brave Expeditions

Being first to reach the North Pole was seen by several nations as economically invaluable due to the open polar sea said to encircle it, but for the explorers themselves it was also a gloriously adventurous grab for immortality.
Of Treacherous Rocks & Audacious Fin Whales - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

Of Treacherous Rocks & Audacious Fin Whales

Soon large blows filled our view; small groups of fin whales sped by heading north all the while feeding on concentrations of krill & small fish. Group after group was seen, with many simply feeding in the general area and not heading anywhere in particular. Soon it became evident that we were not simply seeing a few random groups of fins, but a very large concentration spread out over a large area of sea just north and around the islands north of the South Shetlands. Dozens upon dozens of fin whales were feeding, diving around the ship and on the horizon in massive numbers; we must have seen well over fifty fin whales in the general area of Elephant Island, something many of the guides had never seen before.
10 Tried-and-True Bird Photography Tips - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

10 Tried-and-True Bird Photography Tips

It’s easy to understand our fascination with birds: they’re beautiful, graceful (usually), and most of them have the power of flight.
Cruising Solo: The Benefits of Single-Passenger Polar Travel - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

Cruising Solo: The Benefits of Single-Passenger Polar Travel

Traveling is often done with family, friends, or romantic partners. However, the benefits of solo travel, especially in polar regions, deserve more attention.
The Impact of Small vs. Large Cruise Ships - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

The Impact of Small vs. Large Cruise Ships

The generalization that larger ships impact the environment more than smaller ships seems like such a no-brainer that if someone said it to you, you’d be easily forgiven for thinking you were being tricked.
The South Georgia Seven: Hikes, Fjords, Whales, & Penguins - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

The South Georgia Seven: Hikes, Fjords, Whales, & Penguins

Few places encapsulate such a staggeringly rich assortment of sub-Antarctic scenery, wildlife, and outing opportunities as South Georgia.
Weddell Sea: the Original Antarctic Adventure - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

Weddell Sea: the Original Antarctic Adventure

According to historian Thomas R. Henry, visiting the Weddell Sea requires a brave heart. In his 1950 book, "The White Continent," he described sudden “flash freezes” that occur in the region. It was one of these flash freezes that trapped Ernest Shackleton’s ship, Endurance, in January 1915, forcing his crew to endure over a year in the harsh environment before they could escape.
Large and in Charge: Antarctica’s Southern Elephant Seals - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

Large and in Charge: Antarctica’s Southern Elephant Seals

Southern elephant seals are the largest species of seal on the planet and a highlight among Antarctica cruise wildlife.
Diving in Antarctica: The Ultimate Underwater Experience - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

Diving in Antarctica: The Ultimate Underwater Experience

Ice diving offers an extraordinary experience on an Antarctica diving trip. The dive sites are teeming with a unique array of colorful marine life, including penguins and leopard seals, which are exclusive to this region.
Flowers in Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

Flowers in Antarctica

The polar regions are among the most inhospitable environments for plants and animals. Life here faces numerous challenges, including low temperatures, high winds, solar radiation, and cell freezing. The Antarctic continent experiences extreme conditions, with darkness during winter and continuous light during summer. Winter temperatures can drop to -60°C or lower.
Two for the Snow: Polar Cruises for Couples - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

Two for the Snow: Polar Cruises for Couples

Do you know the old saying, “Cold hands, warm heart”? In our opinion, that bodes well for couples who visit the polar regions.
The Emperor Penguin of the Drake Passage - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

The Emperor Penguin of the Drake Passage

There are certain moments in life when a series of events combine to create an experience that is both unexpected and unforgettable. These are the times when you are reminded how fortunate you are to be a part of something that few people will ever have the opportunity to experience. This trip to Antarctica was full of these moments for me.
Bouvet Island: The Most Remote Island in the World - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

Bouvet Island: The Most Remote Island in the World

On January 1, 1739, French Commander Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier made an extraordinary discovery: a volcanic island so remote that it lies 2,600 km (1,600 miles) from the nearest inhabited land.
Antarctica’s Hourglass Dolphin - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

Antarctica’s Hourglass Dolphin

Though hourglass dolphins are especially rare, they’re actually not a threatened or endangered species.
Seven Frightfully Fun Polar Ghost Stories - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

Seven Frightfully Fun Polar Ghost Stories

The polar regions are unparalleled when it comes to ghost stories.
The Wildlife of Antarctica’s Seas and Skies - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

The Wildlife of Antarctica’s Seas and Skies

Antarctica is one of the most pristine environments on Earth, home to whales, penguins, seals, and birds, providing nature lovers with a treasure trove of wildlife memories to take back home.
The Arctic Borderland of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

The Arctic Borderland of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard

Kongsfjorden is a glacial fjord in Svalbard that hosts a diverse array of flora and fauna.
What to Pack for Your Expedition Cruise to the Arctic or Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions
Blog

What to Pack for Your Expedition Cruise to the Arctic or Antarctica

It’s easy to get confused about what to pack for a polar cruise. Some items are provided and some are not, and it’s not always clear which is which. This article will make your polar pack list painstakingly clear. Promise.