Expedition 🇦🇶 Antarctica
Emperor Penguin in Antarctica
Where to spot the emperor penguin in Antarctica, and how to log the discovery in Catch'Um.
Aptenodytes forsteri
Finding Emperor Penguin in Antarctica
Looking for the emperor penguin in Antarctica? Start with Snow Hill Island, Ross Sea, South Georgia Island, and Weddell Sea, where access and habitat make a sighting more likely than a chance roadside glimpse.
Several parks and reserves in Antarctica are worth planning around. Snow Hill Island (Antarctic Peninsula); Ross Sea (East Antarctica); South Georgia Island (Sub-Antarctic), plus 1 more listed below. Use the notes under each spot to match the trip to your route.
Antarctica context: Emperor penguins on the ice, whales in the polar sea, and the last great wilderness at the bottom of the world.
In Antarctica, look especially around sea ice, antarctic coast, and open ocean. Those settings usually put you closest to where this species is active.
Where to spot one
Snow Hill Island
Antarctic Peninsula
An emperor penguin colony accessible by icebreaker and helicopter, one of the rarest wildlife encounters on Earth.
Ross Sea
East Antarctica
The largest marine protected area on Earth, with emperor penguins, Adélie penguins, and orcas in pristine polar waters.
South Georgia Island
Sub-Antarctic
Not quite the continent, but the gateway expedition, with king penguins in their hundreds of thousands on shingle beaches.
Weddell Sea
East Antarctica
Emperor penguin colonies on sea ice, accessed only by the hardiest expedition vessels.
Full species guide
Biology, interesting facts, identification, and conservation live on the Emperor Penguin field guide. This page stays focused on finding one in Antarctica.
Keep exploring
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Log the Emperor Penguin in Antarctica
Spot one in the wild, then scan it in Catch'Um to log your legendary discovery.