Animals
Emperor Penguins
The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species. They cannot fly but they can swim very well.
They like to eat fish but they will also eat krill and squid. They can stay under water for nearly 20 minutes when they are hunting. The female penguin lays one egg and goes hunting for food. The male keeps the egg warm until it hatches. Both parents take it in turns to hunt for food to feed the chick. |
King Penguins
The king penguin is the second largest species of penguin in the world.
King penguins eat small fish and squid. They can dive up to 300 metres when hunting for food. They can spend up to 5 minutes underwater when hunting. The female lays one egg. It is soft and white when she lays it but over time it becomes harder and turns green. When the chick hatches it stands on one of its parents feet to stay warm while the other parent hunts for food. |
Adélie penguin
The Adélie penguin is a much smaller penguin than the emperor and king penguins. The Adélie penguin likes to eat krill and squid. The female lays two eggs. The parents take turns to keep the eggs warm. Adélie penguins are hunted by leopard seals and skua. Even killer whales will hunt Adélie penguins. |
Chinstrap penguin
Gentoo penguin
Blue Whale
The blue whale is the biggest animal in the world. It is a mammal so must surface for air. It breaths through the blow hole on top of its head. The blue whale likes to eat krill. It takes a lot of water into its mouth. The water is pushed back out through the baleen plates but the krill get trapped behind and is swallowed by the whale.
The blue whale is the biggest animal in the world. It is a mammal so must surface for air. It breaths through the blow hole on top of its head. The blue whale likes to eat krill. It takes a lot of water into its mouth. The water is pushed back out through the baleen plates but the krill get trapped behind and is swallowed by the whale.
Southern Right Whale
Humpback Whale
Sperm Whale
Killer Whale
Krill
Weddell Seal
The Weddell seal likes to eat fish, krill and squid. They are very good swimmers. They must come up for air when hunting because they are mammals.
The seal pups are born between September and November. Once they are weaned they learn to hunt for themselves.
The Weddell seal likes to eat fish, krill and squid. They are very good swimmers. They must come up for air when hunting because they are mammals.
The seal pups are born between September and November. Once they are weaned they learn to hunt for themselves.
Crabeater Seals
Southern Elephant Seals
Leopard Seals
Antarctic Fur Seals
Imperial Shag
Antarctic Skua
Snowy Sheathbill
Cape Petrel
The cape petrel likes to eat krill, fish, squid and carrion. They usually feed on the surface of the water but they can make shallow dives to catch their prey.
Their nests are made of piles of stone under rocky ledges or in crevices. Antarctic Skua will steal the chick eggs before they hatch to they must be careful to protect them as the females lay only one egg at a time. |
Giant Petrel
Wandering Albatross