Each penguin species
has a unique pattern

Penguin watching is a major activity on an Antarctica cruise. I created the graphic below to help you quickly identify seven major species.

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Insights on the
above penguins

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Chinstrap

These cute penguins are the sentimental favorite of most tourists. They wear a "helmet strap" and innocent expression. The Chinstrap penguins have a large population and favor the South Shetland Islands, which most cruise ships visit.

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Gentoo

You will see this coral-orange beaked penguin on the Antarctica Peninsula and South Georgia Island, and in other areas. The penguins in the box-office hit "Happy Feet" animated film are closely modeled after the Gentoos.

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Adelie

This white-circled-eye penguin bursts with curiosity, to the delight of visitors. The population is large. Some colonies number 100,000 birds.

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Rockhopper

They are aptly named - the birds hop from rock to rock when climbing steep slopes to reach their high cliff nests. You'll see them in the Falkland Islands.

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Click for more identifying pointers

PAGE TWO - Macaroni, Emperor, & King

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Best 3 Antarctica cruise ships
When to go
Who should go - and not go
Small versus big ship
Itineraries
Costs
What-to-pack checklist

Zodiac landings
How to identify penguins
Antarctica history in brief
Interesting facts & tidbits
Glossary
More  pointers
Photo gallery

Top 10 experiences
Suite photos
Deck plans
Onboard enrichment
Dining & entertainment
Other onboard activities
Ship facts

Antarctica Cruise - Home page
Top 10 wonders of Antarctica

World's Top 100 Wonders

World's Top 1000 Wonders

Site map

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CLIA

IAAT0

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