Gentoo Penguin Breeding Colony — South Shetland Islands

About this spectacle

Standing at the edge of a gentoo penguin colony on the South Shetland Islands is an assault on the senses: thousands of birds waddle between rocky nests, filling the air with braying calls and the sharp smell of guano. Visitors watch adults returning from the sea with full bellies, sliding on their fronts across snow-dusted ground, then presenting fish to fluffy grey chicks that crowd around in noisy demand. The backdrop is raw Antarctic drama — glaciated slopes, turbulent grey-green seas, occasional leopard seal silhouettes in the shallows. Skuas wheel overhead, always alert for an unattended egg. The penguins themselves are almost entirely fearless of people, allowing remarkably close viewing. The cold bites hard and the light is crystalline, giving photographs an almost hyper-real quality. Every visit is shaped by the unpredictable Southern Ocean weather, which can shift from brilliant sunshine to driving snow within minutes.

When to go

Nov — Feb

Getting there

Nearest airport: USH. Nearest city: Ushuaia.

Booking options

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