Emperor penguin
Population: 595,000
Find them: Northern Antarctic Peninsula
When: at the end of breeding season in November
The big daddy of the penguin world, emperor penguins can grow up to 1.2 metres tall (4 ft) and weigh up to 45 kilograms (100 lbs). They are only found deep in the coldest parts of Antarctica and huddle together in large groups to stay warm.
Leopard seal
Population: 300,000
Find them: Southern Antarctic Peninsula
When: November to March
The only seals that kill other mammals for food, the solitary and adventurous leopard seal will migrate far and wide in search of a feast. They have long bodies covered in spots (hence the name) and incredibly sharp teeth. As they aren’t fond of company, spotting them is a rare treat.
Blue whale
Population: 10,000 - 25,000
Find them: South Georgia Island and Antarctic Peninsula
When: most active February to March
The largest animal to have ever lived on planet earth. Just let that sink in for a minute. Ok, ready for more? The biggest blue whale on record weighed nearly 200 tonnes – to put that in perspective, an adult male African elephant weighs 6 tonnes. Blue-grey in colour, these beauties are rarely spotted, but if seen are impossible to forget.
Antarctic petrel
Population: 10 to 20 million
Find them: all over the continent
When: breeding season from October to December
Petrels spend all their time out at sea and are very resilient, even in the harshest of Antarctica’s weather. The only time they will come inland is to nest. Look out for colonies resting on icebergs in November, December and January – their brown colouring stands out against the ice.
Antarctica is the only continent with no permanent human habitation. There are, however, permanent human settlements, where scientists and support staff live for part of the year on a rotating basis.
The population of Antarctica depends on the time of year. In the summer, the continent has a population of around 5000 people but during the winter this number is reduced to roughly a fourth with 1000 people. The inhabitants are mainly based on research stations with the McMurdo Station as the largest.