Ross sea highlights
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Adelie Penguin
Wildlife
These gallant-fighting, deep-diving namesakes of the French-claimed Antarctic Adélie Land are among the four penguin species on mainland Antarctica
Antarctic Petrel
Wildlife
These feathered fish-eaters are among the planet's most southerly nesting birds, the "petrel" of their name deriving from Saint Peter for their seeming ability to walk on water
Arctic Tern
Wildlife
Among the most nomadic birds on the planet, these sun-loving tourists summer twice a year during their ambitious routes
Black-browed Albatross
Wildlife
So efficient in the air that their in-flight heart rate barely rises above resting, these sub-Antarctic birds pack a stomach full of oil they can spit at would-be attackers
Crabeater Seal
Wildlife
They may be Earth's most abundant seal, but their teeth are far from typical and are perhaps the most precisely designed eating tool of any living carnivore
Emperor Penguin
Wildlife
The largest, deepest-diving, and least interested in nests of all the penguins, these aptly named Aptenodytes are among the most coveted wildlife attractions in the Antarctic
Fin Whale
Wildlife
Akin to their blue whale relatives both in size and the low frequency of their song, these "razorbacks" have asymmetrically colored faces thought to help them while hunting
Gentoo Penguin
Wildlife
These hygienic divers are the only penguin species whose population is currently increasing along the Antarctic Peninsula
Humpback Whale
Wildlife
Also known as "great-winged newfoundlanders" for their wing-like flippers, these cetaceans earned their more contemporary name by the way they bow their backs before a dive
Killer Whale
Wildlife
Technically a kind of dolphin, orcas were once thought to appear as whales in the summer and wolves in the winter
Leopard Seal
Wildlife
These "slender-clawed water workers" spend much of their lives submerged, though it's known they are the only member of their family to consume other seals
Light-mantled Albatross
Wildlife
Though these black-billed birds are so efficient at flying that they spend more energy at nest than in the air, they're often less than masterful at landing
Pintado Petrel
Wildlife
Decked out in their distinctive dappled coloring, these dapper "little devourers" have a pigeon-like habit of pecking at the water while feeding
Prion
Wildlife
Named after the Greek word for "saw" due to their serrated bills, these marine petrels like to flock over surfacing whales to grab the fish that rise with them
Snow Petrel
Wildlife
One of three species of birds that breed only in Antarctica, these water-runners are the only member of the Pagodroma genus
South Polar Skua
Wildlife
Smaller in features but no less aggressive than most skuas , these Antarctic seabirds will attack humans who venture too close to their nests
Southern Elephant Seal
Wildlife
The largest of their species, southern elephant seals are often found in haul-outs along Antarctic coastlines
Weddell Seal
Wildlife
Named after the British navigator and sailor James Weddell, these extensively studied seals live farther south than any other mammal
Wilson's Storm Petrel
Wildlife
These storm-savvy seabirds are the smallest warm-bodied creatures to breed in Antarctica, evading the most violent tempests by flying in the troughs of waves
Yellow-Eyed Penguin
Wildlife
With pale yellow heads, bright yellow headbands, and large yellow irises, yellow-eyed penguins have more than earned their name
