oceanwide-expeditions.com Web excerpt · 2026
“We saw colonies of penguins, seals lounging on ice floes, and whales breaching the surface of the water.”
Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands
🇦🇶 Antarctica
Antarctica, Antarctica 106 spp. recorded
The Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands form a remote, ice-covered coastal tundra stretching toward the edge of the world. This dramatic polar wilderness features massive glaciers, jagged rocky shores, and freezing waters rather than forests, soil trails, or traditional paths. Visitors navigate the coastline by ship to explore shores where bare rock meets endless snowfields.
-67.397° S 67.153° W
🦜 Nature
57 Species sighted
34,768 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Feb Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
Recent sightings in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a dayavg 10 year-round
17
No data
Jan17
No data
Feb17
No data
Mar3.8
No data
Apr3.6
No data
May4.5
No data
Jun0
No data
Jul—
No data
Aug0
No data
Sep13
No data
Oct17
No data
Nov16
No data
DecSighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Eisbergfriedhof
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64.683° S, 62.626° W
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Dorian Bay Viewpoint
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Portal Point
-
Mikkelsen Harbor
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Entrance
Free
Tourism
High
Typical stay
4+
daysTrails
Easy
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
-20°
0° 0
20° 300
40° 600 mm
Jan166Feb144Mar201Apr186May140Jun132Jul148Aug161Sep270Oct157Nov239Dec178
0.0 Good
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
2.6
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 75
🐒 Mammals 31
🦎 Reptiles 0
🐸 Amphibians 0
106 Total Species
810 Global average across 340 parks
16 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
3.6
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
82% 📊
Coverage (37 species at ≥5% of 106 in the inventory)
35% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (7 bird, 5 mammal)
65% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
27 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
13 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
20 🏕️
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.3
Climate Harsh Low
Entrance Free High
Tourism Medium Medium
Trails Easy High
World Heritage No —
What visitors say
Your review
Before you go
What animals can you see in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands?
106 species
Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands has 106 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Wilson's Storm Petrel (about 90%), Southern Giant Petrel (about 90%), Antarctic Tern (about 90%), Humpback Whale (about 90%) and Gentoo Penguin (about 90%).
When is the best time to visit Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands for wildlife?
November to March
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 60% in October.
Can you see a Gentoo Penguin in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Gentoo Penguin sighting in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands on a given day, based on 4,095 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is November and December (about 90%).
Can you see a Humpback Whale in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Humpback Whale sighting in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands on a given day, based on 1,447 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is December to March (about 90%).
Can you see a Chinstrap Penguin in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Chinstrap Penguin sighting in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands on a given day, based on 2,123 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February and December (about 80%).
Can you see a Leopard Seal in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Leopard Seal sighting in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands on a given day, based on 512 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January–April and June (about 80%).
Where in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands is wildlife easiest to see?
Around Eisbergfriedhof
The richest sighting zone is around Eisbergfriedhof, followed by Dorian Bay Viewpoint, ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands good for wildlife watching?
3.3 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands rates 3.3/5: 260th of 340 parks worldwide and 1st in Antarctica. 21 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
