Places to see Penguins
Home Up Tour Operators Places to see Penguins

 

Antarctic Peninsula
Weddell Sea
Ross Sea
Balleny Islands
Auckland Islands
Campbell Island
Bounty Islands
Snares Island
Antipodes Islands
Chatham Islands
Macquarie Island
Heard Island
Marion Island
Kerguelen Island
South Orkneys
South Shetlands
South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia
Falkland Islands
Tristan da Cunha
South America
South Africa
Australian Penguins
New Zealand
Galapagos Islands

Places to see Penguins in the Wild - the table below lists most places where penguins can be seen in their natural habitat. For more details, how to get there, what to expect, etc. click on the place names. But remember, many are very difficult to visit.

Location

Species of Penguin that can be seen

Accessibility
Southern Australia  Little Many places easily accessible.
New Zealand  Fiordland, Yellow-eyed and Little Yellow-eyed penguins are easy to see on the Otago peninsula. Fiordland penguins can be found on the West Coast at the right time of year with a little patience, Little penguins can be seen in many places.
Chatham Islands  Little Can be reached by ship or by charter flight from New Zealand 
South Africa and Namibia  African Probably the most accessible penguin colony anywhere in the world is just a few miles from Cape Town at Boulders Beach.
South America  Magellanic, Humboldt and Rockhopper Relatively straight forward, providing you know in advance where to go. Humboldts can be seen in Peru and Chile. Magellanics can be seen in tens of thousands at Punta Tombo in Argentina, and at lots of other places in Chile and Argentina. Rockhoppers are more difficult to find down in the Tierra del Fuego area of Argentina. 
Galapagos Islands  Galapagos There are many organised trips to the Galapagos Islands - see your local travel agent.
Falkland Islands  King, Gentoo, Magellanic, Rockhopper and Macaroni with other species sometimes visiting There are (expensive) flights from the UK and from South America to the Falklands. Once there the penguins are very easy to find. Several cruise ships call at the Falklands.
South Georgia  King, Gentoo, Chinstrap and Macaroni  Can only be reached by ship.
South Sandwich Islands  Gentoo, Chinstrap, Adelie and Macaroni Can only be reached by ship in good ice conditions.
South Orkney Islands  Gentoo, Chinstrap, Adelie and Macaroni Can only be reached by ship in good ice conditions.
South Shetland Islands  Gentoo, Chinstrap, Adelie and Macaroni Can only be reached by ship in good ice conditions.
Antarctic Peninsula  Adelie, Chinstrap, Gentoo and rarely Emperor Can only be reached by ship in good ice conditions.
Weddell Sea  Emperor and Adelie Can only be reached by ship (preferably ice-breaker!) in excellent ice conditions.
Tristan da Cunha  Rockhopper Can only be reached by ship.
Kerguelen Island  King, Gentoo, Rockhopper and Macaroni Can only be reached by ship.
Marion and Prince Edward Islands  King, Gentoo, Rockhopper and Macaroni Can only be reached by ship.
Heard Island  King, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Macaroni and occasionally Chinstrap  Can only be reached by ship.
Macquarie Island  King, Gentoo, Royal and Rockhopper Can only be reached by ship.
Snares Islands  Snares  Can only be reached by ship.
Auckland Islands  Rockhopper and Yellow-eyed with occasional Erect-crested Can only be reached by ship.
Campbell Island  Rockhopper with a few Yellow-eyeds. We have seen a King and a Chinstrap here as well. Can only be reached by ship.
Antipodes Islands  Rockhopper and Erect-crested Can only be reached by ship.
Bounty Islands  Rockhopper and Erect-crested Can only be reached by ship.
Balleny Islands  Adelie, Chinstrap Can only be reached by ship in good ice conditions.
Ross Sea  Emperor and Adelie  Can only be reached by ship in good ice conditions.