The Arctic and Antarctica have loads in frequent — specifically, each areas are huge, chilly, and finest accessed by small ships. (Oddly sufficient, we have got these helpful!) However whereas these polar locations share chilly temperatures, Arctic wildlife varies drastically from the animals you will discover within the Antarctic. In case your coronary heart is about on spying polar bears, you gotta go north. In case you’re leaning towards leopard seals, your ship finest be crusing in a southerly route.
Naturally, it is referred to as wildlife for a purpose and there are not any ensures but it surely pays to know who lives the place and which journeys provide the finest likelihood of sightings. To assist slim it down, this is information on a number of Antarctic and Arctic animals that high many traveller’s wishlists. And sure, there are krill lovers past the mighty blue whales roaming these waters!
Arctic animals
Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)
Dimension: 1.6 to 2.1m (5 to six.9 ft) tall, 65 to 210kg (143 to 463 lbs)
Inhabitants: est 2,100,000
Habitat: These migratory beasts vary between 50 and 81 levels of latitude all through Canada, the northwestern United States, Greenland, Norway, Finland, Russia, and Mongolia.
Conservation standing: Weak. Although there are nonetheless loads of reindeer roaming the Arctic, populations have declined sharply lately, which has conservationists involved.
Do you know: Although reindeer and caribou look completely different (reindeer are typically smaller, for one factor), they’re from the identical species. North American populations of rangifer tarandus are referred to as caribou, European ones are reindeer, and none of them can fly (as far we all know).
Search for reindeer on: Realm of the Polar Bear in Depth
Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
Dimension: 2 to 3m (6.6 to 9.8 ft) tall, 352 to 680kg (776 to 1,449 lbs)
Inhabitants: est 22,000 – 31,000
Habitat: These apex predators, whose Latin identify means “sea bear,” spend most of their life round water and on sea ice in northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Norway, and Russia.
Conservation standing: Weak. Local weather change causes sea ice to soften earlier within the spring and kind later within the fall, leaving bears spending extra time on land the place there’s restricted meals.
Do you know: 60 to 80 p.c of the worldwide polar bear inhabitants lives in Canada.
Search for polar bears on: Realm of the Polar Bear
Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus)
Dimension: 75 to 115cm lengthy, 2.5 to 9kg (6 to twenty lbs)
Inhabitants: A number of hundred thousand
Habitat: All through the Arctic tundra in Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Svalbard, Jan Mayen, and Sweden.
Conservation standing: Least Concern
Do you know: Arctic foxes don’t begin getting chilly till the temperature hits -50°C (-58°F) because of a thick coat (the thickest of any Arctic animal), fur-covered ft (even the soles), and a bushy tail that doubles as an added layer of heat.
Search for Arctic foxes on: Realm of the Polar Bear in Depth
Atlantic Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)
Dimension: 2.2 to three.6 m (7 ft 3 in to 11 ft 10 in)
Inhabitants: 30,000
Habitat: Identical to Santa, Arctic walruses like to stay near the North Pole and like locations with loads of ice cowl. These tusked sausages are inclined to forage and relaxation on sea ice however typically haul out on rocky islands or seashores as nicely.
Conservation standing: Close to Threatened (Atlantic Walrus)
Do you know: Walruses desire shallower water and love the coastal water of Svalbard and surrounding Arctic waters together with Greenland and Franz Josef land. Given their dimension and toothy grins, you’d assume they aren’t bothered by a lot however they’re delicate to boats and folks. As with every animal, it’s essential to give them area and watch from respectful distances. If a walrus is reacting to your presence, then you’re already too shut.
Search for walrus on: Arctic Highlights
Beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas)
Dimension: 2.6 to 4.5m (8.5 to 14.7 ft), 700 to 1,600kg (1,543 to three,527 lbs)
Inhabitants: 150,000 – 200,000
Habitat: Discovered all through the northern seas surrounding Canada, the US, Greenland, Russia, Svalbard, and the island of Jan Mayen.
Conservation standing: Close to Threatened
Do you know: Belugas’ distinctive – and versatile! — foreheads are referred to as melons. They will change the form of them at will to make facial expressions and talk with different whales by way of chirps, clicks, whistles, and squeals. Their white look in opposition to the icy blue water of the Arctic can simply be mistaken for small ice floes bobbing on the floor.
Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus)
Dimension: 0.5m (1.6 ft) tall, with a wingspan of 1.5m (5 ft)
Inhabitants: 200,000
Habitat: Snowy owls have a particularly massive vary that features Canada, the U.S., Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Russia, China, and Japan — however they’ve been noticed as far afield as Portugal and Eire. There was even a rumoured sighting in Bermuda!
Conservation standing: Least Concern
Do you know: In contrast to most owls, snowy owls are diurnal, or lively through the day. However if you wish to seize respectable photographs of those fluffy feathered mates, you are going to want a whole lot of luck and a digicam that is as much as the duty.
Antarctic animals
Leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx)
Dimension: 2.8 to 3m (9.1 to 9.8 ft) lengthy, 300 to 500kg (661 to 1,102 lbs)
Inhabitants: There’s a whole lot of uncertainty, since its territory is widespread and distant, however consultants estimate a inhabitants of as much as 220,000.
Habitat: Leopard seals dwell on and round pack ice all through the southern hemisphere, from the Antarctic coast to sub-Antarctic islands like Heard, McDonald, and the South Sandwich Islands.
Conservation standing: Least Concern
Do you know: Although leopard seals are identified for consuming penguins, they’ll truly eat absolutely anything, together with squid, fish, and the pups of different seal species.
Search for leopard seals on: Antarctica Basic
King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus)
Dimension: 70 to 100 cm tall (45 in), as much as 18kg (21 to 40 lbs)
Inhabitants: 2.2 million breeding pairs
Habitat: Second tallest within the penguin world, King penguins are pelagic marine critters which means they stick near the shoreline. You may primarily discover their breeding colonies on the extra temperate subantarctic islands within the area like South Georgia.
Conservation standing: Least Concern. Although the king penguin inhabitants is wholesome and rising, consultants are noticing that rising ocean temperatures is affecting inhabitants distribution to extra temperate climes.
Do you know: These elegant beauties are severely monogamous and very similar to their Comfortable Toes cousins, steadiness their treasured egg on their ft for safekeeping and heat in frigid situations. As soon as born, the chick takes 14-16 months earlier than they’re going to ever dip their webbed ft within the icy ocean.
Search for King penguins on: Spirit of Shackleton
Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)
Dimension: 9m (29.5 ft) lengthy, 10 tonnes (22,046 lbs)
Inhabitants: A number of hundred thousand
Habitat: Minkes favour “open pack ice” (when there’s a whole lot of open water between ice floes) in the summertime, and migrate to tropical waters come winter.
Conservation standing: There’s not sufficient knowledge for an evaluation, however the newest evaluation, in 1996, categorised these whales as Decrease Danger.
Do you know: Minke whales are the smallest of the baleen whales, and the one species of whale that’s nonetheless generally present in Antarctica.
Wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans)
Dimension: 1.1m (3.6 ft) lengthy, 8 to 11.5kg (18 to 25 lbs)
Inhabitants: 20,000
Habitat: Wandering albatrosses dwell as much as their identify with a territory that spans from Antarctica to Namibia.
Conservation standing: Weak. Consultants imagine a drastic inhabitants lack of about 4 p.c a yr is because of fisheries — the birds vary thus far afield that they encounter many longline fleets, upping their threat of being caught unintentionally.
Do you know: The wandering albatross is the most important of the diomedeidae household and has the most important wingspan of any fowl (as much as 3.5 m or 11 ft). These large birds spend most of their time flying — they solely return to land to breed.
Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba)
Dimension: About 5cm (2 in) lengthy
Inhabitants: The estimated biomass of krill all through the Antarctic continent is 200 million tonnes
Habitat: Antarctic krill are solely discovered all through the Southern Ocean, each within the open ocean and in coastal areas.
Conservation standing: Least Concern
Do you know: Although they’re tiny — solely in regards to the dimension of your pinky finger — there are such a lot of krill within the Southern Ocean that, at some factors through the yr, large faculties might be noticed from area.
