Chinstrap Penguin

Chinstraps turn up on rocky shores right across the peninsula region, and they are one of the more reliable landings on a South Atlantic itinerary. Expect them hauled out on the black-sand slopes of Deception Island, packed onto the beaches of Elephant Island, and scattered along the coasts of the South Shetland Islands and the South Orkney Islands.

The name comes from the narrow black band running under the head, which gives the bird the look of wearing a dark helmet strap — it is also sometimes called the ringed, bearded, or stonecracker penguin. That last nickname is well earned: long before you spot a colony, you will likely hear its loud, harsh call carrying across the water or up from a beach in the Antarctic Sound.

They favour the same exposed, wave-battered shorelines that make for dramatic Zodiac cruising, so sightings often come as part of a landing rather than a dedicated wildlife stop. Keep an eye on rocky points and cobble beaches as your ship works through open water like Bransfield Strait between islands.