Walk with Penguins in Antarctica

Location: Antarctica

Recommended by Me, The Directionally Challenged Traveler

How do I know it’s ethical?

Walking with penguins features wild penguins and technically they walk with you. You are not allowed to touch, pet, feed, hold, or interact with the penguins in any way. Any Antarctica cruises must be certified by the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) in how to keep a safe distance from the animals to protect them. If the penguins are nesting, the tour company will flag off the area of the baby penguins to protect them.

Description of the Experience

Penguins are curious and clumsy animals (at least on land). In the water, penguins show grace and speed impressive for a creature of its size.

Across the continent, there are 17 types of penguins. Depending on where you visit on Antarctica will determine which ones you end up seeing. On the peninsula near Argentina and Chile, we got to see Adelie, Chinstrap, Gentoo, and Rockhopper almost every time we took a step on land. While we were not allowed to move or interact with penguins, there was nothing stopping them from walking with us.

Penguins are hard to miss in Antarctica – water, icebergs, land, and everywhere in between! Be sure to keep your eyes open so you don’t accidentally walk into them!

Company/ Cost: 

Depends on the company you visit with, but usually included in the cruise.

I cruised to Antarctica with Hurtigruten cruises and I recommend them to anyone who asks.

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This is one post on a series of ethical animal tourism posts by travel content creators. The experiences cover all seven continents and a variety of animals. Ensure that your animal experience is an ethical one.

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