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An adult Adélie penguin, with the white ring around its eye, standing over two small gray chicks on a stony nest on Paulet Island

Adélie penguin

Adélie penguin facts for travelers: how many there are, the Peninsula and Ross Sea colonies ships visit, when the chicks hatch, how close you may get, the voyages that name Adélie colonies, and why some colonies are shrinking.

Murray Foubister, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Where can you see Adélie penguins?

The Adélie is a penguin about 28 inches (70 cm) tall that breeds only around Antarctica's coast and nearby islands, about 3.79 million pairs by the last global count. Travelers see it at the colder sites: Brown Bluff and Paulet Island at the Peninsula's northeast tip, islands near the Antarctic Circle, and the Ross Sea. Go from late December to early February for chicks. It is Least Concern.

Facts checked October 15, 2026 against 39 sources.

Adélie penguin facts

  1. July: no trips
  2. August: no trips
  3. September: no trips
  4. October: no trips
  5. November: no trips
  6. December: best
  7. January: best
  8. February: best
  9. March: no trips
  10. April: no trips
  11. May: no trips
  12. June: no trips

Best Season

Scientific name
Pygoscelis adeliae
Where to see
All around the Antarctic coast. On a trip: Brown Bluff, Paulet Island and Devil Island at the Peninsula's northeast tip; Penguin Island and Turret Point in the South Shetlands; Shingle Cove in the South Orkneys; the Yalour Islands, Detaille Island and Stonington Island farther south; and Cape Adare, Cape Hallett and Franklin Island in the Ross Sea.
Best months
December to February
Population
About 3.79 million breeding pairs at 190 to 250 colonies (Lynch and LaRue 2014, from satellite images taken 2006 to 2011); BirdLife puts the mature population at about 10 million birds (2017)
Status
Least Concern, increasing (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020); Near Threatened in 2012

The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is the black-and-white penguin with a white ring around each eye, and the British Antarctic Survey counts it, with the emperor, as one of only two penguins that make the Antarctic continent their true home.12 It stands about 28 in (70 cm) tall and weighs 6.6 to 13 lb (3 to 6 kg).1 Travelers find it at the colder landings: the northeast tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, the islands near the Antarctic Circle and the Ross Sea. Its closest relatives are the gentoo and the chinstrap.1 Our penguin species guide covers the rest.

How many Adélie penguins are there, and where do they live?

About 3.79 million breeding pairs at 190 to 250 colonies, by a global count made mostly from satellite images taken between 2006 and 2011. Adding birds that skip a season, BirdLife International, which assesses birds for the IUCN Red List, puts the population at about 10 million mature birds.3 They nest on bare rock all around the Antarctic coast and winter in the pack ice, up to 1,550 miles (2,500 km) from their colonies.13 Most of the biggest colonies lie off the usual cruise routes:

ColonyAdélie pairsCan travelers get there?
Cape Adare, Ross Sea504,332 in 2018, the largest Adélie colony; by 2025 also the largest penguin colony of any species, after a 2026 British Antarctic Survey study found occupied chinstrap nests on Zavodovski Island down 63% from 2011 to 20254533On some Ross Sea voyages, by permit6
Danger Islands, off the Peninsula's northeast tip751,527, including the world's third and fourth largest Adélie colonies; by the study's own table those are Heroína (292,363) and Beagle (284,535) islands7Rarely: sea ice blocks access in most years, and Heroína has a median of one ship landing a year7
Paulet Island, Weddell Sea107,285 nests counted by satellite in 20118Yes, on ships of up to 200 passengers9

The Danger Islands alone hold 55% of the Adélies in the Antarctic Peninsula region. Colonies north and east of the "Adélie gap", a 250-mile (400 km) stretch of coast where Adélies are notably absent, are thriving, while those on the warmer west coast have shrunk.10

Where can you see Adélie penguins on an Antarctica cruise?

Around the Antarctic Sound and the entrance to the Weddell Sea, in the South Orkney Islands, on a few islands near the Antarctic Circle, and at the big Ross Sea colonies operators name. A classic Peninsula voyage that keeps to the west coast may show you only a handful: Petermann Island, landed 118 times in 2025-26, had 170 Adélie nests in December 2025, against 1,540 in 1971.118

SiteLandings, 2025-26Adélies there
Brown Bluff, Antarctic Sound4525,000 nests in December 2006 and 18,630 adults in January 2013, on a beach of the continent itself812
Paulet Island, Weddell Sea14Nests across the whole island, around the stone hut of Carl Larsen's shipwrecked crew from 19039
Devil Island1121,003 nests counted by drone on December 25, 20238
Shingle Cove, South Orkney Islands7What Oceanwide calls a large and vibrant colony13
Yalour Islands, west coast531,828 nests in December 2023, against 5,865 in 19828
Detaille Island, just south of the Circle at 66°52′S33A colony that cannot be reached on foot, seen from small boats14
Stonington Island, Marguerite Bay30Adélies around two old research bases, at 68°11′S39

Landing counts are from IAATO.11 In the South Shetland Islands, Adélies breed on Penguin Island, off King George Island (12 landings), at Turret Point on King George Island itself (8), and on Ardley Island (4), where no more than 20 visitors may be ashore at once.36373811 Ship size matters: Paulet Island takes ships of no more than 200 passengers, two a day, while Brown Bluff allows up to 500.912 Oceanwide's Ortelius and Plancius carry about 108 passengers and Hondius 170.151617

In the Ross Sea, operators list Cape Adare, Franklin Island and Cape Hallett, where Aurora says the rookery can hold close to 50,000 pairs; Heritage Expeditions adds Foyn Island in the Possession Islands, with tens of thousands of birds.1819 Cape Royds, beside Shackleton's hut, has the southernmost Adélie colony, a protected area closed to tourists that you watch from outside.20

When is the best time to see Adélie penguins and their chicks?

Between late December, when the chicks hatch, and early February, just before they go to sea; the whole season runs from October to mid-February, so earlier voyages see courtship, nest building and eggs.221

MonthsIn the colony
OctoberAdults walk back over the fast ice and build nests of pebbles, on slopes so meltwater drains away121
NovemberTwo eggs per nest by mid-November, the parents taking shifts of 11 to 14 days at first; while the pack ice holds, a parent may walk more than 30 miles (50 km) to reach the sea1
Late DecemberChicks hatch2
JanuaryChicks of about three weeks gather in crèches while both parents fish1
FebruaryChicks grow feathers and go to sea at 7 to 9 weeks1

Late in the season the birds can crowd people out. At Paulet Island, the guidelines warn that by mid to late season visitors may be limited to a viewpoint or a Zodiac cruise.9 For weather and prices by month, see the best time to visit Antarctica.

Which voyages give the best odds of seeing Adélie penguins?

A voyage with days in the Antarctic Sound and the Weddell Sea on a ship of 200 passengers or fewer, or a Ross Sea voyage. No operator publishes a success rate, and sea ice decides whether a ship gets in. Five 2026-27 voyages that name Adélie colonies, with the lowest fare open on each when we checked:

VoyageDepartureAdélie sites namedLowest published fare, per person
Oceanwide Expeditions Weddell Sea: In Search of the Emperor Penguin, Ortelius, 11 days, Ushuaia round tripNovember 25 or December 5, 2026Devil Island and Brown Bluff if conditions allow22$12,100, one berth in a shared four-berth porthole cabin (was $13,450); helicopter flights included; read October 14, 202623
Oceanwide Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula, Plancius, 19 daysNovember 23, 2026Shingle Cove, then Paulet Island or Brown Bluff if ice allows13$12,575, the one men's berth left in a shared triple; read October 15, 202624
The same route on HondiusJanuary 16, 2027Paulet Island and Brown Bluff, if the ice allows25$22,000 for the one Junior Suite left, two sharing (was $27,500, no offer name or end date shown); the $17,400 four-berth and $19,500 triple berths were waitlisted or on request; read October 14, 20262325
HX Antarctic Circle Expedition, Roald Amundsen, 16 days, Buenos Aires round tripDecember 26, 2026Marguerite Bay, "looking out for Adélie penguins"26$13,578, two sharing (was $16,469), after HX's 130th anniversary discounts, the extra one, per HX's press release, only for bookings made by November 9, 2026; hotel night and flights to Ushuaia included; read October 14, 20262627
Ponant Ross Sea Expedition, Le Soléal, 22 days, Dunedin round tripJanuary 25, 2027Cape Adare and Franklin Island, weather and ice permitting28$34,800, lower-deck balcony, two sharing, after a 5% early-booking bonus with no published end date; read October 15, 20262829

None of the Oceanwide fares include flights to Ushuaia.23 Our pick for chicks on a budget is HX's December 26 departure: its nine days in Antarctica start about December 30, as the chicks hatch, it heads south of the Circle for Marguerite Bay, and its fare covers the flights to Ushuaia.262 If the northeast tip's big colonies are the point, the Hondius departure of January 16 is the only one here that lists Paulet Island and Brown Bluff in the chick season, on a ship small enough to land at both, but by mid-October only its last suites were bookable, from $22,000.2523 The two cheaper Oceanwide trips get to the northeast tip in late November or early December, when the birds are still on eggs; the Plancius voyage names Paulet Island or Brown Bluff, and the Weddell Sea voyage, built around a helicopter attempt on the emperor colony near Snow Hill Island, names Devil Island and Brown Bluff.13221 The Ross Sea gives you the largest colonies, at more than twice the price and over three weeks; it is not for anyone short of time or money. Aurora Expeditions also sails there: its 26-day Ross Sea Odyssey from Hobart to Dunedin on December 14, 2026 was $40,406 per person, twin share, for the last Balcony Category A cabins, as listed on October 15, 2026.18 Compare totals in our Antarctica trip cost guide.

How close can you get to Adélie penguins?

Keep 16 ft (5 m) away on land, and farther if the birds react to you.30 At Paulet Island no more than 100 visitors may be ashore, walking in guided groups of 15 to 20, with no visits from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.; at Brown Bluff, walks to the colony edge are closely supervised.912 Brown Bluff was closed for bird flu from December 12, 2024 to February 26, 2025, and while the virus is about, IAATO bars visitors from sitting, crouching, kneeling or lying down.1131 At Cape Adare, visitors need a permit and a trained guide, with no more than 40 people inside the protected area at once.6 The full code is in our Antarctica visitor rules guide.

What is special about Adélie penguins? Are they friendly?

They are the long-distance walkers of the penguin world, and they are not friendly to anyone who comes too close. The Australian Antarctic Division describes birds trudging many kilometers over fast ice to reach their colonies at an average 1.5 mph (2.5 km/h), dropping onto their bellies to toboggan when there is enough snow, and returning to the same nest and the same mate if they can.1 The British Antarctic Survey calls them "penguins with attitude": small as they are, they will charge out of the colony and beat a scientist with their flippers.2 They are no gentler with each other. Australian researchers watching nest cameras saw birds steal stones from their neighbors, and the stones matter: higher nests stay out of meltwater and raise more chicks.1

How do you pronounce Adélie?

Uh-DAY-lee; Merriam-Webster writes it ə-ˈdā-lē.32 The French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville named Adélie Land after his wife, Adèle, on his 1840 expedition, and its naturalists gave the penguin the same name.1

What is the difference between an Adélie penguin and an emperor penguin?

Size, season and status. The British Antarctic Survey calls Adélies the comics of the penguin world and emperors its elder statesmen.2

AdélieEmperor
Size28 in (71 cm), 11.7 lb (5.3 kg)45 in (115 cm), 84 lb (38 kg)2
BreedsIn summer, on ice-free rockThrough the winter, on sea ice2
StatusLeast Concern3Declared Endangered in 202633

What do Adélie penguins eat, and what eats them?

Krill, fish and amphipods, caught as deep as 574 ft (175 m) but usually in the top 230 ft (70 m).1 A healthy adult has no predators on land; at sea, leopard seals and killer whales hunt them, and skuas and giant petrels take eggs and chicks.21 They live 10 to 20 years, and most chicks do not come back to the colony until they are ready to breed, at 3 to 5.1

Are Adélie penguins endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List rates them Least Concern and increasing, last assessed in 2020, after a spell as Near Threatened in 2012; Ross Sea and East Antarctic numbers have almost doubled since the 1980s.3 The long-term risk is warming. Adélies depend on sea ice, and a study cited by BirdLife found that every colony north of 67 to 68°S could be lost at 2.0°C of warming over pre-industrial levels, which it put at a median year of 2042.3 Paulet Island, Brown Bluff and Detaille Island all lie north of that line.91214 BirdLife also notes a well-documented decrease in the South Orkney Islands, where Shingle Cove is.3

What happened to the Adélie penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula?

On the warmer west coast, most of them disappeared: near Palmer Station, numbers fell about 90% from the 1970s, and the Petermann and Yalour counts above tell the same story.218 Other losses are local. In East Antarctica, colonies near Australia's Mawson station lost 43%, about 154,000 breeding birds, in a decade after heavy summer sea ice in the mid-2000s.34 In March 2024, scientists found thousands of Adélies dead in the Danger Islands, and diagnosed avian cholera in most of the birds they sampled.35 The northeast tip and the Ross Sea, where travelers now go to see Adélies, have held up.103

Where to see adélie penguin

Antarctic Peninsula

Planning an Antarctic Peninsula cruise: how long trips last, where ships land, the best month by temperature and wildlife, landing rules, ship sizes and starting fares.

Weddell Sea

The ice-bound sea east of the Antarctic Peninsula: which voyages go in and what they cost, the odds of reaching the Snow Hill emperor penguins, and where Shackleton's Endurance lies.

Ross Sea

The far side of Antarctica, south of New Zealand: the few ships that go and what they cost, Scott's and Shackleton's huts, McMurdo, Mount Erebus and the Ross Sea's wildlife.

Antarctic Circle

Where the Antarctic Circle lies, which cruises cross it and what they cost, how many days the crossing adds, what you see south of 66°33′, and why no one publishes how often ships make it.

Ushuaia

Ushuaia, Argentina, the port where most Antarctic cruises start: flights in, how many days to arrive early, what to do before and after, the port and last-minute deals.

More polar wildlife

Emperor penguin

Where and how to see emperor penguins in the wild: why Antarctic Peninsula cruises miss them, which helicopter voyages and fly-in trips go to a colony and for how much, plus size, lifespan and conservation status.

Polar bear

Where polar bears live and where to see them: Churchill in October and November, Svalbard by ship in summer, Kaktovik in Alaska, with odds, prices, the Svalbard distance and firearm rules, and why none live in Antarctica.

Penguin species

All 18 penguin species in one table, with scientific names, where each breeds, size and IUCN status, plus which ones you can see on an Antarctic, South Georgia, Falklands or Ross Sea trip.

King penguin

King penguin facts for travelers: how many there are and where they breed, the South Georgia and Falklands landings that put you among them, the months for chicks, the voyages with the most time there, and the rules ashore.

Chinstrap penguin

Chinstrap penguin facts for travelers: how many there are and where they breed, the South Shetland colonies ships land at and which ships may land, when the chicks hatch, the voyages that list them, and why numbers are falling.

Gentoo penguin

Gentoo penguin facts for travelers: how many there are and where they breed, the Antarctic landings with the biggest colonies, when the chicks are out, the cheapest voyages that visit them, and why scientists now propose four species.

Sources

  1. 1.Adélie penguin, Australian Antarctic Division (Australian Antarctic Program). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. 2.Antarctic Penguins (public information leaflet, 2017), British Antarctic Survey (NERC). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  3. 3.Adelie Penguin Pygoscelis adeliae: species factsheet, BirdLife International (Data Zone). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  4. 4.Measure 16 (2021): Management Plan for Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 159, Cape Adare, Borchgrevink Coast, Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  5. 5.Population declines and changes in community composition at the world’s largest penguin colony (Current Biology, 2026), Ratcliffe et al., Current Biology; abstract on the British Antarctic Survey publications page. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  6. 6.Visitor Site Guidelines: 45. Cape Adare, Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  7. 7.Multi-modal survey of Adélie penguin mega-colonies reveals the Danger Islands as a seabird hotspot (Scientific Reports 8:3926), Borowicz et al., Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  8. 8.MAPPPD penguin counts: Brown Bluff, Devil Island, Hope Bay, Paulet Island, Petermann Island, Yalour Islands, MAPPPD (penguinmap.com), Lynch Lab, Stony Brook University, with Oceanites. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  9. 9.Site Guidelines for Visitors: Paulet Island (2025), Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  10. 10.Adélie penguins north and east of the 'Adélie gap' continue to thrive in the face of dramatic declines elsewhere in the Antarctic Peninsula region (Scientific Reports 13:2525), Wethington et al., Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  11. 11.IAATO Operator Use of Antarctic Peninsula Landing Sites, 2025-26 Season Report and Five-Year Overview, with appendix tables (ATCM 48 IP 199), International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  12. 12.Site Guidelines for Visitors: Brown Bluff (2019), Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  13. 13.Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Antarctic Peninsula, m/v Plancius, 23 November to 11 December 2026 (PLA23-26), Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  14. 14.Site Guidelines for Visitors: Detaille Island (ATCM, revised 2026), Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  15. 15.m/v Ortelius ship details (PDF), Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  16. 16.m/v Plancius ship details (PDF), Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  17. 17.m/v Hondius ship details (PDF), Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  18. 18.Ross Sea Odyssey (26 days, Hobart to Dunedin): dates, cabin prices, itinerary and inclusions, Aurora Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  19. 19.In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton: Ross Sea Antarctica (28 days, Heritage Adventurer): itinerary, departures and prices, Heritage Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  20. 20.Visitor Site Guidelines: 21. Cape Royds (Ross Island), Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  21. 21.The interaction between island geomorphology and environmental parameters drives Adélie penguin breeding phenology on neighboring islands near Palmer Station, Antarctica (Cimino et al. 2019), Ecology and Evolution. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  22. 22.Weddell Sea: In search of the Emperor Penguin, incl. helicopters, m/v Ortelius, 15 to 25 November 2026 (OTL22-26), Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  23. 23.Dates & Rates: Antarctica & Arctic Cruises (Hondius Antarctica 2026-27 rows, PLA32-27, general notes), Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  24. 24.Dates & Rates: Antarctica & Arctic Cruises (m/v Ortelius and m/v Plancius tables, 2026-27 to 2027-28), Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  25. 25.Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctic Peninsula | HDS27-27, Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  26. 26.Antarctic Circle Expedition (16 days, round-trip flights from Buenos Aires), HX Expeditions (Hurtigruten Expeditions). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  27. 27.HX Expeditions unveils new fleet enhancements for 2026 and beyond (press release, 1 September 2026), HX Expeditions (Mynewsdesk newsroom). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  28. 28.Scott & Shackleton’s Antarctic - Ross Sea Expedition: from Jan 25, 27 to Feb 15, 27 | PONANT United States, PONANT. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  29. 29.The PONANT Bonus | PONANT United States, PONANT. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  30. 30.General Guidelines for Visitors to the Antarctic (ATCM), English poster, Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (poster published by IAATO). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  31. 31.How can I help? (avian influenza rules for visitors), International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  32. 32.Adélie penguin (dictionary entry), Merriam-Webster. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  33. 33.Penguin population collapse on volcanic island, British Antarctic Survey. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  34. 34.Dramatic decline in Adélie penguins near Mawson, Australian Antarctic Division. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  35. 35.Avian cholera causes mass mortality at penguin mega-colonies amid H5N1 HPAI outbreaks in Antarctica (Proceedings of the Royal Society B), Iervolino et al., Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  36. 36.Site Guidelines for Visitors: Penguin Island, King George Island (ATCM, 2018), Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  37. 37.Site Guidelines for Visitors: Turret Point, King George Island (ATCM, 2018), Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  38. 38.Site Guidelines for Visitors: Northeast beach of Ardley Island, Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  39. 39.Site Guidelines for Visitors: Stonington Island (ATCM, 2025), Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. Accessed October 15, 2026.