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A king penguin colony with adults and brown chicks on the beach at Gold Harbour, South Georgia, below a hanging glacier

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.

Hannes Grobe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Where do king penguins live, and where can you see them?

The king penguin is the second-largest penguin, about 37 inches (94 cm) tall, with bright orange ear patches. About 1.1 million pairs breed on subantarctic islands, not on Antarctica, and South Georgia holds about 450,000. Its colonies are occupied all year, with brown chicks in every month, so any South Georgia voyage from September to March can land among them; Volunteer Point in the Falklands is the alternative.

Facts checked October 15, 2026 against 25 sources.

King penguin facts

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

Best Season

Scientific name
Aptenodytes patagonicus
Where to see
Subantarctic islands between 45°S and 55°S. Travelers see them on South Georgia (St Andrews Bay, Salisbury Plain, Gold Harbour, Fortuna Bay, Grytviken), at Volunteer Point in the Falklands, at Bahía Inútil in Chilean Tierra del Fuego, and on Macquarie Island on some Ross Sea voyages.
Best months
November to March
Population
About 1.1 million breeding pairs (BirdLife estimate, from studies published in 2013 and 2018), or about 2 million mature birds (2009 figure), increasing; about 450,000 pairs on South Georgia (island government estimate, 2023)
Status
Least Concern, increasing (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020)

King penguins are the tall, orange-throated penguins of the subantarctic islands, and they do not breed on the Antarctic continent.1 The king (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second-largest penguin, about 37 in (94 cm) tall and 35 lb (16 kg), and South Georgia is the place to see one: about 450,000 pairs breed there, on the beaches expedition ships land at.12 A breeding cycle takes 14 to 15 months, so the colonies are never empty and there are chicks to see in every month of the year.3 For its larger cousin, see our emperor penguin page; for all 18 species, our penguin species guide.

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

About 1.1 million breeding pairs (1,084,320 to 1,228,320), on subantarctic islands between 45°S and 55°S.34 That is the estimate of BirdLife International, which assesses birds for the IUCN Red List and rates the population as increasing; it draws on studies published in 2013 and 2018, and its figure of about 2 million mature birds dates from 2009.3 You will also see higher totals with no survey year: about 1.6 million pairs from the Australian Antarctic Division and 1.7 million from Falklands Conservation.45 So kings are not rare, but the big colonies are counted seldom, and BirdLife says South Georgia's estimate needs updating.3

Island groupBreeding pairsNote
South GeorgiaAbout 450,000, 40% of the world totalThe island government's estimate, published in 2023; St Andrews Bay alone held about 250,000 pairs in a 2020 study236
Crozet Islands377,040Once the largest site, now third after the Hogs Island colony fell by 88% over 35 years3
Kerguelen Islands377,000French Southern Territories3
Macquarie Island150,000 to 170,000Australian; some Ross Sea voyages land there37
Falkland Islands1,000 to 1,500BirdLife gives about 1,000, Falklands Conservation 1,500, almost all at Volunteer Point35

Apart from South Georgia's, these are the figures BirdLife lists in its 2020 assessment, most without a survey year.3 Kings are also spreading, with small new colonies in southern Chile and evidence of breeding on Elephant Island in a January 2020 census.38

Where can you see king penguins on a trip?

On South Georgia, where nearly every landing site has a king colony, with Volunteer Point in the Falklands, a reserve in Chilean Tierra del Fuego and Macquarie Island as the alternatives. Every ship must call at Grytviken for customs and biosecurity checks; after it, the sites ships landed at most in 2024-25 were St Andrews Bay (80 landings), Fortuna Bay (58), Gold Harbour (48) and Salisbury Plain (42), and all four have king colonies.92

WhereWhat you seeHow you get there
St Andrews Bay, South GeorgiaThe island's largest colony, sprawling over about 0.4 sq mi (1 sq km)6Expedition ship; the most landed site after Grytviken9
Salisbury Plain and Gold Harbour, South GeorgiaWith St Andrews Bay, the three largest king colonies on the island, in Oceanwide's description10Expedition ship
Fortuna Bay, Hound Bay and Royal Bay, South GeorgiaSmaller colonies on beaches and glacial outwash plains; Oceanwide calls the one at Moltke Harbour in Royal Bay huge211Expedition ship
Grytviken, South GeorgiaKings walking the streets of the old whaling station, as Oceanwide puts it10A compulsory call for every ship9
Volunteer Point, FalklandsThe islands' largest king colony, beside gentoo and Magellanic colonies12Day trip from Stanley: about 2.5 hours each way by 4x4, the last 12 miles (19 km) overland13
Bahía Inútil, Tierra del Fuego, Chile160 to 200 birds, by the reserve's own 2026 estimate14By road from Punta Arenas, with a ferry crossing on the Porvenir route15
Macquarie Island, AustraliaWhat Ponant calls an impressive king colony7Some Ross Sea voyages, on the way back to New Zealand, if time and weather allow7

Volunteer Point is a private nature reserve on Johnson's Harbour Farm: visits need the owner's permission, and drones and camping are not allowed.12 Some voyages that call at Stanley sell the trip as an excursion: on HX's 19-day Antarctica and Falklands voyage from March 19, 2027, from $10,485 per person with two sharing, the 4x4 outing costs $338 more, as listed on October 14, 2026.16 Our Falkland Islands page covers the islands' other penguins. The Chilean reserve, whose first birds arrived in 2010 and first chick hatched in 2013, opens from October to May for guided small-group walks booked ahead; an adult ticket costs CLP 20,000, paid on arrival.1415

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

Any month a ship can reach them, because the colonies are occupied all year; what changes is what you see. Breeding adults arrive from September to November, eggs are laid from November to April, and the chicks stay ashore through the winter while their parents fish.34

MonthsWhat is happening in the colony
October to DecemberLast season's brown chicks moult into adult feathers and leave for the sea; adults court, and those that raised a chick moult for 24 to 30 days5
November to FebruaryNew eggs, carried on the parents' feet for about 54 days; the first new chicks hatch from January45
MarchBig chicks gather in crèches while both parents fish5
April to SeptemberChicks wait out the winter, fed less often, and can lose up to half their weight; on its early-April voyage, Oceanwide expects birds on eggs with chicks nearby511

Because a chick takes 10 to 13 months to raise, a pair produces at most two chicks every three years, and a colony can hold year-old chicks beside birds still sitting on eggs.1 HX describes its March voyage as a time of moulting adults and fully grown chicks, and Oceanwide notes that South Georgia's beaches are also crowded with breeding fur seals in December and January.1710 For the wider calendar, see the best time to visit Antarctica.

Which voyages give the best odds of seeing king penguins?

A voyage with three or four days at South Georgia, because almost every landing there puts you among kings. No operator publishes a success rate, and weather can cancel any landing; in 2024-25, 19 South Georgia landings were also aborted because visitors could not keep their distance from animals that might carry bird flu.9 These are the lowest fares we found for the voyages with the most South Georgia time:

VoyageDays at South GeorgiaDepartureLowest published fare, per person
Oceanwide Expeditions Atlantic Odyssey, Plancius, 24 days, Ushuaia to St Helena3April 4, 2027$9,450, one berth in a shared four-berth porthole cabin (three women's and two men's berths left); no flights; read October 15, 20261118
HX South Georgia and Falklands, MS Fram, 18 days, Santiago to Montevideo4March 12, 2027$10,731, two sharing (was $15,732), after HX's 130th anniversary discounts, the extra one only for bookings made by November 9, 2026; includes a Santiago hotel night, the flight to Punta Arenas and the South Georgia permit; read October 14, 20261719
Oceanwide Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula, Plancius, 19 days, Ushuaia round trip4November 23, 2026$12,575, the one men's berth left in a shared triple; the four-berth cabins were waitlisted; no flights; read October 15, 20261018
HX In-depth Antarctica, Falklands and South Georgia, MS Fram, 23 days, Santiago round trip4, plus 4 in AntarcticaNovember 6, 2026$17,774, two sharing (was $22,934), same anniversary discounts; includes flights between Santiago and Punta Arenas and the permit; read October 14, 20262019

Our pick, on these fares: if kings are the point and you do not need Antarctica, HX's March voyage gives four South Georgia days in a cabin you do not share with strangers, and its fare covers the permit and the flight south from Santiago.17 If you want the Antarctic Peninsula too, Oceanwide's November departure is the cheapest combined trip here, if you can take the shared cabin and book your own flights to Ushuaia.10 The Atlantic Odyssey costs least, but after South Georgia it sails on to Tristan da Cunha and ends at St Helena, in the middle of the South Atlantic.11 If South Georgia is out of reach, a Peninsula voyage that calls at Stanley adds Volunteer Point, with about 1,500 pairs against South Georgia's 450,000.52 To weigh the extra week and cost, read whether South Georgia is worth it.

How close can you get to king penguins?

No closer than 16 ft (5 m) on South Georgia, where the landing is called off if the group cannot keep that distance from wildlife or carcasses, and up to 33 ft (10 m) is recommended from animals that look ill.21 Visitors there may not sit, kneel or lie on the ground, and on the coast should not crouch either, because it invites trouble with fur seals.21 In the Falklands the rule is 20 ft (6 m) and staying outside the colony; the Chilean reserve keeps you 164 ft (50 m) back under Chilean wildlife-watching rules, with binoculars at its viewing points.221415

Young kings are often curious. The South Georgia government says some animals, especially juveniles, approach visitors, and that this is fine as long as the animal makes the first move.23 Our Antarctica visitor rules guide covers the rules south of 60°S.

Is a king penguin bigger than an emperor penguin?

No. By the British Antarctic Survey's averages, the emperor stands about 8 in (21 cm) taller, at 45 in (115 cm), and at 84 lb (38 kg) weighs more than twice as much as a king.1 Kings are slimmer, their ear patches are colored differently, and their flippers are larger for their size; a king's own weight swings from 22 to 33 lb (10 to 15 kg) when courting to 18 to 24 lb (8 to 11 kg) by the end of breeding.4 For a trip, the difference is where they live: kings breed on the beaches South Georgia voyages land at, while emperors breed on Antarctic sea ice and need a dedicated, expensive trip.1 Our emperor penguin page compares the two side by side.

Are king penguins endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List rates the king penguin Least Concern, as it has in every assessment since 1988, most recently in 2020, because its range and population are very large and increasing.3 It has recovered once already: sealers nearly wiped out many colonies for oil in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and numbers have since risen at most of them.4 The risks are real but so far local:

  • Warming seas. Kings feed in cold water at the Antarctic Polar Front, which climate models suggest could shift south by 16 to 25 miles (25 to 40 km) a decade, forcing parents from the northern colonies to travel farther for food.3
  • Bird flu. Highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed in one South Georgia king colony in February 2024, with effects the government called localized.24 On Crozet in late 2024, scientists found more than 150 kings dead or sick on the edges of colonies at two sites, mostly moulting adults, a small number against the tens of thousands alive there.25
  • Disturbance and predators. Helicopter flights may cause some breeding failure, and introduced cats and foxes kill some chicks at a few sites, impacts BirdLife judges low.3 The Chilean reserve recorded gray foxes taking chicks in 2017 and a drop in numbers in 2020, when summer temperatures passed 77°F (25°C).14

How long do king penguins live, and what eats them?

About 20 years in the wild, by Falklands Conservation's estimate, and they start breeding at 5 or older.5 At sea, killer whales and leopard seals are their main predators, with fur seals and sea lions taking a few; ashore, giant petrels kill chicks, and skuas and sheathbills take eggs.3 They eat mostly small lanternfish, with more squid in winter, and hunt by day, usually 525 to 655 ft (160 to 200 m) down and sometimes below 1,180 ft (360 m).43

Where to see king penguin

South Georgia

Where South Georgia is and how to visit it: which voyages go and what they cost, whether the extra week is worth it, the best months, the wildlife and the government's rules.

Grytviken

The South Georgia whaling station where Shackleton is buried: his grave, the museum and church, the government's landing rules and permit fee, and the voyages that call there.

Falkland Islands

How to visit the Falkland Islands and what it costs: the weekly flight from Chile, the UK airbridge, the cruises that stop and their fares, the best penguin sites and months, and the rules.

Stanley

Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands, on a cruise day: getting ashore, what to see on foot, penguins nearby, shore excursions and prices, and the weather month by month.

Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas, Chile, the gateway for Antarctic air-cruises: flights in, the two-hour hop to King George Island and what it costs, Magdalena Island's penguins, things to do and the weather.

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.

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.Antarctic Penguins (public information leaflet, 2017), British Antarctic Survey (NERC). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. 2.South Georgia Terrestrial Protected Area: description of the protected features (October 2023), Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  3. 3.King Penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus: species factsheet, BirdLife International (Data Zone). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  4. 4.King penguin, Australian Antarctic Division (Australian Antarctic Program). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  5. 5.King penguin, Falklands Conservation. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  6. 6.Developing UAV Monitoring of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands' Iconic Land-Based Marine Predators (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021), Dickens et al., Frontiers in Marine Science (British Antarctic Survey, University of Oxford). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  7. 7.Scott & Shackleton’s Antarctic - Ross Sea Expedition: from Jan 25, 27 to Feb 15, 27 | PONANT United States, PONANT. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  8. 8.Fifty-year change in penguin abundance on Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica: results of the 2019-20 census (Polar Biology), Strycker et al., Polar Biology (Springer). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  9. 9.South Georgia Annual Visitor Report 2024-25, Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  10. 10.Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Antarctic Peninsula, m/v Plancius, 23 November to 11 December 2026 (PLA23-26), Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  11. 11.Atlantic Odyssey, excl. Antarctic Peninsula, m/v Plancius, 4 to 27 April 2027 (PLA33-27), Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  12. 12.Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands Tourist Board. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  13. 13.Sample Itinerary: 8 Days, Falklands Discovery, Falkland Islands Holidays. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  14. 14.El Pingüino Rey en Chile (the colony, its history and visitor FAQ), Reserva Natural Pingüino Rey (Bahía Inútil, Tierra del Fuego, Chile). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  15. 15.Visita Pingüino Rey (visit planning, hours and tickets) and Cómo llegar, Reserva Natural Pingüino Rey (Bahía Inútil, Tierra del Fuego, Chile). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  16. 16.Antarctica & Falklands Expedition Cruise (19 days, Buenos Aires to Montevideo), HX Expeditions (Hurtigruten Expeditions). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  17. 17.South Georgia & Falklands Expedition Cruise (18 days, Santiago de Chile to Montevideo), HX Expeditions (Hurtigruten Expeditions). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  18. 18.Dates & Rates: Antarctica & Arctic Cruises (m/v Ortelius and m/v Plancius tables, 2026-27 to 2027-28), Oceanwide Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  19. 19.HX Expeditions unveils new fleet enhancements for 2026 and beyond (press release, 1 September 2026), HX Expeditions (Mynewsdesk newsroom). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  20. 20.In-depth Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia Expedition (23 days, round-trip flights from Santiago de Chile), HX Expeditions (Hurtigruten Expeditions). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  21. 21.Biosecurity Standard Operating Procedure 01: Visitors, Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  22. 22.Countryside Code, Falkland Islands Government Environment Unit (published by the Falkland Islands Tourist Board). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  23. 23.Frequently asked questions, Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  24. 24.HPAI Confirmed in Penguin Populations on South Georgia (news release, March 11, 2024), Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  25. 25.Circumpolar spread of avian influenza H5N1 to southern Indian Ocean islands (Nature Communications, 2025), Clessin et al., Nature Communications (Nature Portfolio). Accessed October 15, 2026.