Adelie Penguin
These gallant-fighting, deep-diving namesakes of the French-claimed Antarctic Adélie Land are among the four penguin species on mainland Antarctica
View DetailsAntarctic Fur Seal
Once hunted nearly into extinction, these pointy-eared polar swimmers are the comeback queens and kings of the Antarctic
View DetailsAntarctic Petrel
These feathered fish-eaters are among the planet's most southerly nesting birds, the "petrel" of their name deriving from Saint Peter for their seeming ability to walk on water
View DetailsArctic Fox
Small but sturdy, these members of the canidae family can withstand some of Earth's coldest temperatures
View DetailsArctic Hare
They can run like the wind, see everything around them without turning their heads, and sometimes eat animals instead of leaves – all while looking this cute
View DetailsParasitic Jaeger
These far-ranging fliers are known for their love of (and skill for) thievery, pilfering most of their winter migration diet
View DetailsArctic Tern
Among the most nomadic birds on the planet, these sun-loving tourists summer twice a year during their ambitious routes
View DetailsAtlantic Yellow-Nosed Albatross
These so-called "foolish gulls" aren't so very foolish, capable of gliding for miles without a single flap of their wings
View DetailsAtlantic puffin
These horn-beaked auklets have nicknames both jocular and solemn: "sea clowns" for their facial hues, "little brothers of the north" for the monk-like tones of their plumage
View DetailsBarnacle Goose
Vanishing from Western Europe in the summer, these long-necked locals earned the medieval reputation for being borne of barnacles
View DetailsBearded Seal
The largest of their kind to take up in the Arctic, these loud-singing sopranos sport whiskers so long they were named after them
View DetailsBeluga Whale
The good-natured grin of these dolphin relatives is matched only by their high-frequency sounds, from which they derive the nickname "sea canaries"
View DetailsBlack Guillemot
These distinguished puffin relatives have a keen eye for decorum, matching their feathers to the landscape and holding fish in their beaks
View DetailsBlack-Crowned Night Heron
The warmth of their nesting instinct belies the darkness of their name, though that doesn't keep these night hunters from feeding during hours competition is at a low
View DetailsBlack-browed Albatross
So efficient in the air that their in-flight heart rate barely rises above resting, these sub-Antarctic birds pack a stomach full of oil they can spit at would-be attackers
View DetailsBlue Petrel
Spending all but the breeding season out to sea, these sole claimants of the genus Halobaena dash across the water to gain speed before liftoff
View DetailsBlue Whale
The largest-known creatures the Earth has ever produced have lifespans comparable to ours, though not hearts: Theirs can outweigh most vehicles
View DetailsAntarctic Shag
The only Antarctic bird to keep a year-round nest as long as the ice holds off, these neighbor-robbing homebodies are a welcome sight for sailors in search of land
View DetailsBowhead Whale
Reputed to have one of the longest lifespans of any animal on the planet, these sages of the sea also have the largest mouths – if only they could speak
View DetailsThick-billed Murre
They may expend a great deal of energy in flight, but that hardly concerns these tightly nesting (though largest-living) members of the Alcidae family
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