See the Beauty of the World

Harp Seal

These "saddlebacks" are historically known as true ice enthusiasts, visiting the land mainly for breeding and spending the bulk of their lives at sea

Hooded Seal

Named for their hooded nasal cavities, these territorial pinnipeds tend to defend their homes more forcefully than others of their family

Humpback Whale

Also known as "great-winged newfoundlanders" for their wing-like flippers, these cetaceans earned their more contemporary name by the way they bow their backs before a dive

Ivory Gull

These "lovers of sea ice" have been dwindling since the 1980s, though whether this is due to relocation or approaching extinction is unknown

Killer Whale

Technically a kind of dolphin, orcas were once thought to appear as whales in the summer and wolves in the winter

King Eider

These are one of the largest sea ducks in the Northern Hemisphere, though their weight can vary considerably – especially among females, who rarely feed during incubation

King Penguin

Second in size only to the emperor penguin, these colorful divers look so different than their own chicks that they were once thought to be a different species

Kittiwake

Named for their own bird call, these cliff-nesting "three-toes" are the most abundant gulls on the planet

Leopard Seal

These "slender-clawed water workers" spend much of their lives submerged, though it's known they are the only member of their family to consume other seals

Light-mantled Albatross

Though these black-billed birds are so efficient at flying that they spend more energy at nest than in the air, they're often less than masterful at landing

Little Auk

The most numerous bird in the Svalbard archipelago, these fast-growing "sea doves" have colonies that sometimes number in the millions

Long-tailed Jaeger

These smallest members of the skua family make up in nerve what they lack in size, often feeding themselves on fish they've caused other birds to drop

Macaroni Penguin

Named for their orange plume feathers, these shallow-nesting hoppers are the largest of the crested penguins

Magellanic Penguin

These timid feather-shedders are named after the famed Portuguese explorer whose crew spotted them in 1520

Magellanic Snipe

Minke Whale

Though the smallest of the fin whales, these migrating mammals can let out a cry as loud as a plane taking off

Musk Ox

Among the few hooved animals to survive the last ice age, these goat-like creatures have an underlayer of fur that is one of the world's warmest natural fibers

Narwhal

Horned on the head with what is in fact a large canine tooth, these beluga relatives were named for their cadaverous color

North Atlantic Bottlenose Whale

These naturally friendly whales, heavily hunted in the early 1900s due to their trusting disposition, are among the deepest-diving mammals in the world

Northern Gannet

Known for their voracious appetites, these Arctic birds have so much trouble walking that they take off better from the water than the land