It's not surprising that Antarctica has very limited wildlife. Among land animals, most are very simple life forms like mites, krill, and lice. (Interestingly, these animals don't have ice water in their veins, they have glycerol, an biological version of antifreeze.)
However, there are some pretty intriguing marine animals that live in Antarctica, thriving mainly on krill and other forms of simple plant life. Among the animals visitors to Antarctica may see are penguins, blue whales, orcas, and fur seals.
Penguins are uniquely adapted to the harsh life of Antarctica. There are several species that call Antarctica home: the Emperor, the Adelie, King, Chinstrap, and Gentoo. All of them breed in Antarctica but the Emperor penguin has the unique status of being the only penguin that breeds in winter.
A great movie that described the terrible ordeals of ordinary life is March of the Penguins. Although it's a beautifully photographed animal movie, I wouldn't recommend it for children. These penguins have a pretty difficult life.
Antarctica is also home to fur seals. In fact, it was the lure of these pelts that first prompted American explorers to venture to the Antarctic continent in the first place. Both the United States and United Kingdom hunting these gorgeous animals extensively in the 19th century, with the result that the species were greatly reduced. This upset the continent's ecosystem. The seals were a key element of nature's delicate balance in that they were an important food for other indigenous animals, including the whales.
Today, there are extensive laws to protect the Antarctic environment, but it is still somewhat threatened. Krill, a simple plant that whales and other animals eat, is being over-fished in some regions since it is used as a popular health food supplement (it's a source of omega-3 oil). The Patagonian toothfish is also threatened; this local fish often finds its way to restaurant menus and platters in the United States as Chilean sea bass.
Several varieties of whale inhabit the icy waters off Antarctica including sperm, blue, humpback, fin, minke, and sei whales, among others. Whales were hunted well into the 20th century. As late as 1960-1961, some 40,000 whales were killed in Antarctic waters. A moratorium on whale hunting did not occur until 1968 and whale populations have steadily, albeit slowly, recovered. This doesn't mean no whales are hunted. What is banned is the so-called "factory ship whaling" or commercial whaling. Scientific expeditions are allowed to hunt whales for specific purposes.
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