Photographing Penguins in Antarctica

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Sunday, 11 January 2026 - The ship approached the remote Shag Islands, allowing close observation of large Antarctic shag colonies along with other Southern Ocean seabirds. Later in the day, a significant pod of fin whales surfaced near the ship, providing extended opportunities to observe and photograph this vulnerable species before continuing westward.

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After sailing all night from South Georgia we were still in South Georgia. The Shag Islands pop up in the middle of the Southern Atlantic and are home to - Antarctic Shags.

Despite being 150 miles from South Georgia the Shag Islands are claimed, by Britain, as part of South Georgia.
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We all went out on the bow of the ship to photograph the Shag Islands and the Antarctic Shags.

And there were plenty of opportunities the closer we came to the islands. Here a group of shags flies next to the ship.
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An Antarctic Shags heading toward the rocks.
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There were plenty of other birds in the area. This is a Black-browed Albatross gliding near the water.
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This small bird is the Antarctic prion - a genus of small petrels. Antarctic prions breed in colonies on islands in the Southern Ocean, nesting in burrows in the ground or rock crevices. They are highly pelagic, meaning they spend most of their lives at sea, rarely approaching land except to nest.
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An Antarctic Shag passes the ship with the Shag Islands in the background.
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One of the six rock islands making the Shag Islands. There are a total of 49 acres adding up all the islands land mass.
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The rocks are covered with birds - mostly Antarctic Shags.
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The bottom of an Antarctic Shag
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Several hours later we were gathered for a lecture on whales when there was a ship announcement that there was a large pod of Fin whales just in front of the ship. The lecture was immediately forgotten as we raced for cameras.

Blows everywhere. The ship had slowed to ensure we would let them pass.
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Here is a surfacing Fin whale and the blow of one right next to it.

The Fin whale is the second-largest whale, only smaller than the Blue whale. The longest one measured was almost 90-feet, and they can weigh up to 130 tons.
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Three Fin whales together - it was quite the camera frenzy with so many whales.

Over 725,000 fin whales were reportedly taken from the Southern Hemisphere between 1905 and 1976. Their rate of recovery has been slow, and they are still a vunerable species. There are only 25,000 in the Southern Hemisphere.
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The giant fluke of a Fin whale.

The Fin whale is one of the fastest in the ocean capable of reaching speeds of 30 miles per hour.
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Blows were widespread.
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Another diving Fin whale.

They can dive up to 1,540 feet, but these seem to be traveling popping up frequently.
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Several Fin whales together.
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I spent 30 minutes outside photographing the pod of Fin whales - lots of fun.
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