About this site

Last updated: 10 August 2026

What this is

Best Places to See Penguins is an editorial guide to seeing penguins in the wild. We rank twenty of the world's best penguin-viewing destinations — from the million-bird king penguin colonies of South Georgia to the free little-penguin colony at Melbourne's St Kilda Pier — with the species you'll see, the best season, access notes, costs and how hard each is to reach.

Eight destinations are live now; we are adding the remaining twelve over the coming months. The species guide covers all 18 penguin species and where each can reliably be watched in the wild.

How we research each destination

Every destination page cites its primary sources at the bottom. They come from three places, in roughly that order of weight: government and conservation authorities (population counts, regulations, management plans); conservation organisations and scientific publications (species ranges, breeding phenology, ethics of viewing); and tour operators with long track records on the ground (current costs, logistical details, what to actually expect on the day).

We do not invent numbers, and we do not paraphrase sources we have not read. Where data is contested (for example, historical emperor penguin colony counts), we link the underlying paper or report rather than picking a winner.

Independence

We sell no tours and earn no booking commissions. The site is not affiliated with any tour operator, park authority or conservation organisation. If we recommend an operator, it is because the species and logistics warrant it — not because we are paid to.

This is funded out of pocket and runs without advertising. If you find it useful, the kindest thing you can do is share a link to the specific page that solved your problem, rather than the homepage.

Corrections and updates

Colonies move, governments change access rules, ferry schedules shift, and prices double overnight. We rewrite destination pages whenever a source confirms something has changed. If you spot something that is stale or wrong, we would rather hear about it than not — see the contact details below.

What this site is not

It is not a travel agency, not a booking platform, and not a substitute for the official information published by the relevant park, government or operator. Penguin viewing is unpredictable by nature — a colony that hosted 100,000 birds last season may be inaccessible this year because of ice, weather, disease or politics. Always confirm current conditions with the operator or authority before you travel.

Contact

Corrections, suggestions and partnership enquiries: hello@bestplacestoseepenguins.com.