All animal and plant life in Antarctica live around the edges of the continent and in its ocean. The vast mass of ice, fierce winds and extreme cold makes it impossible to live in the interior of Antarctica. In winter Antarctica is in darkness and the surface of the ocean freezes and many of the animals leave Antarctica. Most of the small sea life, such as Krill, moves to places where the water temperature is more stable. Animals that eat Krill either change their diet or follow the Krill’s movement. The only warm blooded animal that remains in Antarctica throughout the winter is the Emperor Penguin.
To survive in the Antarctic winter, life has evolved and adapted to this environment. Plants such as algae, lichen and mosses can be found beneath an insulating layer of snow or in cracks in rocks which provide the plants shelter, light, warmth and moisture. Whales, seals and penguins have developed a thick layer of fat under their skins to protect them from the cold. Some fish contain antifreeze in their body. Many warm blooded animals conserve their energy so they can keep their body heat stable.
In spring and summer Antarctica is full of life. There is a lot feeding and breeding during this period of the year. Birds make their nests and tend to their eggs and chicks. Seals have their pups on either the sea ice, ice shelves or on the coast. There is also a massive growth in microscopic life that provides the energy Antarctica life depends on.
Some animals in Antarctica
Krill
There are about 85 species of Krill. Adult Antarctic Krill are approximately 6 centimetres in length and weigh just over a gram. Krill swim together in massive pack that can be hundreds of metres across and up to 15-20 metres deep. The packs of Krill sometimes make the water look orange. The krill mainly feed on phytoplankton and are eaten by most Antarctic wildlife, from fish to giant whales.
Seals
There are many different types of seal in Antarctica. Some species of seal in the Antarctic are the Southern Elephant Seal, the largest seal of the southern ocean, the males can weigh over 4 tons, the Wéddell seal, they live under the fast ice, the Leopard seal, they can breed on pack ice and can rip the skin of an Adélie penguin like peeling an orange, the Crabeater seal, they mainly eat Krill despite its name and are the most numerous of all the seal species in the Southern Ocean, and the Gold Bull Fur seal, they are very rare and are not very well known of by humans.
Seal seal Fur seal
Whales
There are six species of toothed whales and dolphins that come to the waters around Antarctica, these include blue sei, humpback, fin, minke and the southern right whale are all baleen whales. They filter the water for their food through combs of fibrous plates called baleen. The Humpback whale breed in shallow waters and so are the whales most often sighted. They are known for their “songs” which scientists believe are a way that the whales communicate. The Minke whale is small compared other whales and mainly eat Krill. The Southern right whale likes to breed in harbours and bays. Whalers found them easy to catch because once they were harpooned they floated on the surface and the whalers called it the “right” whale to catch. The Killer whale is actually a large dolphin and a successful hunter. Its sharp teeth enable it to feast on larger prey such as penguins, seals and even other whales. The Blue whale is the largest animal on earth and feeds mainly on Krill.
