Arctic tern
Sterna paradisaea
Arctic to Antarctic
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
The Zoo · Arctic and Antarctic shores · 26 species
Polar coast
Polar bears, harbor and gray seals, walruses, sea lions, arctic foxes, snowy owls and a whole colony of penguins.
Arctic ternAdélie penguinAfrican penguinChinstrap penguinEmperor penguinErect-crested penguinFiordland penguinGalápagos penguinGentoo penguinHumboldt penguinKing penguinLittle penguinMacaroni penguinMagellanic penguinNorthern rockhopper penguinRoyal penguinSnares penguinSouthern rockhopper penguinYellow-eyed penguinSnowy owlArctic foxWalrusCalifornia sea lionGray sealHarbor sealPolar bear
All eighteen penguin species have plates here, shared with the natural history penguin room; the bears have their own bear room.
Adélie penguin
Pygoscelis adeliae
Antarctica
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
African penguin
Spheniscus demersus
A warm-climate penguin from South Africa and Namibia. Moved to critically endangered in 2024.
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Critically endangered; overfishing of its prey.
- Size
- About 60-70 cm tall · About 2.2-3.5 kg
What to watch forLook for the pink skin patch above each eye, which helps it lose heat.
Chinstrap penguin
Pygoscelis antarcticus
Antarctic Peninsula, Scotia Arc
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Emperor penguin
Aptenodytes forsteri
The only animal that breeds on Antarctic sea ice through the winter; fathers hold the egg on their feet for about two months.
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Near threatened; depends on stable sea ice.
- Size
- About 1.1-1.3 m tall · About 22-45 kg
What to watch forWatch huddles shift as birds take turns in the warm middle.
Erect-crested penguin
Eudyptes sclateri
Bounty and Antipodes Islands
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Fiordland penguin
Eudyptes pachyrhynchus
South Island, New Zealand
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Galápagos penguin
Spheniscus mendiculus
Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Gentoo penguin
Pygoscelis papua
Antarctic Peninsula, sub-Antarctic islands
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Humboldt penguin
Spheniscus humboldti
Peru, Chile
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
King penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus
The second-largest penguin; chicks wear brown fluff for a year.
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Least concern.
- Size
- About 70-100 cm tall · About 9-18 kg
What to watch forCompare the orange ear patches with the emperor's.
Little penguin
Eudyptula minor
New Zealand, southern Australia
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Macaroni penguin
Eudyptes chrysolophus
Sub-Antarctic islands
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Magellanic penguin
Spheniscus magellanicus
Argentina, Chile, Falklands
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Northern rockhopper penguin
Eudyptes moseleyi
Tristan da Cunha, Gough, Amsterdam Islands
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Royal penguin
Eudyptes schlegeli
Macquarie Island
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Snares penguin
Eudyptes robustus
Snares Islands, New Zealand
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Southern rockhopper penguin
Eudyptes chrysocome
Falklands, southern South America
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Yellow-eyed penguin
Megadyptes antipodes
New Zealand
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Size
- ·
Snowy owl
Bubo scandiacus
Hunts by day in the Arctic summer.
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Vulnerable, by its 2017 listing.
- Size
- About 52-71 cm long · About 1.6-3 kg
What to watch forLook at the feathered feet, like built-in boots.
Arctic fox
Vulpes lagopus
Turns white in winter and brown in summer.
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Least concern.
- Size
- Body length about 50-65 cm · About 3-8 kg
What to watch forCompare the short ears and legs with the fennec fox: a lesson in heat and cold.
Walrus
Odobenus rosmarus
Tusks (long canine teeth) help haul out onto ice. Whiskers find clams in the mud.
- Keeper's note
- Walruses get shellfish in mud-filled feeders to forage with their whiskers.
- Conservation
- Vulnerable; sea-ice loss.
- Size
- Body length about 2.7-3.6 m · About 800-1,700 kg
What to watch forWatch the whiskers work, and the tusks used like ice picks.
California sea lion
Zalophus californianus
An eared seal: it walks on its flippers and barks.
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Least concern.
- Size
- Body length about 2-2.4 m (males) · About 200-390 kg (males)
What to watch forWatch it rotate its back flippers forward to walk.
Gray seal
Halichoerus grypus
Males have a long, arched "horse head" nose.
- Keeper's note
- Keepers check appetite, movement and social behavior every day, and change enrichment so no two days are the same.
- Conservation
- Least concern; recovered in many areas after protection.
- Size
- Body length about 2-2.5 m (males) · About 170-350 kg (males)
What to watch forLook at the nose profile, then compare with the harbor seal.
Harbor seal
Phoca vitulina
A true (earless) seal: it moves on land by wriggling on its belly.
- Keeper's note
- Training sessions let keepers check teeth, eyes and flippers without stress.
- Conservation
- Least concern.
- Size
- Body length about 1.5-1.9 m · About 80-150 kg
What to watch forCompare how a seal and a sea lion move on land.
Polar bear
Ursus maritimus
A marine mammal: it hunts seals from sea ice. Black skin under hollow, see-through hair.
- Keeper's note
- Pools, ice blocks with fish frozen inside, and scent trails keep polar bears busy.
- Conservation
- Vulnerable; sea-ice loss from warming is the main threat.
- Size
- Body length about 1.8-2.6 m (males) · About 350-700 kg (males)
What to watch forWatch the big front paws paddle, and how the bear tests ice with its weight.
Watch and look
Live cams
Live cameras at zoos, sanctuaries and wild places. Tap to watch here, or open the provider page; all zoo cams.
KC Zoo Polar Bear Cam
Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium · local time at the camera
Best viewing: Live now; most cams run around the clock. Animals are most active in early morning and late afternoon local time.
Moody Gardens Penguin Cam LIVE | Penguin Habitat Stream at the Aquarium in Galveston, Texas
Moody Gardens · local time at the camera
Best viewing: Live now; most cams run around the clock. Animals are most active in early morning and late afternoon local time.
Penguin Cam Live | Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Webcam
Ozolio Live · local time at the camera
Best viewing: Live now; most cams run around the clock. Animals are most active in early morning and late afternoon local time.
Polar Cam
San Diego Zoo ↗
San Diego Zoo ↗
Polar Cam
San Diego Zoo · Pacific time
Best viewing: Mornings, Pacific time
If it is offline: more cams ↗
Penguin Cam
San Diego Zoo ↗
San Diego Zoo ↗
Penguin Cam
San Diego Zoo · Pacific time
Best viewing: Daytime, Pacific time
If it is offline: more cams ↗
Short films
Swipe, then tap to play. Captions are switched on where the maker provides them. Each film plays from its maker's channel.
Polar bear twins explore habitat at Saint Louis Zoo for the first timeSaint Louis Zoo ↗
Polar Bear Kallik Plays In Giant Tub Of IceOregon Zoo ↗
strawberry for the polar bearsPeak Wildlife Park ↗
Polar Bear Dives For Fish #bear #polarbear #oregonzoo #animalsOregon Zoo ↗
Giant ice block for the polar bears 🐻❄️Peak Wildlife Park ↗
Alaska Zoo Polar Bear Kova Dives a 10 out of 10!The Alaska Zoo ↗
Polar Bear Kallik Plays In His New Home For The First TimeOregon Zoo ↗
Kova the Polar Bear Swimming at the Alaska ZooThe Alaska Zoo ↗
Toronto Zoo Polar Bear Cub Introduced to Snow for the First TimeToronto Zoo ↗
Polar Bear Week!San Diego Zoo ↗
Picture gallery
Tap a picture to enlarge it. Every picture is public domain or openly licensed, credited below, and kept on our own server.
For classes
Lessons: The Mammal Hall: Weigh the cost of warmthPreviewThe Mammal Hall: What makes a mammal?PreviewThe Great Aquarium: Is a dolphin a fish?PreviewThe Dinosaur Hall: Is a bird a dinosaur?Preview
Drawer: Zoo: Polar coast
Quiz: Polar coast quiz · 5 questions
Next door: Natural history: the penguin room (all 18 species) · Natural history: the bear room · Sea lab: whales wall