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Falkland Islands Tours › Falkland Islands Wildlife: 12 Animals You Can See From StanleyUpdated 2026-09-10

Falkland Islands Wildlife: 12 Animals You Can See From Stanley

Hours, prices and access verified by the Falkland Islands Tours team — last checked 2026-09-10

Two elephant seals rearing up face to face on a grassy shore, more seals resting on the grass behind them

The short answer. The Falkland Islands have five breeding penguin species, three breeding seals, at least nine dolphin species and three endemic birds. From the Stanley jetty, a day ashore reaches gentoo and Magellanic penguins near town, king penguins at Volunteer Point, and elephant seals at Kelp Point. Rockhoppers, macaronis and the albatross colonies breed on outer islands no port-day tour reaches.

Every tour starts at the Jetty Visitor Centre in Stanley. Below are twelve animals within reach of it, the beach where each lives, and which of the Falkland Islands shore excursions gets you there.

Falkland Islands wildlife at a glance

Falkland Islands wildlife: 12 animals, where to see them on a day from Stanley, and the tour that reaches each. Seasons are given only where the tourist board publishes one.
AnimalWhere on a day from StanleyWhenTour that reaches itFrom (per person)
1. Gentoo penguinYorke Bay, Gypsy Cove, Bertha's Beach, Kelp PointAll yeargentoo colony tour$40
2. Magellanic penguinGypsy Cove burrows, Yorke BaySummer onlyshared shore tour$137
3. King penguinVolunteer PointAll yearVolunteer Point day$398
4. Southern elephant sealKelp Point (Whale Point)Not publishedprivate Kelp Point 4x4$444
5. Southern sea lionOccasional at Gypsy Cove; listed at Bertha's BeachNot publishedBertha's Beach small group$379
6. Commerson's dolphinBertha's Beach, in the shallowsNot publishedprivate Bertha's Beach day$410
7. Peale's dolphinBertha's Beach, in the shallowsNot publishedprivate Bertha's Beach day$410
8. Flightless steamer duckGypsy Cove, Bertha's BeachNot publishedBertha's Beach small group$379
9. Upland and kelp geeseGypsy CoveNot publishedshared shore tour$137
10. Black-crowned night heronGypsy CoveNot publishedprivate Gypsy Cove and Cape Pembroke$379
11. Striated caracaraNo single site namedNot publishedAny tour, by luck–
12. South American ternBertha's BeachNot publishedBertha's Beach small group$379

Most of the list lives in three places: the Cape Pembroke peninsula, with Gypsy Cove and Yorke Bay, 6.5 km from town; Fitzroy Farm, with Bertha's Beach and Kelp Point; and Volunteer Point in the northeast. The map of the visitor sites shows where each one sits.

Penguins: the three a day ashore reaches

Around one million penguins nest in the islands every summer, across the five penguin species. Three of them are within a day of the ship. For the detail on each beach, read where to see each penguin.

1. Gentoo penguin

Gentoos live here all year, and the Falklands hold the largest gentoo population on the planet. You find them at Yorke Bay, Gypsy Cove, Bertha's Beach and Kelp Point. The cheapest way in is the gentoo colony tour at $40: one hour in all, 35 minutes of it at the colony, with the admission fee in the fare.

2. Magellanic penguin

Magellanic penguins are summer residents only. They nest in burrows at Gypsy Cove, and their braying call earned them the name “Jackass” penguins. The shared shore tour gives you 40 minutes at Yorke Bay and 30 above the burrows, in two hours forty.

3. King penguin

Kings stay all year. Their largest colony in the islands is at Volunteer Point, where around 500 to 700 chicks are raised each year. One product goes there: the Volunteer Point day, $398 a person, two hours at the point, lunch included and four seats to a 4x4.

Seals and sea lions

4. Southern elephant seal

The tourist board calls the Southern elephant seal the world's largest pinniped. On a day from Stanley, you see it at Kelp Point on Fitzroy Farm, which the board says is also known as Whale Point for the whale bones on its beach. The last part of the drive is off-road across the farm, and gentoo and Magellanic penguins share the beach.

Each seal day spends one to two hours at the colony, with lunch in the fare. The private Kelp Point 4x4 at $444 adds an hour at a gentoo colony. The small-group Kelp Point day at $482 takes up to 15 people. The Whale Point day at $448 spends two hours there, but its listing gives Mount Pleasant Airport as the start, so check that before you book from a ship. The elephant seal tours page compares them side by side.

5. Southern sea lion

Sea lions are widely spread around the islands and make their homes in the tussac grass. Near Stanley they are occasional visitors at Gypsy Cove, and the tourist board lists them at Bertha's Beach. Treat one as a bonus, never a promise.

Elephant seals and gentoos in one day

The small-group 4x4 day to Kelp Point: $482 a person, five hours forty-five, an hour at the colony and lunch included.

Check the Kelp Point day

Dolphins in the shallows

At least nine dolphin species and two porpoises have been recorded around the islands.

6. Commerson's dolphin

One of the two easiest to see. The tourist board says Commerson's dolphins are frequently seen in the shallows and often accompany boats.

7. Peale's dolphin

The other easy one. Both species are on the board's list for Bertha's Beach, an Important Bird Area and Ramsar site. The private Bertha's Beach day at $410 gives you two hours on the sand, and the Bertha's Beach tours page sets out every way to get there. Dolphins are a chance, not a promise.

Birds you can see near Stanley

Falklands Conservation lists 24 bird species ashore at Gypsy Cove, and three more out to sea. Five are worth looking for by name. The full checklist is on birdwatching in the Falklands.

  • 8. Falklands flightless steamer duck. One of three endemic birds. It works the shore at Gypsy Cove and Bertha's Beach.
  • 9. Upland and kelp geese. The board calls upland geese plentiful, and both kinds graze at Gypsy Cove.
  • 10. Black-crowned night heron. On the tourist board's list for Gypsy Cove. The private Gypsy Cove and Cape Pembroke tour at $379 spends an hour at Yorke Bay and half an hour each at the cove and the Cape Pembroke Lighthouse.
  • 11. Striated caracara. Locals call it the Johnny Rook, and the board warns of its thieving tendency. Keep lunch in a closed bag.
  • 12. South American tern. Listed for Bertha's Beach. The Bertha's Beach small group at $379 gives an hour there and half an hour each at Yorke Bay and Gypsy Cove, with eight people at most.

What a port day will not reach

  • Rockhopper and macaroni penguins breed in summer. The largest rockhopper colonies are on the Jason Islands, and macaronis nest among them.
  • Black-browed albatross. Over 70% of the world's population is found here, most of it breeding on the Jason Islands. The wingspan runs 210 to 250 cm.
  • Cobb's wren, an endemic, lives only on rodent-free islands.
  • Orca are best seen from Sea Lion Island.
  • Sei whales are the most commonly seen whale, feeding in summer and autumn.
  • South American fur seals keep to rocky outcrops.

For which months each penguin is ashore, see when to see penguins, month by month.

💡 Did You Know? There are no amphibians or reptiles in the Falkland Islands, and the insects are small and harmless. Everything you meet on the beach is a bird or a mammal.

Which tour for which animal

  • A short call, gentoos only: the one-hour gentoo colony tour at $40.
  • Gentoos, Magellanics and the Lady Elizabeth wreck: the shared Yorke Bay and Gypsy Cove tour.
  • Gentoos on a quiet white beach, and a chance of dolphins: Bertha's Beach, private or in the small group of eight.
  • Elephant seals: one of the Kelp Point days, or Whale Point once you have checked where it starts.
  • Kings: Volunteer Point, the one product that goes there.

How to watch wildlife in the Falklands

The Countryside Code asks you to keep 6 metres, or 20 feet, from wildlife.

✅ Useful Tip: Never stand between an animal and its path to the sea. At Gypsy Cove, stay on the paths above the burrows. Between sites, brush seeds and soil off your boots, clothing and bags, because they carry pests from one island to the next.

The rest of the wildlife rules ashore are on the visiting page.

Falkland Islands wildlife FAQs

What animals live in the Falkland Islands?
Five breeding penguin species (gentoo, king, Magellanic, rockhopper and macaroni), three breeding seals (the Southern elephant seal, the Southern sea lion and the South American fur seal), at least nine dolphin species and two porpoises, whales led by the sei whale, and birds including three endemics: Cobb's wren, the flightless steamer duck and the tussac bird. There are no amphibians or reptiles.
Can you see elephant seals near Stanley?
Yes, at Kelp Point on Fitzroy Farm, which the tourist board says is also called Whale Point. It is reached by road and off-road, and the elephant seal days spend one to two hours at the colony, with lunch included.
Are there dolphins in the Falkland Islands?
Yes. At least nine dolphin species have been recorded. Commerson's and Peale's dolphins are the easiest to see: they are often in the shallows and follow boats, and both are on the tourist board's list for Bertha's Beach.
How many penguins are in the Falkland Islands?
Around one million penguins nest in the islands every summer, across five breeding species. Gentoos and kings stay all year; Magellanic penguins are summer residents only.
Where can you see king penguins in the Falklands?
At Volunteer Point, the islands' largest king colony, where around 500 to 700 chicks are raised each year. One tour goes there from the Stanley jetty: six hours twenty, two of them at the point.

Know which animal you are after? The elephant seal day, both penguin beaches in one small group, and a private morning on the Cape Pembroke peninsula are below, and every tour from the jetty is on Falkland Islands Tours.

Tours for seals, sea lions and shore birds