The cute cartoons of penguins waddling around the North Pole with Santa are erroneous. Penguins live mainly in the Southern Hemisphere, many of them in Antarctica. Seventeen different types of penguins call Antarctica home, but they are not the only wildlife here.

Seals, birds, and whales also live in and around Antarctica. These animals have evolved over millions of years in order to be adapted to the frigid temperatures and to live on icebergs. Global warming will lead to the melting of the polar ice cap, the habitat for these beautiful species.

Today people take cruises to Antarctica to see the exotic array of wildlife and the harsh yet pristine beauty of the landscape, but as the ice melts, those animals will disappear, and Antarctica will become a moon scape without its ice. It is our job to preserve the habitat of Antarctic wildlife. Every species is connected through the food chain and if we lose even one, it could have a detrimental effect on our lives in the future. Stopping the effects of global warming by changing our polluting habits is the only way to save these animals.