Antarctic Wildlife Guide app
Both of the above are much bulkier than the new Antarctic Wildlife Guide app.
This piece of electronic wizardry covers the species in the South Atlantic area of Antarctica, which you would experience on a trip from Ushuaia during the 'tourist' season.
The Main Menu includes birds, seals, dolphins (toothed whales) and whales (baleen whales). There is also My Location, Tourism, Language (English or scientific names) and finally My List.
Each species has a detailed entry that includes description, diet and behaviour, breeding cycle, range and conservation status, and population. For each species there is generally a selection of photographs — although some are limited to one photo. The quality and usefulness of the photos are generally good.
The birds section is very comprehensive and illustrates all the species that you are most likely to see, as well as indicates where to look out for them. The only downside was that the information on how to differentiate between some of the closely related species — for example, Northern and Southern Royal Albatrosses — was a bit limited for the keen birder. On the plus side it is possible to bring up information on both royal albatross species by using the 'compare' option and this displays the two selected species side-by-side, which is very useful. This feature can be used in the other sections as well.
All seal species are covered, with good photos, but again I would have liked more information on the ID features to look out for in order to separate, for example, the various types of fur seal. The most common species of dolphin are given good coverage, with very good photos. Toothed whales are also covered and Southern Bottlenose Whale, the only beaked whale you're likely to come across here, is also included. The giants of the sea, the baleen whales, are very well covered with plenty of photographs and information.
A feature of the app that I liked and found particularly useful was the ability to select a particular area to view the species which you are likely to see in that area only. The areas that can be selected are: All, Beagle Channel, Falklands, South Georgia, Antarctic Peninsula and Drakes Passage. As a lot of the species are location-specific this would certainly speed up and simplify the identification process — especially for the various similar-looking shags, for example.
The 'My List' option allows you to log your sightings by species, location and date. You can export and email this list at the touch of a button.
Overall this app is a useful tool to have on a tablet but I think it would perhaps be less effective on a phone. For the more general tourist, wildlife enthusiast or photographer visiting the Antarctic, this is an ideal tool and is reasonably priced at £7.99. It is still useful to the more serious birder but Shirihai's book remains the essential reference. Had it been available for my trip I feel sure I would have used it, but I would still have referred to Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife for more comprehensive information.
