How close can you get to animals in Antarctica?

Answer 1

Some animals in Antarctica such as seals and penguins seem to have little regard for humans being a threat. This is presumably because they have little experience of interaction with humans. Consequently it is possible to get within a metre or much less without the animal taking flight.

Another Answer

Your citizenship depends on how close you can come to an animal. For example, citizens of the United States are 'not allowed to harass' animals, and as a consequence, US citizens do not approach animals.

Further, the animals are wild. A seal can clamp on your leg like shark; a penguin can break your forearm with its flipper/ wing, so it's best to stand back and appreciate the animals from a distance.

It seems unlikely that US citizenship has much to do with it. Habitually US citizens may give animals a wide berth because of laws in their own jurisdiction but The Antarctic is not governed by US Law but by the Antarctic Treaty. No doubt seals bite even the relatively small Grey Seal found in European waters does so. However citation of an actual event of a penguin breaking an arm is needed if this is to be believed. It would appear to be a version of the "Swans can break your arm myth". Most Penguins are very small anyway