During the 2019/20 austral summer, an unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV; drone) was used to collect imagery of breeding populations of seals, penguins and albatross. Two extensive southern elephant seal breeding sites were surveyed with complete counts made around the peak pupping date. A total of nine islands historically recorded as breeding sites for wandering albatross were surveyed. Populations of Adelie and chinstrap penguin colonies at the South Sandwich Islands, an extensive king penguin colony on South Georgia and a macaroni penguin colony, also on South Georgia, were also included in the surveys. The South Georgia aspects of this work were funded by grants to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) from the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. The South Sandwich Islands expedition was funded by the John Ellerman Foundation and donations from passengers on Quark Expeditions' ships.