Antarctica: Month by Month
Given Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime journey and traveling this far South for many is quite an investment in both, time and money, we want te make absolutely sure you are fully aware of the delicate changes as well as the rapid movement on wildlife and landscapes as the short summer goes by.
The Early Season
The Antarctic Season starts in late October and it goes all the way through the beginning of April, giving a wide variety of options depending where your interest is placed. The early season means colder temperatures and pristine snowy landscapes, Antarctica is waking up after the long and dark winter and wildlife is arriving by the hundred of thousands. One can easily picture the early explorers 120 years ago seeing exactly the same landscape, unchanged and untouched.
November is when most cruise lines kick off their Antarctica season, and as with October, you can expect landing sites that are yet to be sullied by penguin poop and other tourists trampling on the snow, offering a more pristine landscape. Prices are lower and getting a good deal is possible.
Summer: The High Season
December and January are perhaps the most popular months to visit Antarctica as it is when MOST people take their holidays thus prices tend to rise accordingly. The weather could be slightly warmer as the midnight sun shines through 24/7. These months are when you see fully functional rookeries with every nest occupied by busy parents feeding their young fluffy chicks.
Towards the end of the season, February and March you’ll have more chance of seeing whales and seals, who are now more curious about our presence. Whales arrive to Antarctica early in the season but are busy feeding and recovering their body weight lost while ‘holidaying’ in warmer waters where they breed and give birth. The shrinking sea ice means you’ll be able to travel deeper and further South across the Antarctic Circle, where you could enjoy tabular icebergs and different wildlife such as Adelie penguins.
December and January are arguably the peak season and most popular months to visit Antarctica with temperatures approaching their warmest (by Antarctic standards), long hours of daylight and wildlife active everywhere. Departures during these months tend to fill up quite in advance, prices are higher due to more demand thus booking with a lot of time in advance is advisable if you want to take advantage of our ‘early booking discounts’
January, with near 24-hour daylight gives you ample opportunity to snap away with your camera. In early January you can expect to see adorably fluffy grey penguin chicks, and it’s also a good month for spotting seals and whales.
Late Season: Whale Watching, seals and mora affordable passages
February and March are the best time for whale watching in Antarctica, with species including Humpback, Minke, and Orca, and you still have a chance of seeing penguins in creches. Seals are also abundant at this time of year, you can expect to see Leopard, Weddell, Crabeater seals as well as young Elephant and Fur seals bachelors. Snow is scarce in most of landing sites so Camping in Antarctica becomes more challenging and often is not offered!
In March the season begins to wind down, and you’ll see fewer and fewer ships in Antarctica as the month progresses, this is a GREAT month to travel to Antarctica if you don’t want to see other ships and are looking for a more affordable passage. By this point it’s too late to see penguin chicks and temperatures are getting colder, and sea ice starts to form with the first stages of pancake sea ice, Nevertheless it’s a still great time to spot whales, and seals are abundant on the Antarctic Peninsula. The summer season is wrapping up and you can clearly see the big cold winter approaching, a magical time in the Peninsula.