Is March a good time to visit Antarctica?
March is the most underrated month of the season. Whales are at their most curious and interactive after months of feeding. Leopard seals are hunting fledging chicks. The sun is setting again so the light turns golden, fresh snow returns, and the icebergs are as good as they get. Pricing runs roughl
What is Antarctica like in January?
January is the month for penguin chicks, and it’s the most searched single month for that reason. Gentoo incubation runs about 34 days from the Christmas hatch, so by mid January the colonies are full of the fat grey chicks people picture. Whales are building through the month, the sun stays up, and
What is the best time to see icebergs in Antarctica?
Any time, and the common assumption that icebergs are an early season thing is wrong. Icebergs last for years. They drift around the continent slowly sculpting down, so a March trip has no shortage of them. The late season iceberg graveyards at Booth Island, Port Charcot and Pleneau are among the mo
How cold does it get on an Antarctica cruise?
Less cold than people brace for. Early season runs roughly 25 to 32F and peak summer in January and February runs roughly 32 to 40F. You’re travelling in austral summer throughout. The difference between the coldest and warmest parts of the season works out at about one extra fleece layer, not a dif
What is Antarctica like in February?
February is when the wildlife stops posing and starts behaving. Chicks are off the nest, muddy and running around with parents chasing them. Leopard seals move into the shallows as the first chicks start swimming late in the month. Whales become properly interactive rather than distant. The Antarcti
What is Antarctica like in November at the start of the season?
November is the pristine part of the season. The snow is deep and largely untouched, sea ice landings are sometimes possible, and you’re often the first ship into a site that year, so you’re walking on fresh ground. Penguins are back at the colonies and courting. What you won’t see is chicks, becaus
What is Antarctica like in December?
December is where peak season starts and the trip turns from landscape to wildlife. Eggs hatch around Christmas, so early December still has adults on nests while late December brings the first chicks. The sun barely sets, more landing sites are open than earlier in the season, and whales are becomi
Is it light 24 hours a day in Antarctica?
For part of the season, yes. Roughly early December to mid February you get 24 hour sun on the Peninsula. Outside that window the sun does set, and you get proper sunrises and sunsets. Photographers generally prefer the shoulders for exactly that reason, since permanent flat daylight is harder to sh
When is the best time of year to visit Antarctica?
There isn’t one, and any page that names a single best month is simplifying to sell you something. The season runs from early November to mid March, and the whole of it is good in different ways. What changes across those months is what you’ll see: pristine snow and courtship early, fluffy chicks an
Do I need a visa for the country my Antarctica cruise departs from?
You might, and it depends on your passport rather than on Antarctica. Most Peninsula voyages leave from Argentina or Chile, and some East Antarctica voyages use Australia or New Zealand. Argentina and Chile both apply nationality-specific visitor rules. Most non-Australian passport holders need the