When to go to Antarctica

All voyages operate during the Austral summer of November to March, when Antarctica is at its most spectacular. Each month however has its own special highlights:

November (late spring-early summer)
Undoubtedly the most adventurous and, in some ways, the most awe-inspiring time to visit:

• huge volumes of ice and pristine snow
• incredible courtship displays in the penguins rookeries
• fur seals courtship is most active in South Georgia
• spring flowers bloom in the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

December-January (mid summer)
Antarctica's warmest months, when wildlife activities are in full swing:

• longer days with more daylight (take stunning photos at midnight!)
• the first penguins chicks hatch on South Georgia and the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), followed in mid-December by the first Antarctic chicks
• seal pups are visible on South Georgia

February-March (late summer)
The weather is still good and wildlife still active but, most importantly, the best whale watching time of the season:

• ice allows exploration further south along the Antarctic Peninsula
• best whale watching of the season
• penguin rookeries at their busiest, with adult birds fetching krill and feeding their chicks
• fur seals most common along the Antarctic Peninsula and young fur seals at the most playful on South Georgia
• penguin chicks begin to fledge late February/early March

Climate

The main factors influencing the climate of Antarctica are the waters of the Southern Ocean, the seasonal variations of sea ice, the ice sheet that covers the continent itself, and its high altitude and high (southern) latitude. There are considerable climatological differences between the sea, the coastlines, and the interior. For instance, the Southern Ocean has most clouds, followed by Lesser Antarctica, while Greater Antarctica, with its high, arid plateau, has the least cloud cover. The key points to bear in mind are that Antarctica is extremely cold, dry, and windy, with little precipitation.

Temperature range

Sub-Antarctic islands: -40°C in August to +14°C in January/February (-40° to +57°F).
Antarctic Interior: -40° to -70°C (-40° to -94°F) in August to -15° to -45°C (5° to -49°F) in February.

Note: Expedition cruises to Antarctica never reach the interior of the continent. Passengers only travel to coastal regions and only in summer, when conditions are much milder. Mean coastal temperatures along the Peninsula are seldom far from the point of freezing. Summers in this part of Antarctica are more comparable with winters in maritime Europe and North America, and far warmer than winters in central USA and northern Canada. Changes in Antarctic weather can be rapid and dramatic: fine, sunny conditions can shift in minutes to storms with very cold winds and snow flurries.