“When is the best time to visit Antarctica?” - A month-by-month breakdown.
OK, so let’s get into it. By far the number one question we’re asked, or get’s posted in our Antarctica Travel Group Facebook group is “When is the best time to go?”.
THERE IS NO BEST TIME TO GO!!!!
It’s always awesome.
Here is a visual graphic of what to expect month-by-month in Antarctica. You can use the button below to save a copy for free.
I’ve broken down each month in extreme detail below.
So when is the best time to go? Well, it’s best to visit during the Southern summer months when the Antarctica season is open for tourism; which typically runs from the end of October through the first week in April. But, that doesn’t mean Antarctica isn’t still awesome in the offseason!
Since Antarctica is in the Southern Hemisphere, its summer is in the opposite season of the Northern summer. The first departure of the season will often leave sometime in the last week in October and the final trip of the season will usually run through the end of March, with a few select companies running a trip into the first week of April. We usually describe the season as November-March, as over 95% of the companies and ships will operate in this window.
So now that we know when the season runs….”Which is the best month to go?”
That’s for you to decide. I’m an Antarctica expedition guide with nearly ten years of experience and have worked through each month of the season numerous times. I can honestly tell you that I don’t have a preference, and I don’t believe any other expedition guide can say with absolute certainty they have a favorite month. Each month is certainly different than the other, but the pros and cons of each month weigh out so evenly that no matter when you go, you’re going to have an incredible experience.
The main differences between each month will be the price, what wildlife sightings you’ll see, the condition of the landing sites, and the activities offered.
It’s important to decide what is most important to you when it comes to picking the right month to visit. Below I’ll break down each month and what you can expect during that time of the season.
If your main focus is seeing penguins; you can skip the rest of this blog because you can’t pick the wrong month. You will see penguins no matter when you go!
A gentoo penguin posing on a snowy November day on Danco Island.
November
Antarctica: November kicks off the tourism season in Antarctica. You’re likely to see Humpback whales, Fin whales, and heaps of different species of sea birds while crossing the Drake Passage, as this is their migration season. You may have read that you won’t see whales in Antarctica during November, and had I been writing this blog in 2010, that might have been somewhat true. However, the whale populations have been making a remarkable recovery over the last decade and it’s not at all uncommon to see whales while down on the Antarctic peninsula during ship and zodiac cruises in November. Numbers will increase throughout the season, but the past few seasons have offered more than enough whale encounters to satisfy our whale-seeking guests.
The majority of the penguins will have arrived and are getting ready to begin their mating season. They are actively building their nests, and you will more than likely see some courting rituals, as well as the actual act of conception. It will be too early to see any chicks, but it’s not uncommon to see eggs in November. This is a great time to see all sorts of goofy penguin behavior such as nest building and courtship.
The landing sites will still have pristine, soft snow, that may even be thigh deep when you walk in it. This makes November a great month to participate in snowshoeing if your chosen expedition offers it. If you travel in the early weeks of November, there is a great chance you could be the very first set of snowprints on a landing site. You’ll also have a lot of sea ice around in November. This is especially important when spotting all the types of seals we have in Antarctica, as it gives them a resting place to hide from Killer whales Yes, we have Orcas in Antarctica and November is a great time to see them, though not guaranteed.
November is also a great time for photographers, as we will still experience sunrises, sunsets, and golden hour. As we move into Dec, Jan, and part of Feb…we experience nearly 24 hours of sunlight!
The biggest drawback for people visiting in November is that it’s too early to see penguin chicks in Antarctica. However, November is still a fantastic time to visit for untouched landscapes, very active penguin behavior, and all the other types of wildlife. If penguin chicks are important to you, consider visiting in November and adding on South Georiga. We always see King penguin chicks in South Georgia.
Adelie penguins on a large iceberg in Antarctica.
South Georgia: There is one main attraction in South Georgia you can only see in November…. and to be honest, is hands down one of the biggest highlights of the entire season South. The big BULL male Elephant seals. While most people choose to visit South Georgia to see the meter tall (3ft) King penguins; the beaches are overrun with Elephant seals in November. The Elephant seals will arrive in October to give birth and mate, and by the end of November, the adults have almost entirely cleared the beaches and headed back to sea to replenish all the nutrients they’ve expended to mate and nurse their pups. There will also be freshly birthed elephant seals, called “weaners”. You’re likely to see the other main species of seal found on South Georiga, called the Fur seal. The mating males have begun to arrive looking to take over a haram of females for the breeding season.
When it comes to penguins, King penguins are certainly the reason most people will consider trips to South Georgia, and you’ll certainly see more than you can imagine no matter when you go. One thing that’s special about the King penguins in South Georgia is that because of their breeding cycle, there will ALWAYS be King penguin chicks during the season. No matter what month you choose to go, you’ll see King penguin chicks. But there are more than just King penguins there. If you’re lucky you’ll also get to see Macaroni penguins. These arrive around the third week in October and can really only be seen in two main places on the island that are visited by expedition ships. There are Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins in South Georgia as well. South Georgia is often referred to as “The Galapagos of the Southern Ocean” due to its incredible wildlife density and diversity. See our full South Georgia Blog -> HERE <-
Two playful adolesant male Elephant seals practicing their jousting on South Georgia.
December/January
I’ve combined Dec/Jan because they share very similar traits in terms of the experience while visiting.
Antarctica: As we head into early December and January, the number of whales will start to increase and the migration South has finished, and the whales are now in full force. It’s not uncommon to have whale encounters right up next to your zodiac or while in a kayak. Our two most common whale encounters will involve Humpback whales (most common) and Minke whales. While we also have Fin, Southern Right, Bowhead, and Orca in Antarctica…Humpback and Minke will make up the majority of sightings.
Usually during the first two weeks of December, you’ll still only have penguins nesting on their eggs. There have been some early hatchings in the South Shetland Islands and some landing sites in the Antarctic Sound in seasons past, but I wouldn’t count on seeing the first hatching on the peninsula proper until the second or third week in December. Each season is different, and will entirely depend on the weather patterns for each season. As we move through the tail end of December into January, you’ll likely see freshly hatched penguin chicks still being guarded in the nest by their parents.
If you spend enough time at a rookery; you’ll be fortunate enough to see a feeding and even a “pass over” of the chick. This is when one parent comes back from a week of feeding while the other parent has taken care of the chick. There is a ceremonial handover from one parent to the other of the chick, so the other parent can now go out and feed. Dec/Jan is a great time to see this behavior, as this is when the chicks are still in the nest. This is the best time to see the little fluff balls before they’ve fledged their down feathers and exchanged for their adult waterproof feathers.
While each season is different, the Peninsula will experience its first melts from warmer days around the second or third week in December. This means the snow on the landing sites will begin to melt and become more compact. It will be easier to walk on but will start to expose the gravel and rocks on the beaches which some say can take away from the “pristineness”. I don’t agree. However, this makes the landings more accessible for those who may be mobility challenged. It will now be a couple of months since the penguins have been here which can lead to an increased unpleasant smell from guano. For some, this may be a big deal…but to be honest; you will learn to love it! One of the main drawbacks to Dec/Jan is that because this is considered peak season, as it aligns with the holidays and people’s time off work, it can be quite a bit pricier than the shoulder months of Nov, Feb, and March.
The sea ice in December and January has entirely melted away by now. Seals can and will likely still be seen floating on ice floes and icebergs. You can expect to see our main three seals. Weddell, Crabeater, and Leopard seals hanging out on floating icebergs. One advantage to the breaking up of sea ice is that some of the highlights like the Lemaire Channel (Kodak Crack) are now open, and ships can visit some of the harder-to-reach highlights. Your expedition is also more likely to travel further south during these months, whereas in November the ice can be problematic when attempting to explore further down the peninsula.
If you’re interested in joining a trip to Antarctica in December, consider our Dec 7th - 16th, 2023 ATG Full Charter!
A Gentoo penguin chick asking for food in Brown Bluff, Antarctica
South Georgia: As we slide into the peak of summer in South Georgia, we won’t see too many changes in the landscape or weather, and there will still be hundreds of thousands of King penguins at the main landing sites. By now, the adult Elephant seals have left for sea to feed and won’t be back until next season. There will still be countless weaners (Elephant seal pups) on the beach, and they are adorable. However, the most noticeable change will be the Fur seals. They will completely take over the beaches. The female Fur seals will be actively giving birth to their pups until around the third week in December in South Georgia. If you’re in South Georgia through the second half of December and January, you will see tens of thousands of baby fur seals all along the beach. While not every landing site will offer King penguins…pretty much every place you visit in South Georgia during this time will have Fur seals and their pups.
If you’re lucky, and it’s not too uncommon; you’ll actually get to witness the birth of a baby Fur seal. To be completely honest…there are very few things on this planet as cute as a baby Fur seal. It’s especially adorable through January when they have gained a bit of independence and you see them learning how to swim in the rivers and natural pools around the coast of the landing sites. However, with the birthing season, comes the mating season. The male Fur seals will begin to show up in November, however, through December they will be actively looking for their next mate. This means large, aggressive, testosterone-charged male Fur seals are on the beach defending their territory and their harams. It’s entirely possible to have landings canceled due to the overpopulation of aggressive male Fur seals. It’s not common, and likely won’t happen; however, it’s something to be aware of as a possibility.
A Fur seal baby pup in South Georgia
February
Antarctica: February has lots to offer when visiting Antarctica! By now, the penguin chicks have mostly left the nest and are running around the rookeries in what we call “Creches”. This is when they join the other penguin chicks that have recently left the nest and formed their new penguin-pal squads. It’s a great time to see feedings, and funny penguin chick behavior. You will begin to see some of the chicks begin to shed their fluffy down coats and start to grow out their adult feathers. But with all the penguin chick action, and months of nesting, comes the inevitable smell of penguin poo. The landing sites have gone through their melts and will certainly be covered in guano and be a bit muddier.
February is also what we consider the peak of the Whale season, although each season can be different from the other. Whales are migratory animals and will follow their food source. As the sea ice breaks up and melts further and further south through the summer; the krill can follow the ice and with that…whales and seals will follow the food. I’ve been on trips in February where we’ve had fewer whale sightings than in November and December. Each year is different, and it’s just an expectation that needs to be managed when you plan your trip hoping to see whales.
In the early weeks of February, you’ll still have the 24-hour sun, but as you start to get into the middle/end of February, we’ll start to experience more sunrises and sunsets as well.
One of the biggest challenges with February is that the snow has become much more compact and not nearly as deep as it was in the early part of the season. This makes activities like snowshoeing and camping extremely difficult to offer. Most companies will have packed their snowshoes away by now and won’t offer camping after Feb 1st. This isn’t true for all companies. Some will still try to conduct camping operations, but it often leads to cancelations more often than it actually happens.
This is the absolute best time of the year for Leopard seal viewings. We do indeed see Leopard seals all throughout the year in Antarctica…however, February and March are prime time. The reason being that they will be actively hunting the penguin chicks who have just learned to swim. It’s an easy meal for them and they need to fatten up for the winter.
A Leopard seal paying a visit to a Zodiac in Antarctica
South Georgia: February in South Georgia can be fairly similar to the earlier months. The main difference is that most of the male Fur seals have gone back out to sea, and there’s a bit less stress onshore trying to manage their aggressive behaviors. The beaches will be completely covered in Fur seal babies, as the females will all have given birth by now. There will be a lot more bird activity, especially with the Skuas and Giant petrels. This is a prime time of the year for them to secure their meals, as not all the pups that were born will have survived. All the adult Elephant seals will have left, but you’ll still have the adolescent first and second-year juveniles on the beaches.
There will still be more King penguins than you can imagine, as well as their chicks at the major landing sites. Again, you can see King penguin chicks throughout the entire season in South Georgia.
Whales are not uncommon either around South Georgia this time of year. There is also a high possibility of seeing them during the crossing between South Georgia and Antarctica, especially around some of the notable landmarks like Elephant Island and Shag Rocks…which may or may not be included in your itinerary.
Being a bit further North than Antarctica, you can expect stunning sunsets and sunrises, as well as miraculous displays of stars during February if the clouds cooperate.
Towards the tail end of February, we start to see small declines in the Macaroni and Chinstrap penguins and it’s not likely to see them this late in the season.
A group of King penguins and their chicks at Fortuna Bay, South Georgia.
March
Antarctica: March in Antarctica can be one of the quickest-changing months in Antarctica from the first week to the last. Some people might refer to March as the shoulder season of the Antarctica season, but by no means is March a bad month to visit. I worked the entire month of March in 2022 and found it to be one of the best months of the whole season.
March is a great time to book, especially if your budget conscious. You can often find lower prices for March because it’s on the tail end of the season, however, there is still plenty to see.
One of the reasons it’s so fast-changing is that by the end of March, a huge portion of the penguins have finished their breeding season and have left to head back to sea where they will spend the next seven months before returning to Antarctica in October to begin their next breeding season. There will still be penguins in Antarctica at the end of March; it just may not be as densely populated as it was earlier in the months. It will predominantly be Gentoo penguins by the end of March.
The penguin chicks will have almost all entirely exchanged their down feather coats for their adult feather and you’ll see them headed to the shoreline to take their very first swim! You might not get to see the fluffy fur ball penguins, but the chicks are still easy to pick out in a crowd!
I also love March, as it tends to be extremely atmospheric. It really feels like you’re properly in Antarctica in March. It is much more common to experience snowfall and fresh dustings in March than in most other months. You will have much shorter days and will experience sunrises, sunsets and starts again. The nights will be dark again, as opposed to the 24 hours of daylight through December, January, and part of March.
There will also still be plenty of whales to see in March, and some might even be offering their trips in March as a “Whale Watching” experience where they will focus primarily on whale encounters.
A Mother Humpback whale and her calf feeding on krill in Antarctica
South Georgia: South Georgia in March is almost identical to February in terms of what wildlife you can expect to see. Still plenty of King penguins, and mostly Fur seal and Elephant seal pups. And again, there will still be King penguin chicks as well. However, we can expect that all buy the very last of the Macaronis and Chinstrap penguins have left South Georgia and the main viewing opportunities will include the Gentoo and King penguin.
March can be quite magical in South Georgia for photographers. There will be sunsets that begin just around the time you wrap up your late afternoon activity. This can allow keen photographers to create some of the most beautiful captures of the season while still on land.
We won’t notice any decrease in Whales, and will likely see them all around the island as well as during the crossing from Antarctica to South Georgia.
No matter when you visit South Georgia, you can expect to have some of the most incredible wildlife encounters.
King penguins during sunset in Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia.
If you’re interested in booking a trip to Antarctica or South Georgia, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
You can click the link below to fill out a “Find a Trip” request form, or email as at info@antarcticatravelgroup.com and we’d be more than happy to help you plan the trip that works best for you!
Still not sure about traveling to South Georiga? Check out our blog below which goes in depth about everything there is to know about visiting “The Galapagos of the Southern Ocean”
Still have questions? Shoot us a message!
