Dec-Feb of the Austral Summer, and the Sun is up 18 to 20 hours a day, so photo opportunities and sightings of all sorts abound.

Penguin chicks are hatching, and you’ll likely see them chasing after any adult penguin that is carrying food. Whale sightings of baleen and toothed whales along the Antarctic Peninsula increase and seal pups can be sighted on the beaches in South Georgia.

Some 30 days after hatching, penguin chicks can be found in “crèches,” resembling a nursery of sorts, which leaves their tired and hungry parents free to rest and hunt for food.

The climate in the Antarctic Peninsula is much milder than most people would imagine because it is located near the most northerly part of Antarctica.

If you travel to the Antarctic Peninsula during Jan-Feb which is summertime, you can expect an average temperature of 1 to 2 degrees Celsius. June is the coldest part of the year, and the temperature range is typically -20 to -15 degrees Celsius during this part of the winter.

Animal lovers who take their holiday in the Antarctic Peninsula will be treated to a diverse list of wildlife that is especially suited to the area’s cold climate. It is common to encounter several penguin species such as the Gentoo penguins. Other types of wildlife that can be spotted from an Antarctic cruise or an Antarctic Peninsula land expedition include the Weddell seal, the Antarctic shag and Snow petrels.  

Yes, there are a couple of voyages which include flight across Drake Passage, kindly note that the flights are subject to weather condition and it is not rare that these flight could be postponed by a day or two.

No, there are no vaccinations required for these cruises. However if you are visiting certain parts of Asia, Africa or South America prior to joining the expedition, you might be visiting areas infected with yellow fever. Please consult the Public Health Service for this.

Our advice is to take warm, wind and waterproof clothes with you during the expedition. Multiple layers of medium-warmth clothing provide more insulation than a single heavier article – this is due to warm air getting trapped in between the layers, acting as further insulation. Look for clothing made of wool, silk and new synthetic fibres, all of which retain heat better than other materials.

The secret to keeping warm during an expedition is the “layer principle”. Layers also give you flexibility in your ability to control your temperature as you can take off a layer if you are too warm or put another layer on if you are cold. The most important layer is the outer waterproof and windproof shell.