How to plan for a trip to the 7th continent Part 1. Read on to find out how!
A trip to Antarctica is a bucket list item for only serious travelers. Despite being one of the most remote places on earth, the Antarctic region receives up to 50,000 visitors each summer.
“Follow in the footsteps of well known 20th-century explorers.”
A visit to the seventh continent as you can imagine, requires serious commitment and a lot of preparation.
Why Visit Antarctica?
To see the unique landscape. Snow-covered mountains, active volcanoes, glaciers, icebergs and wildlife.
For the abundant wildlife. Despite the being so remote, Antarctica has an abundance of wildlife including a variety of penguins, seals, whales, and seabirds.
Sunshine. Antarctica during the peak summer months can have sunlight almost 24 hours a day.
For the adventure activities. Antarctica offers diving, kayaking, trekking, climbing and exploring.
Great stories. Follow in the footsteps of well known 20th-century explorers.
To discover a landscape few have had the opportunity to enjoy.
When to Visit Antarctica?
The best time to visit Antarctica is during the summer period from November through March. High season is generally from December through February. Wildlife is most active during these months and the days are at their longest, with temperatures regularly above zero degrees. Tours generally don't operate between April through October.
“To discover a landscape few have had the opportunity to enjoy.”
What about The Drake Passage?
A question I get asked is if the Drake passage is calmer at any point during the season, unfortunately, the answer is no.
The Drake Passage spans 600 miles between South America's Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows west to east around Antarctica and is the largest ocean current in the world. One of the reasons the Drake Passage is so rough is due to the vast volume of water traveling through this bottleneck; approximately 600 times the flow of the Amazon river.
It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean (Scotia Sea) with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean and extends into the Southern Ocean also known as the Antarctic Ocean.
With no land surrounding the latitudes of the Drake Passage to break up it’s flow, combined with strong winds and unpredictable weather, the Drake Passage can experience up to 15m swells and winds reaching Beaufort scale 10 at its peak.
Traveling across the Drake Passage will take 2 days in good conditions but this is entirely weather-dependent and could be longer.
With all of this being said, I am not prone to sea sickness, however, I do recall one of the evenings during dinner service, the dining hall was nearly empty, presumably because of people having seasickness and that same evening, while sleeping, I was woken up because of what I assumed was a swell knocking me out of bed.
Once you are across the Drake Passage, as soon as you reach the sub-Antarctic islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, the waters should become much calmer and the effects of Drake Passage sea sickness will diminish considerably.
“Antarctica during the peak summer months can have sunlight almost 24 hours a day.”
Are there visa entry requirements?
While no visas are required for entry to Antarctica, an Antarctic permit is required for visitors from certain countries. Permits are generally arranged through the tour operators. However, there may be visa requirements depending on your country of origin and the country from which your tour will be departing.
Keep reading FAQ Part 2: Planning a trip to Antarctica for more information!
All products recommended by JYL Media Content are selected by our editorial team. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.