Falklands/S. Georgia/Antarctic Peninsula late November?

Good day!

I wanted to book this trip (Falklands/S. Georgia/Antarctic Peninsula) mid-December, but it turned out to be fully booked. Alternatively, I am now considering leaving November 23 instead.

Does anyone have experience visiting the region that time of the year? I am afraid the weather might not be great, there will be more ice than a month later, there will be less light.

Who can share her/his thoughts/experience about this?

Many thanks!

Good day!

I wanted to book this trip (Falklands/S. Georgia/Antarctic Peninsula) mid-December, but it turned out to be fully booked. Alternatively, I am now considering leaving November 23 instead.

 

Does anyone have experience visiting the region that time of the year? I am afraid the weather might not be great, there will be more ice than a month later, there will be less light.

 

Who can share her/his thoughts/experience about this?

 

Many thanks!

I went a month earlier than that last year (late October) to the Falklands and South Georgia, on the first ship out. There is plenty of light - dawn at Sth Georgia is still 3-4 am unless the ship moves on to a more friendly time zone to pretend that you're really not getting up at 3am for a 4am sunrise on the beach. The bull elephant seals should still be around, the weaners (elephant seal pups) certainly will. The big difference in Sth Georgia in late Nov is that the fur seals will have taken over and will be producing pups. The king penguins will be sitting on eggs, there will be plenty of oakum boys around, and on the peninsula, there may be some early hatchings of gentoos, but the rest will be on eggs. Also some early arrival humpbacks around the peninsula, with some orca to be spotted too.

You can get an idea of what to expect from my website blog in my signature.

Cheers

My trip in 2010 was Nov 7 to Dec 4 - with the Peninsular at the beginning of the journey and Sth Sandwich and Sth Georgia at the end. Sth Georgia days were Nov 28 to Dec 1.

More than ample daylight. It was dark from around 10pm til 2 or 3 am.

The weaner pups were plentiful as were the bulls. The King pengins were in the hilarious moulting phase (great for photos), the fur seal pups were about 10 days old. Plenty of reindeer too.

Temperatures during the day on the actual island were between 1 and 6 celcius.

Blue whale sightings on the 28th before we got to Sth Georgia.