Know Before You Go | Antarctica
Whether you're preparing for your upcoming Antarctica adventure or just want to learn more about journeying to the White Continent, we've got you covered. We've rounded up an array of helpful resources, from wildlife guides and packing tips to thrilling travel stories to fuel your excitement.
Travel Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about Antarctica? We've got answers! We've compiled a list of our most frequently asked questions about wildlife, our expedition yacht, climate and more.
Wildlife Guide
Wildlife Guide
From vast penguin colonies to blubbery seals and breaching whales, learn about the incredible animals you'll see on a journey to Antarctica!
Weather & Climate
Weather & Climate
On average, Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest continent on the planet. Check out this month by month breakdown of average temperatures on the White Continent.
Packing List
Packing List
Our comprehensive packing guide covers everything you'll need for an Antarctica adventure, from fleece hats to boots and everything in between.
Travel Stories & Articles
Five Stories for World Penguin Day: People, Places and Programs Devoted to Penguin Conservation
Five Stories for World Penguin Day: People, Places and Programs Devoted to Penguin Conservation
—By Rebecca Self
In honor of World Penguin Day on April 25, here are five stories from across the planet of people, places and programs devoted to penguin conservation, where you can get involved and see penguins firsthand.
In honor of World Penguin Day on April 25, here are five stories from across the planet of people, places and programs devoted to penguin conservation, where you can get involved and see penguins firsthand.
Three Ways to Visit the Antarctic Peninsula
Three Ways to Visit the Antarctic Peninsula
—By Laura Kiniry
From traveling aboard an intimate motor-sailing yacht with no more than a handful of passengers to opting for a larger ship chock full of creature comforts, there is a myriad of ways to explore polar waters. Sailing upon the vessel that fits you requires a bit of footwork.
From traveling aboard an intimate motor-sailing yacht with no more than a handful of passengers to opting for a larger ship chock full of creature comforts, there is a myriad of ways to explore polar waters. Sailing upon the vessel that fits you requires a bit of footwork.
The New, Surprising Reasons Why Travelers Visit Antarctica
The New, Surprising Reasons Why Travelers Visit Antarctica
—By Candice Gaukel Andrews
“You can’t protect what you don’t know,” Lars-Eric Lindblad, leader of the first commercial Antarctica cruise in 1966, once said.
“You can’t protect what you don’t know,” Lars-Eric Lindblad, leader of the first commercial Antarctica cruise in 1966, once said.
Five Famous Antarctic Expeditions
Five Famous Antarctic Expeditions
—By Laura Kiniry
While today’s Antarctic journeys are a welcoming mix of creature comforts and endless adventure, it’s the explorers who came before us that paved the way for these much more accessible experiences. Here are the stories of five such heroic explorers.
While today’s Antarctic journeys are a welcoming mix of creature comforts and endless adventure, it’s the explorers who came before us that paved the way for these much more accessible experiences. Here are the stories of five such heroic explorers.
Six Must-Pack Items to Take on an Arctic Adventure
Six Must-Pack Items to Take on an Arctic Adventure
—By Elissa Poma
Here are my picks for the top items to pack for an Arctic expedition—to keep warm and keep you and your electronics properly functioning.
Here are my picks for the top items to pack for an Arctic expedition—to keep warm and keep you and your electronics properly functioning.
Where in the World You Can See Penguins
Where in the World You Can See Penguins
—By WWF
The southernmost continent has the most penguins of any region in the world, but it’s not the only place where you’ll find the tuxedoed bird. The Galapagos Islands, New Zealand and South Africa are three other WWF and Nat Hab destinations where you can see penguins in their natural habitat.
The southernmost continent has the most penguins of any region in the world, but it’s not the only place where you’ll find the tuxedoed bird. The Galapagos Islands, New Zealand and South Africa are three other WWF and Nat Hab destinations where you can see penguins in their natural habitat.
Shackleton’s Endurance is Found in Antarctica
Shackleton’s Endurance is Found in Antarctica
—By Cathy Brown
Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic vessel Endurance had been lost for 107 years—and was just found jaw-droppingly intact on the bottom of the Weddell Sea.
Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic vessel Endurance had been lost for 107 years—and was just found jaw-droppingly intact on the bottom of the Weddell Sea.
10 Things About Penguins That You May Not Know
10 Things About Penguins That You May Not Know
—By Madison Mitchell
Get a chance to test your knowledge and see penguins firsthand on the Journey to Antarctica: The White Continent Natural Habitat Adventures trip.
Get a chance to test your knowledge and see penguins firsthand on the Journey to Antarctica: The White Continent Natural Habitat Adventures trip.
Videos: The Natural Worlds of Antarctica and the Falklands
Videos: The Natural Worlds of Antarctica and the Falklands
—By Candice Gaukel Andrews
Let’s go on a journey South—by way of nature-videos—to the Falkland Islands and Port Lockroy, Antarctica!
Let’s go on a journey South—by way of nature-videos—to the Falkland Islands and Port Lockroy, Antarctica!
Where Antarctica Penguins “Go,” Biodiversity Follows
Where Antarctica Penguins “Go,” Biodiversity Follows
—By Candice Gaukel Andrews
"We often tend to think of marine and terrestrial realms as being separate, but this research shows that penguins and seals act as a sort of “ocean-to-earth conveyor belt,” bringing nutrients from the sea...
"We often tend to think of marine and terrestrial realms as being separate, but this research shows that penguins and seals act as a sort of “ocean-to-earth conveyor belt,” bringing nutrients from the sea...
The Call of the Leopard Seal in Antarctica
The Call of the Leopard Seal in Antarctica
—By Sara Higgins
"The call echoed throughout the whole bay. We sat in our kayaks; still, eyes closed, barely breathing. A chill came over my whole body. It was the most beautiful, ethereal sound I’ve ever..."
"The call echoed throughout the whole bay. We sat in our kayaks; still, eyes closed, barely breathing. A chill came over my whole body. It was the most beautiful, ethereal sound I’ve ever..."
Traveler Story: Paradise in Antarctica
Traveler Story: Paradise in Antarctica
—By Nat Hab Traveler Deborah Fischer
"A bank of fog lingered far off in the distance along the Antarctic Peninsula, leaving us with sunshine and blue skies on the morning of a day that would turn out to be one of the best of my life. We started..."
"A bank of fog lingered far off in the distance along the Antarctic Peninsula, leaving us with sunshine and blue skies on the morning of a day that would turn out to be one of the best of my life. We started..."
The Calm Before the Storm
The Calm Before the Storm
—By John Holahan
Standing on the ice of the Antarctic continent has brought on a new sensation. I’m pinned between the sublime and the magnificent, forced to reconsider everything I thought I knew about scale and grandeur...
Standing on the ice of the Antarctic continent has brought on a new sensation. I’m pinned between the sublime and the magnificent, forced to reconsider everything I thought I knew about scale and grandeur...
Inside Antarctica: A Rare Glimpse of a Whale Breaching
Inside Antarctica: A Rare Glimpse of a Whale Breaching
—By Nate Small
As you get closer to Antarctica, usually your whale experiences come a little closer. The water is calmer and the whales in Antarctica are easier to see. Instead of just a plume of water, you might now see the back of the whale...
As you get closer to Antarctica, usually your whale experiences come a little closer. The water is calmer and the whales in Antarctica are easier to see. Instead of just a plume of water, you might now see the back of the whale...
Antarctica: Discovery on the Black-and-White Continent
Antarctica: Discovery on the Black-and-White Continent
—By Candice Gaukel Andrews
"In Antarctica—“the coldest, driest, windiest, and highest place on Earth”—I found manifestations of clarity that are rarely seen in the world that lies in the latitudes above. The water is so clear that the bases of icebergs..."
"In Antarctica—“the coldest, driest, windiest, and highest place on Earth”—I found manifestations of clarity that are rarely seen in the world that lies in the latitudes above. The water is so clear that the bases of icebergs..."
Know Before You Go
