South Georgia: When to Go

Since the primary attraction in South Georgia is wildlife, the high season is October to March, when migratory birds (including penguins) and marine mammals return to the beaches and headlands. The first cruise ships to South Georgia turn up in early November and the last ones depart around the end of March. The peak summer months of January and February can bring better weather - the ice and snow has melted back from the coast and South Georgia takes on its green and less threatening appearance.

There are distinct seasons for wildlife activity. Although species such as king penguins and wandering albatrosses stay on South Georgia year-round, the usual breeding pattern is to arrive at the beginning of summer and depart at the end. For seals, it's a year-long cycle: the pups born at the beginning of summer are the result of mating the previous summer. During breeding times visitors must take care not to disturb birds and seals.

Weather

South Georgia is not much further south than the Falklands, but, south of the Antarctic Convergence, the weather is cold, cloudy and windy, with little variation between summer and winter. The King Edward Point weather station, which kept records from 1905 to 1982, has recorded temperatures varying from -19°C (-2.2°F) to 24°C (75°F), but the annual range of mean monthly temperatures is only about 7°C (44.5°F). Over 1m (3ft) of snow accumulates in winter, but heavy rainfall (sometimes up to 100mm/3.9in in a day) is more likely. The sea sometimes freezes in sheltered bays during winter and, in some years, the Antarctic pack ice extends all the way to South Georgia. The northeastern coast, sheltered by the central mountains, gets clearer and calmer weather than the southwestern coast, which bears the full brunt of Antarctic conditions.