Fly/Cruise Travel Guide

WHEN TO VISIT ANTARCTICA

Each year as the austral summer sets in, Antarctica comes alive.

As Antarctica evolves over the course of the Quark Fly/Cruise expedition season, it offers an entirely new experience for each visitor over 10 departures. December is a fantastic time to see penguins mating and nesting. This early in the season, icebergs are sharp and unweathered, the coastlines impossibly pristine, and glacier shelves a crisp blue. The effects of penguin colonies and sunning seals haven’t yet taken their toll on the ice and snow. During late December and January there are a remarkable 20 hours of natural sunlight – perfect for photographers. Penguin chicks are hatching and whale sightings are more plentiful. Temperatures rise and the environment begins its work on icebergs big and small, shaping them into natural works of art. In February, the all-inclusive Island Sky is able to venture even further south as pack ice recedes. Massive glaciers make thunderous

cracks as they calve icebergs into the frigid water. Beaches teem with penguins and seals, energized by the new additions to their colonies and the warmer weather.

Antarctic ice formations present a million different shades of blue

FLY/CRUISE 2017.18 GUIDE | 11

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