End-of-Season Magic: Exploring Antarctica’s Weddell Sea in March

The active wildlife

While summer winds down, the Weddell Sea region is anything but sleepy. Penguin chicks are learning to swim. Leopard seals are patrolling the ice edge. Humpbacks, orcas and crabeater seals become more visible, gathering in greater numbers to feed before winter’s return.

Clearer skies and potential Southern Light sightings

March marks the beginning of Antarctic “autumn,” offering surprisingly stable conditions. Days are mild by polar standards, with clearer skies and great light for photography. Darkness returns gradually, and with it comes a rare bonus: the chance to witness the Southern Lights shimmering on the horizon on some nights.

Fewer ships and unparalleled wilderness

The Weddell Sea remains one of the least visited regions in Antarctica. While many operators stick to the Antarctic Peninsula, far fewer venture this far south – especially in March's narrower window. The month is a sweet spot featuring calmer weather, long daylight hours, and abundant wildlife activity as the season winds down. That means more time and flexibility for zodiac excursions.

The basecamp difference

Your expedition vessel, the Ortelius, serves as your floating basecamp into the polar world and is perfectly equipped for active exploration. 

You’ll have access to a full suite of included activities designed to immerse you in the heart of the Weddell Sea:

• Zodiac shore landings and guided walks
• Sea kayaking through iceberg fields
• Photography workshops with expert guides
• Snowshoeing or hiking among penguin colonies
• Even polar snorkelling, for those who dare

Every activity is optional, expertly guided, and tailored to the conditions of the day, so no two days are ever the same.

What you’ll see

The Weddell Sea delivers a spectacle of scale and silence. Drift through Iceberg Alley (Antarctic Sound), where enormous tabular bergs calve off the ice shelf. 

Watch Adélie penguin colonies go about their busy end-of-summer routines. Scan the sea ice for leopard seals or, if you're lucky, spot the backs of Weddell and crabeater seals.

And above it all, the dramatic Antarctic sky changing by the hour, and lit by a sun that lingers just a little longer – one last time before winter returns.

Why this Antarctic voyage?

This is your chance to experience Antarctica before the season closes, when wildlife is active, with longer twilight hours and fewer vessels on the water. Your experience will feel exclusively solitary.

You won’t just see Antarctica. You’ll live it, breathe it, and explore it with all your senses engaged.