Best time to visit the Falkland Islands
The stargazing was incredible, but it hadn’t occurred to us that we would see the Aurora Australis in the Falklands.![]()
Most people visit as part of a once in a lifetime trip to Antarctica, so shipping schedules are often what dictate the best times to visit the Falkland Islands. Which means Nov-Mar generally, when the ice breaks up enough to let ships through. For wildlife watching, these are great times. Elephant seal pups are a big attraction in Oct-Nov, and adorable baby penguins are prolific around Dec-Jan. As nature’s needs must, they attract the orcas and other cetaceans for feeding time too. Max temperatures between Dec-Feb are 15-28°C, dipping to between 0-5°C in the southern winter.
Falkland Islands Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
6
13
72
FEB
5
13
51
MAR
5
12
53
APR
3
9
53
MAY
1
7
55
JUN
1
5
49
JUL
0
5
46
AUG
0
5
43
SEP
1
7
37
OCT
2
9
38
NOV
3
11
43
DEC
5
12
64
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Mary Curry, from our supplier Adventure Life, on an unusual time in the Falkland Islands:
“I was in the Falklands in March, and people said – why are you here now? Our penguins are all ugly because they’re molting, the elephant seals are all lounging on the beach, they’re really lazy. But March is really the best time to see whales, February and March are fabulous. My colleague was down there in March and she saw whales every single day. She saw a couple of blue whales, all kinds of species. But if you want to see the penguins busy nesting, if you want to see the elephant seals breeding, you want to go in the beginning of the season – October to November.”
“I was in the Falklands in March, and people said – why are you here now? Our penguins are all ugly because they’re molting, the elephant seals are all lounging on the beach, they’re really lazy. But March is really the best time to see whales, February and March are fabulous. My colleague was down there in March and she saw whales every single day. She saw a couple of blue whales, all kinds of species. But if you want to see the penguins busy nesting, if you want to see the elephant seals breeding, you want to go in the beginning of the season – October to November.”
What happens when in the Falklands
Did you know about…?
Elephant seals on Seal Island
On Seal Island, there is a bit of a vicious display by southern elephant seals as they mark their territory in September, October and November. There are moments that can be like a scene from a Greek tragedy, at the beach. At this time, the peak of the breeding season, you can get as many as 1,800 seals on the beach here.
On Seal Island, there is a bit of a vicious display by southern elephant seals as they mark their territory in September, October and November. There are moments that can be like a scene from a Greek tragedy, at the beach. At this time, the peak of the breeding season, you can get as many as 1,800 seals on the beach here.
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