Southern Ocean Cruises

The World’s Newest Ocean

The Southern Ocean is located south of Australia and South America and surrounds the continent of Antarctica. It officially became designated as one of the five oceans of the world in 2000. It covers most of the area south of the sixty degree line. You can expect to find a large portion of this area to be frozen some of the time or even all year long. There are however, some spots that hold beautiful landscaping and some of the most pristine land found on the Earth. It is for these unique sites and the new experience of visiting Antarctica that has made Southern Ocean cruises so popular.

South America and Australia Ports

Ninety percent of all of the Southern Ocean Cruises begin their adventure from the port in Ushuaia, Argentina. These cruises has to pass through the Drake Passage which has been known to have a portion of rough sailing but once passed that section the rest of the voyage will be smooth.

You will be heading toward the Antarctic Peninsula which is located directly under South America. Once you stop at this port, you will be able to step foot on the pristine land of the southern-most continent, Antarctica. Depending on the time of year you go, you will most likely be able to do some whale-watching on any of the Southern Ocean cruises. Some underwater diving excursions are available but they are reserved only for experienced divers.

Some of the Southern Ocean Cruises leave from ports in Australia and have various stops along the way. One stop is Adelaide, which is the capital of South Australia and is famous for its shopping and art galleries. Kangaroo Island is another popular docking spot because of its unique wildlife and different land forms including beaches, forest, desert dunes and farmland. Port Lincoln offers its visitors mostly untouched beaches and is dubbed as Australia’s seafood capital. For sun and surf and to view wildlife like little penguins and southern right whales a stop at Victor Harbor is also included.

Best Time to Plan Your Trip

If you go in November you can expect the land to more pristine because you will be one of the first visitors of the season. This is also the time when the penguins will be mating making it much easier to see them. Unfortunately, it still may be quite cold there and some of the area may not be accessable due to ice but those ice caps are incredibly beautiful.

December into the early part of February will bring you the most sunlight, up to a maximum of twenty hours per day. The penguin’s eggs will be hatching and the wildlife will be plentiful. This is the busiest time of the tourist season and most of the Southern Ocean cruises will be filled to capacity.

The best time to spot whales will be from mid-February throughout March, but it may be too late in the season for other wildlife because it may have already moved on. During this time frame, the most amount of ice will be melted and may allow you access further south. This is the least busy time of the season and you may be able to find some Southern Ocean cruises at lower rates.