Tower Island
Island Small Antarctic island off Tower Peninsula, near Graham Land
Accessed mostly by expedition cruises, Tower Island in the Antarctic region offers seabird and seal sightings, sheer cliffs and the sort of ice-and-rock scenery that defines Peninsula itineraries.
Tower Island is an uninhabited island located off the northeastern portion of the Antarctic Peninsula, within the Palmer Archipelago region. It is one of many small islands in the area and lies in polar maritime conditions.
Like most Antarctic islands it supports no permanent human habitation and is visited only intermittently by scientific teams or expedition vessels. The island is surrounded by sea ice for parts of the year and is part of the maritime landscape off Graham Land.
How to Get to Tower Island #
There are no roads or scheduled public transport to Tower Island. Access is only by sea as part of Antarctic expedition cruises or research vessels (the usual embarkation ports for such trips are Ushuaia, Argentina, or other Southern Ocean ports). Landings, if attempted, are carried out from the ship by zodiac and depend entirely on sea, ice and weather conditions.
Tips for Visiting Tower Island #
- Visits to Tower Island are only possible during the austral summer (roughly November-March) as part of expedition cruises; landings are weather-dependent and will be made by Zodiac from the ship.
- Expect that all landings follow strict IAATO and ship operator rules: keep set distances from wildlife, follow your guide's instructions on movement and photo angles, and be prepared for brief, closely supervised ashore time.
- If you want a quieter experience, book on a smaller expedition vessel or an itinerary that limits popular landing sites per day - landing schedules and site assignments influence how many people are ashore at once.
Best Time to Visit Tower Island #
If you plan a visit, go in the austral summer (roughly November-March), when sea ice is lowest and landings are most likely.
Weather & Climate near Tower Island #
Tower Island's climate is classified as Ice Cap - Ice Cap climate with freezing summers (peaking in January) and freezing winters (coldest in July). Temperatures range from -13°C to 1°C. Semi-arid with limited rainfall.
January
January is freezing with highs of 1°C and lows of -2°C. The driest month with just 8 mm.
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February
February is freezing with highs of 1°C and lows of -3°C. Moderate rainfall (33 mm).
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March
March is freezing with highs of -1°C and lows of -4°C. The wettest month with 49 mm of rain.
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April
April is freezing with highs of -3°C and lows of -7°C. Moderate rainfall (47 mm) and breezy conditions.
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May
May is freezing with highs of -5°C and lows of -9°C. Moderate rainfall (37 mm).
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June
June is freezing with highs of -7°C and lows of -11°C. Light rainfall and breezy conditions.
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July
July is the coldest month with highs of -7°C and lows of -13°C. Moderate rainfall (32 mm) and breezy conditions.
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August
August is freezing with highs of -7°C and lows of -12°C. Moderate rainfall (46 mm) and breezy conditions.
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September
September is freezing with highs of -5°C and lows of -10°C. Moderate rainfall (43 mm).
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October
October is freezing with highs of -2°C and lows of -7°C. Moderate rainfall (38 mm).
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November
November is freezing with highs of -1°C and lows of -4°C. Light rainfall.
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December
December is freezing with highs of 0°C and lows of -3°C. Light rainfall.
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