The Seasons of the Arctic
4 November 2025 | Arctic Circle
The Arctic may seem like a dark and frozen expanse all year round, but its distinct seasons showcase astonishing wildlife and dramatic extremes – from endless light to 24-hour darkness
Midnight Sun and Polar Night
The Arctic is a place of astonishing contrasts. Due to the Earth’s axial tilt, the region can experience endless daylight or months of prolonged darkness.
During the summer months, from roughly June to September, parts of the Arctic are bathed in continuous light, known as the Midnight Sun. This natural phenomenon occurs north of the Arctic Circle - the sun’s orb bobbing above the horizon for 24 hours a day. Extended daylight allows for late-night activities in soft, orange rays: midnight kayaking, guided glacier hikes, biking, and golfing are possible deep into the night. Svalbard in Norway has the longest occurrence of Midnight Sun, where the sun doesn’t set for four months between April and August.
On the other extreme is Polar Night. During the winter months, from September to March, months of darkness fall across the Arctic, the sun’s rays staying dipped below the horizon. Although conditions are often brutally cold, the lack of sunlight ushers in clear, dark night skies – ideal viewing conditions for the Aurora Borealis, a natural lightshow that dances overhead in ribbons of pink, green, and purple: an otherworldly, almost spiritual experience.
In Svalbard, keen photographers can capture the eerie beauty of “Blue Hour” - a transitional period just before and after Polar Night, which cloaks the region in a magical blue light.
Climate and Environment
The Arctic’s climate is a fascinating cycle of freezing and thawing, defined by long, dark winter months where temperatures can plunge below −20°C -suspending landscapes under ice and snow - and short, fertile summers where wildlife thrives once more. Winter here is a lure for travellers who enjoy stark, frigid landscapes and activities like dog sledding, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. Winter is also a time for quiet contemplation – stargaze upon billions of stars in an inky black cosmos, soak up deep silence and stillness, and turn your head skyward for the spectacle of the Northern Lights.
By late February and March, sunlight begins to return to the Arctic – thawing out the landscape. In Longyearbyen, Svalbard, residents mark the return of the sun with Sun Festival Week, or Solfestuka, gathering on 8 March, where the sun’s rays hit first – the old hospital steps. The local community then celebrates with cultural events, concerts, revues, and an outdoor church service. Skiing, ice-caving, and glacier trekking become possible again in these months, with sunlight shimmering from frozen fjords and peaks.
The Arctic’s short but spectacular summer between June and September is the ideal time to visit, when daytime temperatures can hover around 10-12°C – a comfortable climate for exploring and adventuring. Long hours of sunlight trigger a burst of new life in the region, unlocking the Arctic’s natural wonders – from grassy tundras welcoming caribou, polar bears, and arctic foxes, oceans teeming with marine life, and birds and whales returning from the South to feed and nest.
As the ice retreats, it reveals fjords, bays, and waterways, reshaping the Arctic each summer. During the warmer months, the Arctic opens to exploration – its waters are more accessible by sea, wildlife is active and visible, and the long midnight sun lights up stunning glaciers, fjords, and tundra plains.
Wildlife Rhythms
The Arctic’s unique wildlife has adapted to the region’s extreme seasons and weather patterns – surviving through ingenious camouflage, insulation, migratory patterns, hunting behaviour, and physiological changes. The Beluga whales’ flexible neck and dorsal ridge help them navigate smoothly under the ice, reindeer forage through snow for the nutritious lichen underneath, and Arctic foxes shift from thick white winter coats to lighter brown pelts in summer for camouflage and thermoregulation.
As the ice melts in spring and summer, large colonies of seabirds migrate north to the Arctic region to nest and raise their chicks in the protected crevices of towering cliffs. For a few evanescent months, seabirds capitalise on increased daylight hours to forage and feast on a bounty of fish, crustaceans, and insects. In turn, many Arctic fish survive the extreme cold by producing glycoproteins, a natural "antifreeze" which prevents ice crystals from forming in their blood.
Whales can be seen more easily during the ice-free summer months, feeding, breaching, and basking in the nutrient-rich ocean. From June to September, the Arctic’s open seas and fjords offer the rare chance to encounter Beluga, Narwhal, and Bowhead whales - resident species who have adapted to the icy waters - alongside migratory Humpbacks, Minke, and Fin whales, who travel to the Arctic to feed during the summer months.
Walruses are well attuned to Arctic life – they can be spotted congregating in social groups on land or sea ice, using their large tusks to haul themselves out of the ocean. Their wiry whiskers help them forage for clams and mussels on the dark seabed.
The polar bear – the Arctic’s most iconic animal – has a thick layer of blubber and dense fur to survive the bitter cold of winter. Their elongated snout has adapted to warm the freezing air before it travels to their lungs. Powerful swimmers, they follow drifting sea ice in search of seals to hunt.
Each Arctic animal adapts in its own way to the extreme seasonal changes that define the far north.
Aqua Expeditions' Arctic Circle voyages set sail in 2026. We look forward to welcoming you on board. Learn More.
Images are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect the proximity of wildlife encounters during our excursions.
