The rise in Antarctic tourism has lead to an increasing number of travellers crossing the Drake Passage, often enduring a few days of seasickness to gain the shores of the wonderful and remote continent of Antarctica.
Why Is the Drake Passage One of The Roughest Stretches of Water in the World?
The Drake Passage forms a narrow gap between the southern tip of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current gets squeezed through this narrow gap between the South American and Antarctic continents and it is the squeezing of this current in a latitude of naturally high winds that is a major cause of the notoriously rough seas typically found in the Drake Passage. For more information on other contenders for the title of rough seas, please see "Is the Drake Passage the Roughest Stretch of Water in the World?" by the same author.
What is is Like to Cross the Drake Passage?
Typically the Drake Passage takes a couple of days to cross by ship, but can take a bit longer if gale-force storms force the ship off-course. The ship is usually either an ice-strengthened ship or it's tougher brother, the icebreaker. While the icebreaker is a better (and only!) option for travelling further south than the Antarctic Peninsula, travellers should bear in mind that the shape of the icebreaker's hull makes crossing open water less pleasant.
As the design of an icebreaker's hull is designed for breaking ice rather than comfort in open water and has a rounded shape to prevent entrapment by ice, rough seas tend to result in an unusual corkscrewing motion of the ship in rough open water – regardless of the direction of waves, and how confused they may be. This often results in the expedition doctor handing out copious supplies of seasickness tablets to those passengers not lulled to sleep by the unusual and sometimes violent motion.
The waves can often reach 10m on a crossing of the Drake Passage, and the outer decks will normally be closed during such times.
A Useful Tip for Travellers Wanting to Sleep at Night While Crossing the Drake Passage
If the seasickness tablets aren't having enough of a soporific effect, one useful tip that helps sleep is to position a lifejacket as a head-guard on the beds which lie across-ships; beds lying along-ships have a kind of seatbelt instead – this prevents the passenger flying out onto the floor in the night! This helps to reduce the incessant up and down motion along the bed caused by the waves.
How Likely is the Drake Passage to be the Drake Shake or the Drake Lake?
It depends on the conditions at the time as to how rough any individual journey is, but the Drake Passage tends to be an excellent contender for the title of "Roughest Stretch of Water in the World". Just occasionally the Drake is ultra smooth and calm - this is sometimes referred to as the "Drake Lake", but travellers should not rely on this happening – the Drake Shake is far more typical!
Chiz Dakin - A keen mountain walker, scrambler, cyclist and occasional climber and sea kayaker for several years, Chiz Dakin has carried a camera with ...
