Put "Roughest Stretch of Water in the World" into Google, and 9 out of 10 results mention the Drake Passage. But other parts of the world's oceans such as the Bay of Biscay, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Horn, North Sea, Northern Atlantic, Southern Ocean or the Bass Straits also should gain an honourable mention for the title.
What do the Contenders for the Title of "Roughest Stretch of Water in the World" Have in Common?
Although other parts of the oceans may well deserve mention for such a title, those parts of the ocean that tend to be most associated with rough seas share the following tendencies. They are typically:
- in the far northern or southern latitudes of the world. (Not only are the furious fifties and roaring forties are well known as regions of high winds – one important factor of many in creating rough seas, but they are also areas of relatively uninterrupted ocean currents).
- on ocean current circulations – such as the Gulfstream near the Bay of Biscay, or areas where oceans meet – such as the Indian/Pacific boundary of the Bass Strait.
- areas where global currents are squeezed by land masses
- where the land mass changes direction – such as Cape of Good Hope in South Africa
- either heavily used as trade routes, or they take significant passenger crossings – or in other worlds they are all well-known locations globally
"Roughest Stretch of Water in the World"?
The North Atlantic shores near Gloucester, Massachusetts (USA) is a good example of a region that's gained notoriety for rough seas from a single incident. Although this area is in a region of fairly frequent hurricanes – its widespread reputation for rough seas largely derives from the film made about "The Perfect Storm" in 1991. And although hurricanes do strike the region fairly regularly, in reality the Perfect Storm was just one major storm to hit one location, whereas other locations suffer rough seas on a far more frequent basis.
For example, according to the Pittsburgh Press of 1921, "it is well known that the Bay of Biscay is the roughest stretch of water in the world", suffering frequently rough seas. But perhaps it's notoriety in the early 20th Century had more to do with the numbers of emigrants travelling across it to Australia and New Zealand, and its long maritime history of being part of many trade routes (the Romans, Carthaginians and Arabs are all known to have used it as a trade route long before modern sailors).
What do Some Other Contenders For Roughest Seas in the World Offer Against the Drake Passage?
The Fastnet Rock helps the North Atlantic's claim to the title – in 1985 it was struck by a rogue wave measuring 48m in height. But like the Perfect Storm on the far side of the North Atlantic, this was just one (albeit huge) storm.
The North Sea also is well known to the oil industry for rough weather – and the 1995 Norwegian Drauper Wave was the first rogue wave measured by scientific instruments at the time it struck.
The Southern Ocean is also frequently home to huge swells and rough seas of a similar magnitude to the Drake Passage. But as the majority of Antarctic Cruises go to the Antarctic Peninsula from South America, the lesser trade of the Southern Ocean means it's rough seas are less well-known.
It is likely that the Drake Passage has gained some of its global reputation for rough seas due to a large degree to the increase in Antarctic tourism (the majority of which cross the Drake) and perhaps also due to increased interest in the historical accounts of early Antarctic exploration which mention such rough conditions.
But although the Southern Ocean in particular can give it a run for its money, the Drake Passage's location in a very narrow gap between landmasses, in a region of naturally high windspeeds and containing a massive global current is likely to give it the edge for generating rough seas on a regular basis compared to other regions of regularly rough seas.
Chiz Dakin - A keen mountain walker, scrambler, cyclist and occasional climber and sea kayaker for several years, Chiz Dakin has carried a camera with ...
