The Drake

We are chugging our way North. We've left behind all of that beautiful ice, and have our sights on Cape Horn and Ushuaia, where this all began. This is our voyage home, and we must manage the Drake Passage. We had overheard, and directly heard, many worrying passengers lamenting about the Drake Passage as far back as our first night together in Santiago. So what's all the fuss about anyway?

The westerly winds, and the Southern Ocean, flow around Antarctica unimpeded. With nothing to stop the flow, there is a constant circumpolar current, and massive amounts of water are constantly on the move from west to east... it is four times faster than the Gulf Stream.  The associated winds are the strongest sustained westerly winds found anywhere on Earth. If that isn't enough, the frigid air from Antarctica mixes with the warmer northern ocean air and creates frequent cyclonic storms which then move from the East to the West around the periphery of Antarctica. At the location of the Drake passage there is a narrowing and intensification of all of this current, and wind. If you time it just right with a storm... well, lets just say it can be real bad.

By now you know that I like the rough seas... but for some of you, we've put you to bed with patches behind your ears to keep you medically stable. I don't mind bringing you anything you need, as I bound around the corridors, up and down steps that seem to have come to life. It's awesome. It can also make for some interesting dining experiences. With all due respect for the power of the elements, we are grateful for waves that are about 15 feet, and only occasions of the "roaring forties". It could be much worse, wind speeds have also been described as the "furious fifties" and the "screaming sixties". Could this be Mother Natures toll booth; a hefty tariff limiting Antarctic travel? Maybe this rite of passage is poetically justified for such a pristine wilderness?

The ship has just sighted Cape Horn, so South America is in our sights. The afternoon will be for reviewing and sharing our pictures, an underwater presentation, and then a farewell Cocktail Party. In that theme, might I suggest that we enjoy a short clip I put together of our attempts to collect film, whilst kayaking in the Antarctic.

Also here is a BBC clip featuring the Weddell Seal... we didn't see very many, but they are truly a delight: