Crossing The Drake Passage For Antarctica

Don’t get too seasick watching this! An epic wave occurs around the 0:26 mark:

The Drake Passage

Today we boarded for Antarctica by sailing through what has been known as the most dangerous seas on Earth, The Drake Passage.

My group first gathered at 4:10pm at the docks to board our ice-strengthened ship, the m/v Ortelius. Everyone brought booze and food to share for the long journey:

The boarding process was fairly straightforward, beginning with showing your passports at the office:

Then walking down the pier to the m/v Ortelius:

We then board the gangway:

Checking in at reception:

And checking out our digs:

After settling in, we gathered for a 6pm orientation in the Lecture Hall as the ship began to leave the docks:

We turned around for one last glimpse of civilization behind us:

As the ship sailed through the Beagle Channel, we rehearsed a mandatory “abandon ship” drill to the lifeboats:

After the drill, we were presented with a welcome champagne toast in the ship’s bar where my group of nineteen 20-30-somethings got acquainted with the other side of the boat: a group of 50-60 Chinese mainlanders and old timers at least in their 50s. To say we barely got along is an understatement.

After a few hours of sailing, we passed by Porto Williams, Chile the southernmost town/human settlement in the world (to clarify, Ushuaia is the southernmost CITY in the world):

A nearby glacier graveyard:

We appreciate a late 10pm sunset:

And we take our first group photo on the helipad:

Later on, we watch as the moon comes up behind us:

We spend our late nights at the bar:

And I woke up the next morning to this outside my window:

By the way, the worst thing you can do on a ship during the middle of a storm is to go outside!

Whooops!

It takes about a total of 2 days to sail from Ushuaia to Antarctica via the Drake Passage. On Day 1 all we could do is hang out all day and eat. There were a few optional lectures offered on the ship: “The Feeding Cycle of the Southern Ocean,” “The International Assoscation of Antarctica Tour Operators Treaty,” and “Ice” on Day 1, “Penguins” and “Zodiac Safety” on Day 2.

I otherwise spent the rest of the day playing music at the bar, hanging out with my group, napping, eating, and reading. There’s absolutely zero internet access, so I was making the best of my newfound freedom.

That means lots of eating:

Especially if osso bucco is served buffet style:

And more sunsets:

It was around sunset on Day 2 where we crossed the 60 S latitude, putting us officially in the Antarctic region and where the confluence of two different oceans — with their disparate temperatures and densities — causes plankton, algae and other small “foods” to rise to the surface and lead animals such as birds and whales to come out and feed.