This strait constantly endures terrifying storms that create massive waves, combined with drifting icebergs, making it a nightmare for any sailor who passes through.
Since the 16th century, thanks to the great geographical discoveries of the world’s maritime explorers, humanity gradually came to know new lands and new seas. One of these is the Drake Passage, which separates South America from Antarctica.
However, the danger of this strait is measured by the lives of countless sailors, so it took many years before anyone dared to venture through this area. Most of those who did were seasoned sailors with extensive experience or explorers.
“The most terrifying ocean stretch on the planet”, Alfred Lansing describes the journey of explorer Ernest Shackleton as he navigated the Drake Passage on a small lifeboat. The Drake Passage connects the southern tip of South America with the northernmost point of the Antarctic Peninsula. Once a route only traversed by seasoned explorers and sailors, today, the Drake Passage poses a significant challenge for those looking to reach Antarctica, and this number is steadily increasing. They may spend up to 48 hours crossing the strait and can take pride in a successful journey.
Spanning approximately 1,000 km, the Drake Passage serves as the gateway for ships entering the Antarctic waters. This hazardous waterway is also known in Spanish as “Mar de Hoces.”
Discovered in the 16th century, it took many years before people dared to cross this strait.
The deadly dangers of the Drake Passage stem from several factors.
First, there are warm and cold ocean currents coexisting under the surface. The mixing of these hot and cold currents in an area just 1,000 km wide, without any underwater formations to slow them down, causes the water to move extremely powerfully, creating numerous “killers” for sailors. These include massive tsunamis capable of sinking vessels at any moment.
Next, due to its proximity to Antarctica, the Drake Passage is a convergence point for extremely strong and cold winds, with speeds reaching 10 m/s and temperatures ranging from -3 degrees Celsius to 5 degrees Celsius.
“This is the only place on Earth where winds can blow around the entire globe without hitting land, while land tends to weaken storms,” says Alexander Brearley, a marine scientist at the British Antarctic Survey.
According to Brearley, winds generally blow from west to east, and latitudes from 40 to 60 are known for their strong winds. However, on land, winds slow down due to terrain. This is why Atlantic storms tend to hit Ireland and Britain, weakening as they continue eastward into continental Europe.
There are no land masses to slow down winds at the latitude of the Drake Passage. Therefore, winds can blow fiercely around the globe, accelerating and hitting ships.
Fierce waves in the Drake Passage.
The third factor contributing to the danger is that the weather in this waterway is highly unpredictable. Almost all weather forecasts are rendered ineffective by large storms. It is very difficult to determine when a storm will occur in this frightening sea.
It can be seen that, with fierce currents flowing at rates of up to 150 million m3 of water per second (600 times the flow of the Amazon River), combined with the cold winds that “cut through flesh,” and massive storms that are not forecasted, all of this has transformed this place into the “Strait of Death”, one of the most dangerous and deadly waters in the oceans of Earth.
For oceanographers, the Drake Passage is an intriguing location. It has many underwater mountains, and the large currents navigating through the narrow strait cause waves to crash against these submerged peaks. These underwater waves create vortices that bring cold water from the deep sea to the surface. This process is crucial for Earth’s climate.
