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What is crossing the Drake Passage to Antarctica really like?? Is it as bad as people say? How rough is it actually? What’s the real-real on the seasickness? Is going to Antarctica worth crossing the Drake? If you’ve ever wondered these things, this blog is for you!
We’re diving into all the details on what it’s like to cross the infamous Drake Passage to Antarctica and sharing tips for the journey.
If you haven’t read them yet, you should also check out our blogs on
- “How to visit Antarctica”
- “What do you actually do in Antarctica?”
- “Cost to visit Antarctica + key money-saving tips!”.
Now let’s get to it! Here’s everything you want to know about crossing the Drake Passage to Antarctica.
What is the Drake Passage?
The Drake Passage is the body of water that stretches between Cape Horn at the bottom of South America and the South Shetland islands near Antarctica. It’s the quickest sailing route to get to Antarctica but is also infamous for being some of the roughest water in the world.
Crossing the Drake Passage to Antarctica – overview
| Location | Between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands |
| Width | 620 mi (1000 km) wide |
| Swells (wave size) | up to 26 ft (8 m) |
| Avg. Depth | 11,000+ ft (3,300+ m) |
Drake Passage on a map
What is it like crossing the Drake Passage?
Crossing the Drake Passage is such a bucket list experience for any adventure-seeker! I was absolutely terrified before we boarded the ship but that’s half of the fun, right? It’s a total thrill and the water is so unpredictable so you never know what you’re going to get. For us sailing the Drake felt like a right of passage and gave us a little taste of what explorers back in the day felt like. That may sound silly, but it that’s what it seemed like (21st century explorers Kylie and Scott, reporting for duty!).
Anyways, just because it felt like a right of passage doesn’t mean it was necessarily enjoyable the whole time… On our journey to Antarctica it was pretty chill and we wondered what the hype was all about. And then on the journey back as COVID was sweeping the world and our captain was hauling butt to get us home, well let’s just say we learned what the Drake Shake was…
How long does it take to cross the Drake Passage?
It takes about 48 hours to cross the Drake Passage by boat and this is the quickest sailing route to Antarctica. Good news, though, is that once you cross the Drake it is smooth sailing in Antarctica!
Is the Drake Passage always rough?
No, not always! They say it’s either the Drake lake or the Drake shake. If you’re lucky enough to get the ‘Drake Lake’ the journey is extremely enjoyable with small waves and light wind. When conditions are like this you can just enjoy the journey like on a regular cruise, going out on decks, wildlife spotting, taking in the views.
On the other hand, when you get the infamous Drake Shake you’ll be doing good if you stand up and can get out of your cabin. The Drake Shake is the exact opposite of the lake, where swells can be up to 26 ft high and come crashing into the ship. Oddly enough, I find experiencing the Drake Shake just as lucky as experiencing the Drake Lake because it’s such an experience! Again, while it’s not enjoyable at all in the moment, it feels like an adventure and a right of passage.
Our journey there
On our journey crossing the Drake Passage to Antarctica we experienced the Drake Lake. Super calm seas and blue skies the whole time. We kept holding our breath waiting for the craziness to begin but it never did. Since these were our first few days on the boat we had to take some time to “find our sea legs,” but other than that it was nothing out of the ordinary from adapting to living on any boat. We took our seasickness medications as a precaution, and I’m glad we did, but we honestly didn’t need them.
We spent this journey out on the decks of the ship, enjoying the breeze, watching for Wandering Albatross birds and other wildlife, and spotting icebergs (seeing our first on the journey was SO exciting).
The Drake Passage ends at the South Shetland Islands, the first stop on our expedition, and we were shocked when we arrived there so peacefully. I was honestly a little disappointed because I’d been so nervous for nothing!
Our journey back
On our journey back we had just learned Argentina (our port) was closing its borders and shutting down all flights in the next 48 hours because of COVID. Although conditions didn’t look great, our captain was told to get us home ASAP. So that’s when we began our Drake Shake journey. Holy moly, when that water is rough it is ROUGH.
We would try to walk in a straight line and end up swaying from side to side in the hallways, our portholes had to be sealed shut in our cabin and the waves were crashing into the boat with an insane force. We had again taken our seasickness medication before starting the journey back, thank goodness, but honestly it didn’t do that much.
I’m pretty sure for a full 24 hours I couldn’t leave my bed for fear of tossing my cookies. Scott managed to make it to all the meals (if you know Scott you know he doesn’t skip meals!) and he would just bring me bread and ginger ale in our room.
We never felt unsafe or anything, but the seasickness was no joke. Neither of us ended up vomiting (woohoo!) but the nausea was pretty aggressive. But hey, right of passage right??
Drake Passage Waves
The waves in the Drake Passage can be wild, with swells up to 26 ft or 8 meters. When/if you get used to the rocking they’re actually magnificent to watch! Depending on how rough it is your captain will likely have rules on where you can watch from. For instance, we were required to seal our porthole windows shut during our journey but we could watch from the common areas upstairs.
Why is the Drake Passage so rough?
The Drake Passage is rough because it is where the Pacific, Atlantic and Southern oceans converge. In addition to these seas converging there is also no landmass to create resistance, and there are also high winds here. Combine all of those things and you get some rocky water.
What time of year is it calm?
There is no time of year when the Drake Passage is guaranteed to be calm. The sea is truly unpredictable year round, but that’s half the fun!
Is crossing the Drake Passage dangerous?
No, not really. I mean every journey has its risks, but overall no. The route is very safe today as the ships are built for these seas in particular and are equipped for whatever the weather may bring. Similar to pilots changing flight paths to avoid turbulence, captains also watch weather patterns and can change course if they spot bad weather in an area.
How was the seasickness?
Like I mentioned above, on our journey there it wasn’t bad but on the journey back it was no joke. I often get really bad seasickness so I use Scott as my barometer, and he was definitely struggling. As you can see in the picture above, even the ship crew was feeling it! I’m so glad we were equipped with proper medication and chose a cabin that helped minimize seasickness.
Seasickness tips
- Choose a cabin on a lower deck and near the center of the boat. This minimizes the movement you’ll have in your cabin.
- Get a prescription for Scopolamine Patches before you go. These are super strong patches that you put behind your ear and wear for 72 hours to help with seasickness. The downsides of these are the side effects like blurry vision and extreme dry mouth. We hated the side effects of these patches, so when we were in calmer seas near Antarctica we did not wear one.
- Pack Bonine pills. When we were in Antarctica and not wearing the patches we’d take Bonine daily. This has been my personal miracle pill for seasickness since our first cruise together years ago. I swear by it!
- Pack Sea Bands. These things have been around forever. I remember my mom making me wear these on every car, boat, plane or train ride growing up. They put pressure on your pressure points that relieve nausea.
- Bring Ginger Candies. The ginger can really sooth the nausea on the journey.
Tips for the journey
- Go in with an explorer’s mindset! Nothing can prepare you better than a positive mindset and perceiving this as an adventure whether you get the lake or the shake.
- Prepare for the worst. Okay that makes it sound like doomsday, but I’m talking in terms of medication. For the patches you have to put them on before it gets rough, so even though the side effects suck I’d definitely put it on as a precaution. And don’t forget to pack enough medication!
Is it worth crossing the Drake Passage to go to Antarctica?
It absolutely is! Although it can be a bit nerve racking and nauseating, it’s all a part of the best adventure you’ll ever have.
Can you go to Antarctica without sailing the Drake Passage?
Yes you can. There are options where you fly over the Drake instead of sailing. They do tend to be more expensive options, though. Check out all the costs to visit Antarctica here.
Crossing the Drake Passage YouTube
We are currently working on all of our Antarctica vlogs for our YouTube channel, and this one covers the experience of crossing the Drake Passage! Subscribe to our channel to see all of our wild adventures down there!
I hope this helped you understand what crossing the Drake Passage is like! It’s nothing to fear but I get if you’re a little uneasy about it. Remember, explorer mode: activated!
Please comment if you have any comments or questions, and check out the rest of our blogs on the 7th continent!
More Antarctica blogs are here!
- How to visit Antarctica – everything you need to know!
- Cost to visit Antarctica + key money-saving tips
- What it’s REALLY like to go to Antarctica
- Kayaking in Antarctica – the epic adventure
- The ULTIMATE Polar Plunge – the story of diving into the Antarctic water
All of these blogs are coming soon…
- 10 Reasons to visit Antarctica
- What to wear in Antarctica and not freeze your booty off
- Quarantined in Antarctica – what’s the story??
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XO,
Kylie & Scott
(If you liked this article or have any questions, please comment below! And make sure to follow along on Instagram @LoveHardTravelOften)
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