Drake Lake or Drake Shake - which will it be?

From Ushuaia where we were yesterday, we set sail around dinnertime for Antarctica. We are traveling along the Drake Passage and it will take us 2 days to travel from Ushuaia to Antarctica. Travelers have dubbed the Drake Passage either the “Drake Shake” or the “Drake Lake”, depending on how rough the waters are when going through this passage. The Drake Passage, or Mar de Hoces (Spanish) is the body of water between Cape Horn at South America’s southernmost tip and the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica. It is around 497 miles long and 620 miles wide, and is known for its unpredictable weather conditions and choppy waters.

The Drake Passage is where the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern seas converge, and because the currents meet no resistance from any nearby landmass, they are some of the choppiest waters in the world (waves can reach as high as 40 feet)! But it is the shortest route to Antarctica. And fortunately, with modern forecasting, modern vessels and technology, it is safe for travelers today (good to know!)

Night before last we experienced really rough, choppy seas. The ship pitched all night and neither of us slept very well. I told Ronnie I was going to put a pillow on the floor on my side of the bed, just in case I rolled off during the night. I really didn’t expect I would, but it did cross my mind. Yesterday morning at breakfast we, along with other passengers, were walking around the ship like drunken sailors! The ever helpful ship personnel were assisting those who were already somewhat unsteady on their feet and carrying their plates for others. One minute you’re walking along just fine, then the boat pitches and you feel like you’re walking uphill - or you start to run a little! HA!! We both had to take a Meclizine in the morning but one took care of it and we didn’t have to take another, even though the waves remained fairly choppy until later in the afternoon.

Last night we slept soundly and when I woke this morning, I wasn’t even sure if the ship was moving until I got up and looked out the window. So I would say that our experience crossing the Drake Passage was neither the Drake Shake or the Drake Lake but something in between those two. Unfortunately, we lost our internet service last night and have no service today. I will post again whenever I discover that we do have service, although we may be without for a few days.

This morning after breakfast, Antarctica began coming into view. I took quite a few photos from our balcony. We’ve already spotted 2 whales - one from our balcony window and another on the ship’s bridge camera (we can see the live view from the ship’s camera on our room tv 24/7.) I got bundled up to go up on the upper deck and take photos from the port side of the ship (our room is on starboard side). As soon as I got outside, it had really started to snow hard and we had lost visibility of the islands. Hopefully I will have the chance to take many more photos today and tomorrow.

I forgot to mention that there are some folks who were brought on board at our last port. One is a marine scientist (?) who is an expert on whales (I don't remember exactly what she’s called) and has been to Antarctica 130 times!!

Other interesting facts:

• Antarctica is the only place on the planet where the land isn't officially owned by anyone.

• There is no permanent inhabitant in Antarctica. The majority of the visitors comes during summer. Some scientists spend the whole winter in stations but they rarely stay more than one year. Consequently, there is no village, no supermarket, no shopping mall.

• There is no particular time of year when the crossing is calm, but some say that January is the best month. Elsewhere I read that the winds pick up around March. So perhaps our timing is perfect?

I just received some mail so will quickly post before I lose connection again. Please overlook any boo boos! Disclaimer: I found most of this information online when I had good internet service, so let's hope it's accurate. I will post again when I have connection.