I’ve been to six of the seven continents, but I bet you can guess which one I haven’t visited. Yep, Antarctica. Like many frequent travelers, I haven’t made the trip because it’s difficult (and expensive) to get there. The main route involves traveling by ship from Ushuaia, Argentina and passing through the infamous Drake Passage. Thanks to the notoriously turbulent seas and strong winds, travelers often encounter the Drake Shake. On the rare occasion when the seas are calm, the passage is called Drake Lake.
I don’t get seasick often, but if it’s really rough, I do. Or if I’m on a small boat and go below deck for just a minute, even to use the loo. I realize I’m missing out on a lot, but honestly, I have no desire to experience seas as rough as what Lesley Anne Murphy just shared on social media.
Watch her video below, which she captioned: “Imagine if you signed up for a 48 hour rollercoaster😆 I am proud to say we survived not one but two Drake Shakes! For context, the Drake Passage is the body of water between the tip of Argentina and Antarctica. It’s infamous for its extremely rough seas. If you’re lucky, you get the Drake Lake. If you’re like us, you get the Drake Shake with 35 ft waves🫠Yes, we were safe and it was insane…and at times, even fun? 1000% worth it for this trip of a lifetime! We were told to stay in our cabins for an entire afternoon yesterday, and there were definitely some silver linings amongst this whole ordeal…we got some down time, we laughed *a lot*, I processed some of this amazing voyage, I FaceTimed my girls and I learned that wildly enough…I don’t get seasick! Would you do it?! 🤯🌊🚢 #drakepassage #antarctica #argentina #travel #limitles #drakeshake”
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Lesley shared that she was on the Ocean Explorer with Quark Expeditions. She wrote on Instagram that she “can’t recommend enough!” and that it was “a phenomenal ship and even better crew!”
Even though these 30-foot waves looks like they could be fun for about 10 seconds, anything longer is a hard pass for me. I can’t believe Lesley and company had to endure this for 500 miles (800 kilometers), which typically takes 48 hours. I not only would be sick, but I would be worried as can be if we would even make it.
I can’t believe Sir Francis Drake, after whom the passage was named, made the first recorded crossing in 1578. If I don’t have any desire to be on this luxurious and safe ship, I can’t imagine doing it in Drake’s galleon, Golden Hind.
Now don’t let me scare you out of going. Plenty of friends have made this crossing multiple times without any rough seas and have said it was the experience of a lifetime. It’s just not for me. How about you?
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Antarctica is beyond fabulous. If you take a tour that goes to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island you can avoid the passage on one leg of your trip. Fortunately the Drake was ok for me coming back to Ushuaia. There were some rogue waves during the time there but I would definitely go back again. Everything about it is fantastic!
Given the chance I would go. The cost is what holds me back.