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 egardless
of our port of embarkation- Ushuaia in Argentina, Punta Arenas in
Chile or Port Stanley in Malvinas Islands- we have to cross the
notorious Drake Passage in order to get to the Antarctic Peninsula.
This unfortunately is an inflexible fact of geography for ocean
going voyages.
The Dreaded Drake , as some call it, is the deep body of water between
the legendary Cape hornin Tierra del Fuego and the Antarctic Peninsula,
encompassing parts of both the South Atlantic and the South Pacific.
A 1000 km wide and up to 4750 m deep, this rough sea had been discovered
by Francis Drake by accident on a secret mission for England more
than 420 years ago. The British admiral had made an east-west passage
through the Strait of Magellan and had afterwards been blown by
storms until he was south of Tierra del Fuego. This was how it was
discovered that Tierra del Fuego did not extend to the Pole, and
how the Drake Passage was found. Since then the passage was widely
considered to be the worst body of water in the world and whaler’s
en route to their hunting grounds in the Antarctic understood that
beyond 40º S there was no law, and even worse, beyond 50º
S there was no God… At this latitude westerly winds howl unimpeded
by any landmass. Large low-pressure systems form and when these
are compressed between the Peninsula and South America, the Drake
Passage can be the roughest place on earth.
Drake’s voyage proved that the seas were wide open to bold
and well-prepared expeditions. It opened up real practical possibilities
for commerce and colonisation. His circumnavigation of the globe
was the first major accomplishment by an Englishman on a world stage
turning him into a hero and a legend.
in our hostel we also believe that nothing is impossible...that nothing
is impossible and have in our hearts that very same sense of adventure,
courage and determination, that took Francis Drake to such a forgotten
and unknown part of the world and we know that all the passengers
visiting us will have that enthusiasm to discover, see, conquer
and preserve the natural beauty that surrounds us. |
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