How long does it take to cross the Drake Passage?
Crossing the Drake Passage will take you approximately 48 hours from Ushuaia in Argentina to the Antarctic Peninsula. However, this time can be shortened slightly if the weather conditions are good. If you happen to experience bad weather and the seas are a bit rough, don't worry about there being a delay in your scheduled arrival.
Ships these days are equipped with the newest technology and specialised equipment to handle any rough or unexpected weather, navigating the waters via in-real-time routing and timing data to avoid the worst of the weather and ensure a relatively uneventful crossing.
How deep is the Drake Passage?
The Drake Passage is an extremely deep body of water with an average depth of 3.4km. However, it's thought that the ocean floor reaches depths of around 4.8km near the passage's southern and northern boundaries. That's 43 and a half football fields. It's also just under 1000 kilometres wide which is also roughly the distance from Paris to Barcelona.
How high can the waves in the Drake Passage get?
The swells at any given time throughout the year can reach heights of up to 7 to 8 metres (in extremely bad weather) but usually, they sit around 3 to 4 metres high. This is still high enough to cause slight discomfort to anyone anxious about crossing the Drake Passage but the team on board the Ocean Endeavour is fully equipped to deal with all weather conditions from the very rough to the 'can't-even-feel-it'.
If the crew does anticipate rough conditions during your journey, then you'll be briefed in advance on what to expect and how to avoid potential seasickness.
If the weather gods are looking down on you and have gifted your journey through the crossing with calm weather then you should only experience swells of around 1 metre high. Swells of this size are completely manageable and might feel like a gentle rocking.