Drake Passage pelagic

Antarctica · Antarctica

Drake Passage pelagic

Two days at sea with albatrosses and petrels following the ship.

Best months
Jan, Feb, Dec
Days needed
2
Difficulty
Moderate
Nearest airport
Ushuaia (USH)

When to go

  1. JanJanuary: Best
  2. FebFebruary: Best
  3. MarMarch: Good
  4. AprApril: Poor or no data
  5. MayMay: Poor or no data
  6. JunJune: Poor or no data
  7. JulJuly: Poor or no data
  8. AugAugust: Poor or no data
  9. SepSeptember: Poor or no data
  10. OctOctober: Poor or no data
  11. NovNovember: Good
  12. DecDecember: Best

BestGoodFair

Take seasickness medication before departure.

Why go

The Drake Passage or Sea of Hoces (Mar de Hoces) is the body of water between Cape Horn in Chile at the southern extreme of the South American mainland and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean (Scotia Sea) with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. The passage is named after the 16th-century English explorer and privateer Sir Francis Drake.
Traversing the Drake Passage is considered one of the most treacherous voyages for ships to make. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which runs through it, meets no resistance from any landmass, and waves top 40 feet (12 m), giving it a reputation for being "the most powerful convergence of seas".

Background from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Target birds

Map