Drake Passage
Antarctica is some 500 nautical miles from the next closest continent, namely the southern tip of South America, Cape Horn. In order to visit the great white unknown southern land, Terra Australis Incognita, you must cross the dreaded Drake Passage. Many a mariner story exists extolling the violent winds of the Roaring 40's, Furious 50's, and screaming 60's. It is the only place in the world where storms can circle the globe over an ocean fetch, that is not run across land which weakens storms by wringing the moisture out of them.
It was crossing the northern part of the Drake that we spent our first day aboard the National Geographic Endeavour. Once we left the confines of the Beagle Channel the previous night, the wind and swells that make the Drake so famous were upon us. We awoke to some fair wind and seas against the starboard side of the ship so rolling was on the menu for the day. Some took patches, some pills, others tried out their sea legs for the first time. Briefings, talks, and introductions were carried out, but it was those who spent time on deck who had their first Antarctic experience: the parade of seabirds, namely albatross.
There are about a dozen species of sea birds seen in the Drake, but it is the albatross that catch our attention due to their size. When told their dimensions we are incredulous. That bird can't be that big, can it? In fact they are large in size and impressive in wingspan. The three species of albatross pictured are the grey headed with a 7 foot wingspan, the Black browed with an 8 foot, and the really big one, the Wandering albatross at 11-12 feet. They use these grand instruments of flight to cover large distances in a short amount of time looking for food. They can do this because the winds of the Drake are so powerful. The birds of the Southern Ocean have both conquered and are dependant on the windiest waters in the world.
Antarctica is some 500 nautical miles from the next closest continent, namely the southern tip of South America, Cape Horn. In order to visit the great white unknown southern land, Terra Australis Incognita, you must cross the dreaded Drake Passage. Many a mariner story exists extolling the violent winds of the Roaring 40's, Furious 50's, and screaming 60's. It is the only place in the world where storms can circle the globe over an ocean fetch, that is not run across land which weakens storms by wringing the moisture out of them.
It was crossing the northern part of the Drake that we spent our first day aboard the National Geographic Endeavour. Once we left the confines of the Beagle Channel the previous night, the wind and swells that make the Drake so famous were upon us. We awoke to some fair wind and seas against the starboard side of the ship so rolling was on the menu for the day. Some took patches, some pills, others tried out their sea legs for the first time. Briefings, talks, and introductions were carried out, but it was those who spent time on deck who had their first Antarctic experience: the parade of seabirds, namely albatross.
There are about a dozen species of sea birds seen in the Drake, but it is the albatross that catch our attention due to their size. When told their dimensions we are incredulous. That bird can't be that big, can it? In fact they are large in size and impressive in wingspan. The three species of albatross pictured are the grey headed with a 7 foot wingspan, the Black browed with an 8 foot, and the really big one, the Wandering albatross at 11-12 feet. They use these grand instruments of flight to cover large distances in a short amount of time looking for food. They can do this because the winds of the Drake are so powerful. The birds of the Southern Ocean have both conquered and are dependant on the windiest waters in the world.
