It’s the point at which the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern Oceans converge en route to Antarctica. And, to some who have never crossed it, it’s taken on mythical proportions of being virtually impassable.
To hear some tell it, making it to the other side of The Drake is akin to surviving the mouth of a dragon.
Which is too bad. Those misperceptions can keep you from taking the adventure of a lifetime. Because the truth is, yes, it can be rough (“the Drake Shake”). But it can also be as calm as bathwater (“the Drake Lake”).
If you get the Drake Lake—woohoo!—that’s a big bonus. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride as the seabirds soar alongside your ship, and you eagerly watch for the South Shetland Islands to emerge as an oasis on the horizon.
Getting the Drake Shake may leave you feeling a bit woozy, but tens of thousands have experienced it at its worst and gone on to have an experience they’ll never forget. Seasickness medications do work for many people to make the crossing manageable.
One of our prior guests onboard perhaps said it best:
I’m a physician and traveled with my wife and daughter to Antarctica with Muench in 2017. On our voyage, we had it a bit rough on the way down and rougher on the way back. During the rough part, some of us got a bit woozy — which took a few hours to shake off. But in the end, it passed, and the whole experience was well worth it. I’m really grateful for the ship’s physician, who took great care of those affected and had medicines to dispense as needed. So if people ask me if they should be worried about the Drake, I tell them ‘Definitely not! You can do it.
— Joseph Wu, Antarctica ’17 and 10 other Muench Workshops
And the reward?
I’ve run out of ways to say WOW. Unbelievably beautiful place, sun, wind, snow, ice, mountain scenery, wildlife, icebergs, stormy seas, great people, and a voyage to remember for a long time. Bucket list check mark!!
— Kevin Bailey, Antarctica ’17 and 3 other Muench Workshops
There is just no way even now to put into words the feeling of sitting in the zodiac on mirror-still icy water, in the fog, in this incredible silence among the icebergs the size of a modern-day hospital on the BOTTOM of the earth. Who gets to DO that? Who gets to feel that? When I look at the images I took on this trip, I FEEL that feeling again. It was an EPIC trip that I still am trying to wrap my head around as I go back to work and the normal routine of normal life.
— Margie Trandem, Antarctica ’18 and 10 other Muench Workshops
When you emerge from the passage and begin seeing Antarctica’s breathtaking landscapes and spectacular wildlife, memories of rough seas dissipate.
So if the only thing that stands between you and photographing Antarctica is the thought of crossing the Drake Passage, think again. Talk to us – we can help prepare you to make it through comfortably and come out afterward with photos you will cherish for a lifetime.