00:00Is crossing the Drake Passage really worth it to get to Antarctica?
00:02They say you have to earn your trip to Antarctica because
00:05before you can get there, you have to cross the infamous Drake Passage,
00:07the 600-mile stretch of open sea where the Atlantic
00:10and Pacific Oceans mean when they do, things can get pretty rough.
00:12The Drake Crossing takes about two days by ship from Ushuaq
00:15Argentina and you either get smooth sailing on the calm Drake Lake
00:17or you get the Drake Shake with up to 30 foot swells.
00:20Either way, though, the ships are well-equipped to handle rough seas.
00:23Some ships have stabilizers which may be
00:25easier and you'll also have ropes in the hallways, seasick bags around every corner,
00:28chairs tethered to the floor, and
00:30a 24-hour buffet of ginger chews and seasick meds.
00:32If you get really sick, it's easier to just stay in bed, but there's
00:35also a lot to keep you busy, like lectures on wildlife and activities while you wait.
00:38And on the other side of the crossing,
00:40is a place unlike anywhere else on the planet.
00:42You'll sail through glacial fjords with crystal clear water, walk with thousands of
00:45penguins, watch seals nabbing on icebergs, and see landscapes that just don't exist anywhere else on Earth.
00:50So is braving the Drake Passage worth it?
00:51I heard a fellow passenger say it best.
00:53The Drake might shake you, but Antarctica
00:55will change you, and that alone is worth the trip.
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