ll ou have to earn your visit to Antarctica,” the captain of the ship tells us in his welcome address. We have set sail from the Argentinian city of Ushuaia a few hours ago, which is situated on the southernmost point of the Southern
Hemisphere and is also called fin del mondo’ or the end of the world”.
The captain is talking of the Drake Passage, the patch of sea at the tip of South America, where the Atlantic, Pacific and Antarctic oceans meet, making these the choppiest waters in the world.
Google Drake Shake” or Drake Lake” and you'll see what it means. YouTube videos will throw up dramatic visuals of metres-high waves splashing against portholes and lashing ship balconies, and articles about seatbelts in the beds probably on older ships, not mine), and furniture that’s been chained down.
Drake Lake refers to times when the waters are calm, while the Drake Shake is when the sea is choppy. Every journey to Antarctica must cross the Passage twice: on the way out and on the return. Our captain, a shortstatured Frenchman with over 25 years of sailing experience, tells us we are ata No 2 onascale of to 3, 1 being Lake and 3 being Shake. Then, he throws another bombshell: Do not think of this as a cruise. We're going on an expedition!”
Mind the rules
Why is it said that Antarctica is hostile towards visitors? And why is it probably the one part of our planet where humans are successfully taking solid steps to protect its natural state?
The first answer is easy: the difficulty of access and harsh weather conditions make it challenging to navigate and almost impossible live on. The second answer lies in the Antarctic Treaty Systems and the fact that no country can claim Antarctica as their own.
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