Drake Passage

When Sir Francis Drake sailed the Golden Hind through the Strait of Magellan in 1578, it took him 18 days to transit. Upon reaching the Pacific Ocean, however, he was driven by a ferocious storm many miles southwards into open water. Drake concluded that Terra Australis, the mythical continent Greeks reasoned existed to balance the weight of the land masses of the northern hemisphere was not in the area. The open waterway along the 60° South Latitude between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula now bears his name, the Drake Passage. Some pretty good swells make walking around ship somewhat entertaining as everyone is trying to get their “sea legs”. I presented a talk on the history of US involvement in the Antarctic after a talk on the Antarctic Treaty. Once again, there were good questions and a good crowd.