Drake Passage
At sea and in Drake Passage! Maybe the name, “Drake” instills people with fear? For sure, in any Spanish or South American history book, the name of Sir Francis Drake stands out as he was a buccaneer or even a pirate. When ever they saw him arrive they knew there was trouble coming. But the coin does have two sides, and any English history book would state that he was one of the sailors which saved England from the Spanish Armada.
In September 1577 Drake boarded his recently renamed ship, Golden Hind, made it through Magellan Strait and was caught in storm, which took him further south and into unknown waters. The body of water between the southern tip of South America and the tip of Antarctica is nowadays named after this fearless and feared leader, as the Drake Passage, and is still renowned for the storms! Many are the stories told throughout the heydays of the sailing ships as they were battling their way around Cape Horn.
Well if you read the English history books, Sir Francis Drake dragged back gold and silver stolen from the Spanish ships. Here his named is renowned as an explorer and successful navigator.
The Drake Passage has much the same reputation as Sir Francis Drake, fearful but also sometimes very friendly. Today we are experiencing bright sunshine, blue sky, and an almost perfect setting for being out on deck to watch the endless gliders sweep along the ship. By the time we reached the Captain's welcome cocktail and dinner, we had sighted at least five species of albatross and also been to the staff to identify them. As the day went by, those with interest were all able to tell the difference between a wandering and a royal albatross.
We departed from the port of Ushuaia at Tierra del Fuego in the early evening yesterday. In a beautiful setting we sailed the Beagle Channel, much connected with one of many historical voyages, as Charles Darwin was onboard. Now we are heading much further south to the land that was as recently as about 100 years ago mostly unknown, and still partly described as Tierra Incognito or Tierra Australis.
We are out on an expedition with every possibility to challenge nature, scenery and wildlife. Plans will be made but rapidly changed. Antarctica the white continent is ahead of us.
Drake Passage has to be crossed in one way or another and today we are blessed with blue sky and beautiful weather. Words like "Drake lake” have been mentioned. Yes, the coin has two sides. Albatrosses circle near the ship, brief views of bottle-nose whale or maybe beaked whales have been made, but still Drake is a transition, but this time a nice one, to the great white continent – ANTARCTICA!
At sea and in Drake Passage! Maybe the name, “Drake” instills people with fear? For sure, in any Spanish or South American history book, the name of Sir Francis Drake stands out as he was a buccaneer or even a pirate. When ever they saw him arrive they knew there was trouble coming. But the coin does have two sides, and any English history book would state that he was one of the sailors which saved England from the Spanish Armada.
In September 1577 Drake boarded his recently renamed ship, Golden Hind, made it through Magellan Strait and was caught in storm, which took him further south and into unknown waters. The body of water between the southern tip of South America and the tip of Antarctica is nowadays named after this fearless and feared leader, as the Drake Passage, and is still renowned for the storms! Many are the stories told throughout the heydays of the sailing ships as they were battling their way around Cape Horn.
Well if you read the English history books, Sir Francis Drake dragged back gold and silver stolen from the Spanish ships. Here his named is renowned as an explorer and successful navigator.
The Drake Passage has much the same reputation as Sir Francis Drake, fearful but also sometimes very friendly. Today we are experiencing bright sunshine, blue sky, and an almost perfect setting for being out on deck to watch the endless gliders sweep along the ship. By the time we reached the Captain's welcome cocktail and dinner, we had sighted at least five species of albatross and also been to the staff to identify them. As the day went by, those with interest were all able to tell the difference between a wandering and a royal albatross.
We departed from the port of Ushuaia at Tierra del Fuego in the early evening yesterday. In a beautiful setting we sailed the Beagle Channel, much connected with one of many historical voyages, as Charles Darwin was onboard. Now we are heading much further south to the land that was as recently as about 100 years ago mostly unknown, and still partly described as Tierra Incognito or Tierra Australis.
We are out on an expedition with every possibility to challenge nature, scenery and wildlife. Plans will be made but rapidly changed. Antarctica the white continent is ahead of us.
Drake Passage has to be crossed in one way or another and today we are blessed with blue sky and beautiful weather. Words like "Drake lake” have been mentioned. Yes, the coin has two sides. Albatrosses circle near the ship, brief views of bottle-nose whale or maybe beaked whales have been made, but still Drake is a transition, but this time a nice one, to the great white continent – ANTARCTICA!
