We explored the ship as it departed the port of Ushuaia and headed down the Beagle Channel
We boarded the Ocean Diamond at about 4pm and we explored the ship as it departed the port of Ushuaia and headed down the Beagle Channel towards the open ocean. Following the welcome briefing and safety briefing we had a mandatory lifeboat drill. After dinner we were issued with our bright yellow Quark Expeditions 3-in-1 parkas (which we get to keep). Later that evening the expedition doctor was available to answer any questions regarding seasickness and he provided meds to guests who did not come adequately prepared. Sailing down the Beagle Channel was calm; however, we knew that we would be entering the Drake Passage overnight so we needed to prepared our cabin for rougher seas.
A turbulent convergence of currents, winds and waves
The infamous Drake Passage is a body of water between the southern tip of South America and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It is the place where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans come together in a turbulent convergence of currents, winds and waves. When the waves are high travellers call it the “Drake Shake”, when the seas are calmer it is referred to as the “Drake Lake”. It can take up to 48 hours to sail the 1000 km across the Drake Passage.
We were told that when crossing the Drake, the safest place for your belongings is on the floor or in a drawer in your cabin, so before bed I stashed my laptop and put all my camera gear safely away on the floor in my trusty F-Stop camera backpack. Claire, like many other passengers, took her first dose of seasickness meds in anticipation for the rough seas.
Once we were in open seas, it started to get a bit “lumpy”
Overnight, once we were in open seas, it started to get a bit “lumpy” and we were rocked about a bit in bed. With the head of the bed below the windows and against the outside wall/hull of the ship, I was only awoken once by a big swell that rocked me lengthwise from foot to head.
Mandatory biosecurity procedures
The first full day on the Drake was occupied with zodiac safety briefings, getting our boots boots, briefings for those who had signed up fro the sea kayak and paddling programs. We also had our outer gear and backpacks inspected as part of the mandatory biosecurity procedures for visiting the Antarctic Peninsula. The threat of invasive species and more recently avian flu is a major concern for the continent so biosecurity is taken quite seriously. In addition to the mandatory briefings and activities we also attended informative presentations on seabirds of the Southern Ocean and whales.
For the most part the winds were blowing from the north so the large swells had less of an impact on the ship, but it was far from smooth sailing. Claire, who is prone to seasickness, was not feeling too “energetic” and like so many other passengers spent a fair bit of the time in the cabin.
The first iceberg
On the second day on the Drake we received presentations on the history, geology and wildlife of Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula. In addition, the ship’s photographer provided a great presentation on photography in Antarctica.
At 7pm, as we headed for dinner, the first iceberg of the trip was spotted. The excitement started to build as we began to anticipate what would await us the following morning when we would wake to views of the Antarctic Peninsula.
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