Video Shows Cruise Ship Battered by Large Waves in Drake Passage
Passengers are seen moving quickly through an interior public area as water fills the observation-window view; the account gave no details on damage or injuries.
Video footage from the Drake Passage shows large waves battering an unidentified cruise ship during a crossing between South America and Antarctica. The seas were described as approaching 40 feet, although no measured wave height was provided.
Neither the vessel nor its operator was identified, and no date was given for the crossing. An estimate cited by Surfer.com placed the waves at roughly 23 to 35 feet based on the ship’s apparent size, with the possibility of higher seas.
Footage shows heavy rolling in large seas
The video shows successive waves striking the ship as it rolls heavily, with water filling the view through its observation windows. Passengers can be seen moving quickly through an interior public area while the vessel pitches and sways. The account accompanying the video did not provide information about damage, injuries or operational changes following the crossing.
Drake Passage conditions
The Drake Passage extends about 600 miles, or 1,000 kilometers, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands near the Antarctic Peninsula. It connects the Atlantic and Pacific sectors of the Southern Ocean and is crossed by ships operating Antarctic itineraries from southern South America.
Strong westerly winds can move around Antarctica with little land to interrupt them, while the Antarctic Circumpolar Current passes through the region. Average wave heights are about 13 to 16 feet, while storm waves can reach approximately 49 feet. The southern latitudes are commonly associated with the “Roaring Forties,” “Furious Fifties” and “Screaming Sixties.”
In November 2022, a large wave in the passage struck the expedition ship Viking Polaris, breaking seven cabin windows. One person died and eight others were injured.
