November 25, 2024 – Monday                        Day 61 of this journey 

The Drake Passage 

We actually entered the Drake Passage during the night and had quite a bit of rock and roll. We did take a seasick pill before going to bed. That is the first time on this journey and we did it just to be cautious. 

The Captain tells us that what we are experiencing is the Drake Lake. This is a “good” passage. On Cruisemapper, it says we have 2-3meter seas. So the waves we are plowing through are 6-10 feet. All exterior doors are locked. And at lunch, we could see ice accumulating outside.

 

There was a mandatory meeting during the morning to go over the rules and regulations of visiting Antarctica. Pablo (our Expedition Leader) did a great job explaining the history and the whys of the regulations. He has the ability to inject levity into his talks that keeps people listening. 

When we go ashore, we can walk on the snow, but we cannot sit or lie on the snow. No food is allowed. You cannot bring anything back with you. You can pick it up and look at it, but you have to put it back. No loud noises. You have to stay a certain distance away from the animals. Different animals have different tolerances. This is serious stuff. 

Later in the day, we had to have a biosecurity check. We took all of our outer layers of clothing and our boots to Deck A where they were examined, vacuumed, Velcro was cleaned. Very interesting. We will have our boots sanitized every time we get off and on the ship. 

In the late afternoon, we had our last gathering for cocktails with “The 38”. “The 38” are the 38 of us that started this journey in Duluth. We have developed quite a bit of camaraderie. It feels almost like family. The Captain informed us that as of about 4:00 pm, we were officially in Antarctica. Antarctica is defined as everything below 60 degrees south latitude. 

Then the Captain and senior officers were introduced to the new passengers and of course champagne was flowing freely.

 

A lot going on for a day where we were rocking and rolling. 

But . . . 

We should see land tomorrow.

                   We should see Antarctica tomorrow.