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ABMOST SCARIEST WAVES
The Drake Passage is the body of water between the tip of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula. It is widely considered the most dangerous stretch of ocean on Earth.
Why it's scary: There is no landmass at that latitude to slow down the wind. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current squeezes through this narrow gap, meeting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
The Stats: Waves regularly reach 30 to 40 feet (9–12 meters). During storms, they can exceed 60 feet (18+ meters).
The Experience: Travelers call it the "Drake Shake." Ships can tilt to extreme angles, and the waves hit like solid walls of water.
The Rogue Waves
The Southern Ocean is a "nursery" for rogue waves—spontaneous, massive walls of water that are more than twice the size of the surrounding waves.
Recent Incident: In late 2022, a rogue wave struck the Viking Polaris cruise ship near Antarctica, breaking windows and tragically causing a fatality.
Record Heights: A buoy in the Southern Ocean once recorded a gargantuan 78-foot (23.8-meter) wave, the largest ever measured in the Southern Hemisphere at that time.
"The Screaming Sixties"
The terminology sailors use for the latitudes around Antarctica tells you everything you need to know about the waves:
| Latitude | Nickname |
| :--- | :--- |
| 40° South | The Roaring Forties |
| 50° South | The Furious Fifties |
| 60° South | The Screaming Sixties |
Coastal "Ice Waves"
Near the actual continent, the scariest waves aren't caused by wind, but by calving glaciers. When a skyscraper-sized piece of ice breaks off a glacier and falls into the ocean, it creates a localized tsunami. These waves can easily flip small Zodiac boats or wash researchers off "safe" rocky shorelines.
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