Tuesday, December 27 (The Drake Passage)

The National Geographic Explorer continued north on the notorious Drake Passage. The guests and I had heard word that this particular voyage across the Drake would not be as calm as our initial passing. In fact, the waves reached up to five meters high (approximately 15 feet). On average the waves’ swells were 9 feet which the ship’s officers considered mild compared to previous experiences where waves reached 30 feet.

Still, the conditions of the waters left me feeling queasy and rattled. I approached my bouts of sea sickness as an opportunity to catch up on rest. In between impressive presentations by staff members ranging in topics from the formation of ice to a National Geographic photographer’s experience in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, I attempted to overcome my illness with a series of short naps. In the end, the Drake Passage was the victor. I was forced to leave dinner after having only a few sips of warm tomato soup. Fortunately, I was able to gain 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep which I found to be a nice victory of my own.