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The Trip to Palmer – Step 6 Transiting The Drake Passage

Written by Will on . Posted in Contract & Seasonal Jobs, Expat Life, Income & Jobs, Nomadic Lifestyle, Overseas Jobs, Working and Living in Antarctica

The trip from Punta Arenas, Chile would take us through 500 miles of what is historically known as the roughest seas in the world; and in fact, our cruise was delayed for a couple of days in the vicinity of Cape Horn while we waited for a very strong low pressure system to pass through the area. Forecast models showed 50+ foot seas and the advisory from our forecasters strongly recommended against transiting The Drake while this system was present. As this was the first time I have ever spent this amount of time on rough seas, I had no idea of whether I would get seasick or not. As it turns out, I am one of the fortunate ones….with the exception of a bit of queasiness, I felt good during the entire crossing.

On the other side of the Drake, we were privileged to visit Deception Island. This island is fairly geographically unique in that it is a volcanic caldera. We sailed into the caldera and spent a few days inside while one of the science groups collected data on degradation of historic structures on the island.

Deception Island was used as a whaling station and sealing station in the late 1800′s and early 1900′s. It is currently home to a couple of seasonal Antarctic research stations and is a popular Antarctic cruise ship destination due to a large chinstrap penguin colony and the thermal hot springs that dot the beaches.

Deception Island - Hot PottingDeception Island - Whaler's BayThe LMG inside the caldera
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Will

Will Brubaker has been roaming the world for over 20 years. He has been to all seven continents, has successfully landed lucrative contract jobs in international locations, spent two winters in Antarctica, recently lived in Taiwan and is currently enjoying sunsets with his wife from his ocean-view balcony in Huanchaco, Peru.
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