The Southern Ocean and Scotia Sea are well known for the winds and seas that define their character. Two sayings from the days of sail and whaling are “the roaring forties, furious fifties, and screaming sixties,” denoting the degrees latitude and their winds. The other being “below fifty there is no law, below sixty there is no God.” The iron men in wooden ships that plied these waters told incredible stories of the conditions faced during the days of sealing and whaling.
Ships still arrive in the Southern Ocean during the southern hemisphere summer in search of seals and whales, but now they are filled with travelers seeking a different experience than to hunt the animals. Travelers aboard expedition vessels between the months of November and March enjoy modern amenities and the advantage of state-of-the-art equipment that the men of 125 years ago could never have dreamed of. Waterproof boots rated for 40 degrees below zero; parkas that withstand rain, snow, sleet and wind; sleek and powerful landing craft capable of depositing people ashore in breaking surf; these are just some of the ingredients that go into a safe and successful expedition into the Southern Ocean.
Perhaps the most important is a capable ship and the knowledge and equipment to get the ship to its destination safely and in a timely manner. National Geographic Explorer is one of those ships. With its modern radar, sonar, ability to receive weather forecasts and knowledgeable personnel to make the right decisions, this ship is excellent in this challenging environment.
The weather said to make for South America as soon as possible so the ship went south around the Falkland Islands after enjoying a lee from East Falkland for a few hours. As quickly and safely as possible, the ship is heading for the protection of the Beagle Channel as the Southern Ocean shows her ability to huff and puff. The sun shone brightly, the seabirds flew, and every once in a while we could look off the decks of this ship and imagine a much smaller, slower, wooden ship of old making her way through the seas in an attempt at commerce.
