Intercontinental Drake Strait - the widest strait in the world

Mr. Francis Drake, after whom the widest strait in the world was named, was an incredible lucky man. He was a great explorer, a real pirate and adventurer. Drake managed to get a full right to privateering from the hands of Elizabeth herself - the Queen of England, and later he received an honorary title for his service in the name of Britain and became vice-admiral.

How did Francis Drake discover the widest strait on the planet?

In 1578 Drake's ship raced along the sea waves during a huge storm. The purpose of the trip was the Straits of Magellan, but the nature had other plans. A storm hurricane carried the ship of a pirate into the open sea, past the place where he was going to make a round-the-world voyage later. Although in fact this trip was an aggressive raid on Spanish colonies on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Great geographical discoveries are often carried out involuntarily, mainly in search of untold treasures, precious metals and stones, as well as slave power and overseas delicacies. This is how the widest intercontinental strait was discovered, which was named after the titled pirate.

Only one vessel of six managed to stay afloat, and the surviving ship named "Pelican" carried the current southwards straight to the Pacific Ocean. On the occasion of the rescue, Drake changed the name of the ship to the Golden Hind, and it arrived safely after the ensuing robbery and marauding on the Pacific coast, full of loaded treasures.

Drake Passage: A Brief Characteristic

The strait connects the waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean and on all geographical maps is called the Drake Passage. In width it reaches 820 km (and this is in the narrowest place), in some places there is a distance of 1120 km. In comparison with the width, the length of the strait looks a little more modest and is 460 km. Depth ranges from 276 to 5,250 meters.

The boundary of the Strait conditionally passes from Cape Horn, which is related to Tierra del Fuego, and to Snezhny Island (South Shetland Islands), which belongs to Antarctica. The proximity to this cold continent affects the climatic features. Even in summer, the water temperature does not rise above 6 ° C, although in winter it is about 3 ° C. This means that the widest strait remains navigable for a year, since it freezes no more than 25%.

Drake Passage: customs and traditions

With the Drake Passage and the island of Horn are associated some traditions and customs among seafarers. The most popular of them is the order of the Queen of England, according to which, after the first successful overcoming of this route, sailors were supposed to have an earring made of copper, after the second - from silver, and if the strait was conquered three times, then a golden earring was already in the ear of the seafarer. Along with the many privileges that gave them the right to free drinks, they were also called "sea wolves", which was considered quite prestigious at the time.

Since then, this water barrier has been overcome not one dozen times. For example, the famous traveler from Russia, Fedor Konyukhov safely crossed this dangerous site as much as 6 times, the last of which he committed in 2010. Following the ancient customs, he would have been relying on it for 2 gold earrings and an honorary title.

Insidious water barrier

During the Great Discoveries, ships that kept their way from the Pacific to the Atlantic had to repeatedly cross the widest strait in the world. At the same time, seafarers always went to justified risk, as this insidious water barrier was not all to the teeth. To this day, sailing along the strait is estimated as the conquest of Mount Jomolungma.

The widest strait of the planet is considered very dangerous and difficult to traverse. On the way often there are huge icebergs, whirlpools, sometimes there are unprecedented storms with waves up to 15 meters, and the incoming wind reaches places 35 meters per second. The difficulties in the passage of the strait are also due to the powerful current.

Although the Drake Passage is the widest strait, it is the narrowest point of the Southern Ocean. Since 1993, regular studies have been carried out and measurements are being made, since this boundary between two huge oceans is the most important site for hydrological research of the circumpolar current of the Antarctic.