The stories of the Furious Fifties are to be believed.

Rough ocean through the Furiius Fifties.

The Drake Passage extends from Cape Horn to the South Shetland Islands which passes right through the Furious Fifties, the area between 50 and 60 degrees latitude.

Historically there have been many shipwrecks as a result of extremely high winds and aggressive waves that can wreak havoc on a vessel. Guess where we are?

Hats off to our captain and crew. While dealing with unpredictable conditions the last few days their dedication to making our journey the best experience possible has not gone unnoticed.

They tried to dock three times over the previous evening but due to high winds were unable to do so. With high winds and floating ice, they continued through a narrow passage and were able to find calmer waters.

Still not knowing if we were going to be able to find a landing to explore, as winds were still increasing, they found a quiet enough spot for us to visit Danco Island and Wilhemina Bay where saw all the whales and I lost my gear.

Humpback Whale Tail — Humpback Whale. One of many seen in Wilhelmina Bay

When we had to quickly leave that island the winds were gusting at 50 knots. With everyone safely on board we set sail in 60 to 70 Knott winds. The rough conditions meant we were no longer allowed to go outside.

We're experiencing possibly the lowest atmospheric pressure recorded causing this crazy weather.

They have repeatedly changed course to miss the nearby storm that is four thousand miles long.

We were fortunate to eventually make another landing at President Head which is a hang-out for various seal species such as Southern Elephant and Antarctic Fur Seals. There was a lot of relaxing going on here, with seals laying around or playing everywhere. Some were buried in mud, while others rested on the rocky shore or up in the soft moss.

It was a nice break from the rocking and rolling of the ship and it turned out to be our last touch on land until our return to Ushuaia.

Once back on board, we were advised that with the severe storm looming around the Drake Passage the captain decided to leave early and try to stay ahead of it. He has a mission to get us to Ushuaia to catch our flights home.

These charts are colourful and I'm told this means Batten down the hatches

With Swells of 4 to 5 metres to start, going up to 5 to 6 it is going to be a rocky ride. We had to Drake Proof our cabins, which meant getting everything off tables and counters as they would soon slide off.

Our second last day proved to be the most extreme.

We soon experienced 90-degree swells from both sides. Although the swells are only 4 to 5 meters high, we were hit from both sides so they end up layering one on top of the other amounting to 10 to 12-meter-high waves. This collision of waves often created a loud bang, that until we knew what it was sounded like we were crashing into giant icebergs.

You may recall that on our trip down I mentioned we had uncharacteristically calm waters at a level 1 out of 10.

Now heading north we experience levels of 5 and 6. We were told that if it had progressed higher they would have had to stop somewhere, position the ship into the storm and wait.

I found this all fascinating. I, as well as some other passengers, have taken seasick medication the entire trip. I believe this allowed me to weather the storm relatively well. A definite first for me. I must admit my fear of getting sick and missing the entire experience meant I came on board guns loaded. I had patches behind my ears, non-drowsy dramamine, (thanks to my good friend Gloria), stomach nausea, and candied ginger. Now most people, even Norm the one day, who has a stomach of steel, were looking for ways to ease their discomfort. The doctor was a popular guy.

The constant rocking and sleepy side effects of the medications equated to a lot of naps for passengers of all ages.

It was nice to have meals and interesting lectures to give us reasons to rise from our naps.

I have videos I will share later of just how interesting the journey through the Furious Fifties can be.

How our kitchen staff made our meals is a mystery. We would have steady rocking and rolling, but now and then there would be a large wave and we could hear pots, utensils and dishes crashing. On the worst day, we ate (what they called a more basic super, but was still great) on paper plates due to the difficulties working in this and many crew members were down and out, unable to work.

The dining room chairs are all bolted down for good reason. We often needed to hang on to them to walk, and sometimes while sitting we would be launched sideways onto 2 legs when the chains stopped the fall. This supper was a little quieter. With so many unwell passengers they kindly offered to bring meals to individual rooms for those not up to venturing out to eat.

Walking the halls we often looked like drunken penguins, grabbing railings along the way. Our captain however had his walk down pat. This seemed easy for him as he walked straight forward knowing how to lean into a listing boat.

Our last day at sea saw improvements in the weather so we would gradually see more people out and about. Best of all we were allowed back outside. By evening we were able to enjoy the captain’s farewell cocktail party with prizes, auctions and a lovely slide show recapping our journey, by Jaco Beukman, the resident photographer. I was fortunate to win a signed print by Jaco that I admired every day on the screens.

On day one of this voyage we were told this is an expedition, not a cruise and we

WILL be a different person getting off this ship than the person who walked on. I am confident many people chuckled softly and thought ya maybe.

They were right yet I can't fully explain why. Perhaps the purity and remoteness of the islands we visited, the innocence of adorable penguins, and the grace of large whales mixed with mother nature offering up a mix of beauty, awe strength and power are dominant factors.

Add to this the connections and friendships we made sharing these unique experiences. From the fantastic crew who went above and beyond during challenging conditions to our new friends and acquaintances who share a common passion for travel and new experiences, I am different.

I am a survivor of the Drake Passage. Darn I should have bought the tee shirt.😆LOL