Drake Passage

The Drake Passage is the body of water between Cape Horn in Chile at the southern extreme of the South American mainland and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean (Scotia Sea) with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. The passage is named after the 16th-century English explorer and privateer Sir Francis Drake.

Traversing the Drake Passage is considered one of the most treacherous voyages for ships to make. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which runs through it, meets no resistance from any landmass, and waves top 40 feet (12 m), giving it a reputation for being "the most powerful convergence of seas".

As the Drake Passage is the narrowest passage (choke point) around Antarctica, it strongly influences Antarctic and global oceanic circulation, as well as global climate patterns. The bathymetry of the Drake Passage plays an important part in the global mixing of oceanic water. Part of the water body is named Southern Zone Sea.

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