How deep is the ocean at the Drake Passage?

The Drake Passage is an extremely deep body of water with an average depth of up to 11,150 feet. However, it's thought that the ocean floor reaches depths of around 15,700 feet near the passage's southern and northern boundaries. That's 43 and a half football fields.



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The Drake Passage has been described as having the roughest seas in the world; 20,000 sailors have lost their lives there and its waters hold more than 800 shipwrecks.

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As they continue to drift north, icebergs are usually pushed east by the powerful Antarctic Circumpolar Current funneling through the Drake Passage. From that point, icebergs often whip north toward the equator and quickly melt in the area's warmer waters.

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The Southern Ocean is not only far-off, but also unambiguously the stormiest region of the planet. Of the sectors of the Southern Ocean, the South Pacific is the most remote — there aren't even islands. It is just this vast stretch of ocean, about 10,000 kilometers between Chile and Australia.

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Cruise ships are made of heavy steel, making them quite weighty. Add passengers and crew, and the ship is even heavier. With all this weight, the vessel can easily roll through rough waters or a rogue wave.

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