The Drake Shake Antarctica Crossing begins the moment we leave the calm seas behind. Although the trip to Antarctica and the time in the 7th Continent gave us gentle days and perfect weather, the return journey quickly proves different. The captain warns us early, and the mood shifts as we prepare for a crossing that feels nothing like the one that brought us here.
Mary does the Polar Plunge in the icy Antarctic waters
Before the storm arrives, we take part in the Polar Plunge. It feels terrifying and exhilarating, yet it also reminds us how fragile we are in this environment. The cold hits instantly, but the moment becomes unforgettable. Even so, the plunge ends up being the easiest part of the day.
Soon after, the crew gives us one last gift. We sail slowly through the Lemaire Channel, a narrow stretch of ice and mountains that feels like Antarctica opening a door just long enough to say goodbye. The water looks like glass. The cliffs rise sharply. And the silence feels sacred. We don’t see many animals but are treated to some of the most stunning landscapes of the trip. Blue icebergs, tall mountains and calm waters. Birds seem to escort us out of the Antarctic waters before we head home. None of us know what waits beyond the channel.
Once we exit, everything changes. The map glows red and purple with warnings. Winds reach 40 knots and build quickly. The Drake Lake we enjoyed on the way in disappears. The ship begins to move with a force that makes you understand why sailors respect this passage. Walking becomes difficult. Eating becomes optional. Sleep becomes a suggestion.
As the hours pass, the seas grow even stronger. Winds hit 74 knots. Waves reach 30 feet. Imagine the boat you’re on lifts up 3 floors high only to drop… again and again for hours. The ship rises and drops like an elevator with no control. These are the kinds of numbers you hear in documentaries, not while you’re living them. Although this isn’t the worst crossing on record, it is more than enough to knock everyone flat.
Filming becomes impossible. Standing becomes a challenge. And the Drake Shake becomes a lived experience rather than a story. Yet even in the chaos, the guides remind us why people come here. Antarctica offers wildlife, landscapes, and a sense of wonder that exists nowhere else. Whales, penguins, glaciers, and untouched wilderness stay with you long after you leave.
Eventually, the winds ease. The seas settle. And South America appears on the horizon. People return to the dining room. Conversations restart. The Drake Shake becomes something we survived rather than something we endured. Gratitude replaces exhaustion.
Sailing back into the Beagle Channel feels like closing a circle. Ten days earlier, this was the gateway to the unknown. Now it marks the end of a journey that changed us. Antarctica teaches through contrast—calm and chaos, beauty and danger, stillness and force. And the hardest journeys often become the ones that stay with you the longest.
We made it through the Drake Shake, and the experience reshaped how we see the world. Thanks for joining me on this final episode of Mary Goes Round the World.
In case you haven’t seen the previous two episodes, check out Part 1 (the Journey to Antarctica) and Part 2 (What Antarctica’s like)