Onward to Antarctica!

After 6 days of hard work here in Punta Arenas, Chile, our team, as well as all of our scientific equipment is ready to go!

Last night we spent our first night on the RV Laurence M. Gould, and this evening we will be moving onward to Antarctica via the Drake Passage.

The Gould moored here in Punta Arenas

At 500 miles (800 km) wide, the Drake Passage is the shortest crossing to Antarctica from any other landmass in the world.

But because it is relatively narrow and shallow, the otherwise unimpeded waves of the vast Southern Ocean must squeeze through, and in the process, often generate complicated, unpredictable, and brutal conditions at sea.

The winds over the Drake Passage blow predominantly from the west, just as the water within the Drake Passage flows from the west to east as part of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which is the most voluminous current in the world!

Our projected route over the next 4 and a half weeks!

To track the Gould as we cross the Drake, stop at science stations, and study the seafloor off the Western Antarctic Peninsula, you can follow the ship on the MarineTraffic website!

We are excited to embark on this incredible adventure, eager to gather the scientific data we are hoping to collect, and happy to know that you will all be following along as we do! Fingers crossed for a smooth crossing!