> The Drake Passage flows around the southernmost tip of which continent?And the answer: South America. Photo Courtesy: Bernard Neal / antarctica, Drake Passage, Polar, StoriesTheDrake Passage is a sometimes turbulent body of water that connects the SouthAtlantic Ocean with the South Pacific Ocean. As it flows between Cape Horn ofSouth America, and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica, it's often the onlyway to travel between the two continents.Contrary to its name, Sir Francis Drake was not actually the first to sail theserough waters. The passage earned its title in 1578, when one of his shipsdrifted far south after passing through the Strait of Magellan, the route thatDrake had chosen. Having realized there might be a connection between theAtlantic and the Pacific Oceans, Drake and his crew inadvertently discoveredwhat would become named Drake Passage.Half a century earlier, sailing south from the entrance of the Strait ofMagellan, Spanish navigator Francisco de Hoces made similar discoveries, thoughthey went largely unrecognized by the British explorers. For this reason, itappears as Mar de Hoces in most Spanish and Spanish American maps and sources. Though, not even he was brave enough to rough the waters. The first recordedtrip across the Drake Passage was in 1616 by Dutchman Willem Schouten. Schoutenmade his away across the passage in 1616, almost forty years after Drake’sAntarctic exploration. Following the discovery, trips to Antartica began tobecome more widely known– but with a cost. The perilous route has been the siteof shipwrecks, injury, and even death. Though, if you're looking to travel across this infamous passage in the 21stcentury, modern technology has paved a new way. Though some report the two-daytrip to be uncomfortable and nauseating, often reporting sea-sickness to whichthey have never previously been prone, there's no need to fear for your life inthese intense waters. Boats often come equipped with stabilizers to absorb theintense currents, and are always led by an extremely qualified guide to thewaters. If you're feeling brave, check out the video below to see the Drake in a storm.