Cruise Ship Battles 40-Foot Waves in Dramatic Drake Passage Voyage

The passengers on a cruise ship faced enormous 40-foot waves while navigating the turbulent waters of the infamous Drake Passage.

Lesley Ann Murphy, a travel blogger aboard Quark Expeditions' Ocean Explorer ship, captured heart-stopping footage of the vessel making its way through the giant waves and crashing water.

Murphy gauged that some waves reached heights of 30 to 40 feet, with her footage capturing their massive size as they loomed over the vessel and crashed against the windowpanes.

In her video, which was uploaded to Instagram , multiple passengers were spotted congregating near the big windows as the azure waves surged upward before fiercely colliding with the observation deck.

The frothy white waves slammed into the sides, causing the vessel to sway violently from side to side as passengers stumbled and toppled over.

At once, a crowd of travelers appeared to dash back and forth as the vessel rocked with the flow of water, and a television could be observed oscillating from a wall because of the wave impacts.

A single individual confronted the daunting waves and tried to maintain his stance on the deck of the ship akin to surfing as a massive wave loomed ahead of the vessel.

In her video description, Murphy characterized the journey through the seas situated between the southernmost point of the South American continent and Antarctica as a 'two-day thrill ride.'

"I am pleased to announce that we made it through not just one but two challenging Drake Passages! To explain, the Drake Passage lies between the southernmost point of South America and Antarctica, known for its notoriously turbulent waters," she stated.

If luck is on your side, you might end up at Drake Lake. But if you're in our shoes, prepare for the Drake Shake, complete with monstrous 35-foot waves.

"Yes, we were safe and it was absolutely crazy...and at times, even enjoyable?! Completely worth it for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure!" she exclaimed.

We were instructed to remain in our cabins all afternoon yesterday, but there were certainly positive aspects to be found amidst this situation... We had some free time, we shared many laughs, I reflected on this incredible journey, I video chatted with my friends, and surprisingly enough, I discovered that I don’t feel queasy at sea!

However, Murphy is not the first person to confront the frightening waves.

Last year, video surfaced of a high-end cruise ship navigating through a brutal storm near Antarctica, showing the exact moment Waves nearly reaching 100 feet crashed into the ship. and drenched the deck with icy seawater.

While navigating through the Drake Passage, the Atlas World Voyager cruise ship encountered a severe storm.

Gales reaching speeds of 115 mph churned the ocean waters into a tumultuous state and generated massive 30-meter (93-foot) waves that crashed against the luxurious yacht throughout this treacherous voyage.

The thrilling footage captured from the deck illustrates how the yacht was raised up onto towering waves and then tilted, dropping dramatically downwards as if falling multiple floors.

Tables, chairs, sun loungers, and various other debris could be spotted drifting around as the deck was inundated by the floodwaters.

Happily, the team successfully navigated the perilous waters, and the yacht arrived at its destination—Ushuaia in southern Argentina—without significant harm.

Even though the conditions were harsh, the yacht managed to navigate through the Drake Passage unscathed.

What happened to MS Maud, a Norwegian cruise liner, cannot be said about another vessel. The ship was navigating the North Sea shortly before Christmas 2023 when an unusual rogue wave struck it so violently that it caused a loss of power, leaving the vessel drifting aimlessly.

When MS Maud was approximately 162 nautical miles from Denmark’s western coastline and around 217 nautical miles from Britain’s eastern shoreline, a colossal wave struck the ship, smashing the windows on the navigation deck.

The vessel, transporting 400 individuals including passengers and crew, embarked on a 14-day journey to view the Northern Lights, departing from Tilbury on December 9 and scheduled to arrive back at the Essex port on December 23.

Video footage acquired by MailOnline captures the precise instant when the rogue wave struck, rendering the vessel unsteerable and necessitating a towing operation to Germany.

The passenger who recorded the footage mentioned: "I had the bridge view displayed on the TV to help prevent motion sickness, so I simply chose to capture it spontaneously!"

The moment the wave hit, the television screen turned black and the ship’s emergency distress siren blared, indicating that something had gone awry.