by Rudra Prasad Mukherjee, Add’l Chief Officer, Sanmar Serenade
The Magellan Strait or “Estrecho de Magellanes” is a small stretch of water which connects the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans through the southern part of South America. Named after Ferdinand Magellan, the first European to navigate the strait in 1520, during his epic global circumnavigation voyage, this natural strait made up of hundreds of miles of mountainous fjords is a boon to the mariner, as it helps his ship avoid going around Cape Horn, known for its boisterous seas and icebergs and often referred to as the ‘graveyard’ of many a mighty ship. The straits and their associated network of natural channels are approximately 600 miles. “Marigold”, belonging to the fleet of Francis Drake, after a successful and memorable navigation through the Magellan Strait, was caught by a furious storm, and was lost in the islets south of Desolation Island, in September 1578.
Only a fortunate few get the opportunity to pass through this scenic waterway, so close to the Antarctic Circle. It is difficult to visualise the majestic grandeur of these fjords and the tall and stunningly beautiful snow capped peaks. It is all untouched by civilisation.
The eastern part of this fjord is known as Patagonia, a flat stretch of plateaus. As one moves westwards, the topography of the land changes from shallow round hills to majestic high mountains with dollops of snow on top. When passing through the Magellan Strait, we passed the southernmost tip of the South American mainland. This location known as the “Cabo Forward”, has been landmarked with a huge 32 metre tall crucifix visible only during day time.
We navigated our ship through thousands of small islands all along the way. These mountains and islands protect our passage from the gales that blow just south of this region, peaking up to 150 kmph at times. The islands in the channel are mainly rocky and capped by snow, gradually sloping into numerous rocks jutting out of the water and then almost falling into abysmal depths in the centre of the channel. At times the channel becomes narrow and the water shallow. In winter, the surrounding cliffs are bathed in snow, lending a white halo to the seas around. At night when crossing such a narrow stretch with the vertical cliffs and mountains towering besides us, an eerie feeling of fear passes through our body. The lighthouses and the beacons were our only source of light and route guide through this island maze.
During the day it was a pleasant 10ºC with a cool breeze wafting through our nostrils keeping our energy levels high. The mountains looked mystical with the orange glow of distant sunshine, drifting fog and the soft topping of snow. Penguins and sea lions played lazily and barked their greetings to us visitors. Even the seasoned seafarers amongst us couldn’t but help stare in awe at the amazing views offered by this picturesque passage. Over the years we’ve seen seas of all kinds and many a golden sunrise and arching rainbow, but none comes close to this awesome experience, the memories of which will stay with us for a long time to come. The whole team received certificates from the pilots which stated ‘Explorade de Magellan’ or ‘Explorers of the Magellan’.