40-foot waves crash into cruise ship in dangerous stretch near Antarctica. Watch

A video shows a cruise ship being violently slammed by nearly 40 feet waves in the Drake Passage, a water body between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica. The vessel sways like a toy as waves are seen crashing around it through its massive observation windows. Surfer.com reported that there is no confirmed height of the seas, although, going by the ship's size, they could be between 23 and 35 feet, and even higher.

The Drake Passage extends from Cape Horn in Chile to the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It is known for its massive waves, some of which have been measured at 65 feet. The region spans nearly 1,000 kilometres and is a dangerous stretch of sea. The conditions here are extremely rough because of a lack of landmass to block the wind. As air flows continuously without any obstruction, and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current races around the planet, they cause massive storms with towering waves.

Watch video of 40-foot waves crashing into a ship

The winds are so fierce that they are also known as "Roaring Forties," "Furious Fifties," and "Screaming Sixties". The storms also lead to accidents in the Drake Passage. In November 2022, violent waves smashed into the expedition ship Viking Polaris, breaking seven cabin windows. One person died and eight others were injured in the incident. Investigators noted that winds can produce breaking waves in the region. Even modern ships cannot withstand the storms and waves in the Drake Passage.