The most dangerous seas in the world

The turbulent seas have haunted sailors for centuries. But when assessing the world’s most dangerous waters, experts consider a variety of factors. For example, where is the sea located? Is it close to a continent or extremely remote, like Cape Nemo in the Pacific Ocean? Does it have any dangerous natural features, such as underwater peaks, narrow channels, or icebergs? How strong and predictable are the currents? How frequent are storms and how strong are the winds? How high are the waves and what is the temperature of the water? Another factor in assessing the danger level is the number of shipwrecks or maritime disasters that have occurred.

It’s Drake’s biển

The Drake Passage, also known as the Hoces Sea, is an incredibly dangerous stretch of sea. Named after the British explorer and ship commander Sir Francis Drake, the sea is known for its stormy conditions and volatile currents. At about 800 km wide, the Drake Passage is the shortest route between Antarctica and Cape Horn in South America, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

This is a risky area because there are no large land masses at this latitude, so ocean currents, including the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), can flow unhindered, carrying huge volumes of water. Not only that, but the Drake Passage also has extremely strong winds, creating waves 9 to 12 meters high. The ACC is responsible for transporting 100 to 150 million cubic meters of water per second, and also pushes icebergs through the strait, threatening any ship attempting to pass through.

All these reasons make the Drake Passage a deadly obstacle for those wishing to reach Antarctica.

Bermuda Triangle

Few bodies of water attract as much public attention as the Bermuda Triangle. The 1.3 million square kilometer area of ​​the Atlantic Ocean stretches between Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and the southern tip of Florida. Over the past century, the area has become notorious for numerous shipwrecks and plane disappearances. These odd occurrences have inspired many conspiracy theories. Statistically, however, the triangle-shaped area has no more accidents than any other ocean area.

Bering Sea

The Bering Sea, named after Vitus Bering, a Russian navigator who claimed many lives, lies between the Russian Far East and Alaska and is a combination of strong currents, shallow waters, sea ice, and extreme weather patterns that make it difficult to navigate for much of the year.

The average depth of the Bering Sea is about 60 m, which creates low but strong waves. It is also one of the coldest seas in the world. In winter, temperatures in the northern and eastern parts of the Bering Sea can drop to -45 degrees Celsius.