Oceans cover 71% of the earth. When most of us think of the ocean, it probably conjures memories of days at the seaside, summer days, and watersports. 

However, we all know that the ocean can be a dangerous place. It has a reputation of being powerful and unpredictable with many old stories of ill-fated voyages of explorers getting caught up in the vast violent waters.

There are some oceans which are so treacherous, only the bravest souls will attempt to take them on. Here are the top four most dangerous bodies of water on earth.

Drake Strait

This body of water is located where the Tasman sea connects with the South Pacific Ocean. Cook Strait is 22 km wide and is one of the most unpredictable waters in the world. 

The area is hounded by belts of strong winds that circle the earth around 40 degrees south, known as the Roaring Forties. This produces a wind tunnel effect, causing phenomenal waves and tidal surges. 

Drake Passage 

The notorious Drake Passage, also referred to as the “Sea of Hoces”, is located at the southern tip of South America and is the shortest crossing from Antarctica to the rest of the world, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. 

In this area of the ocean, there is no landmass anywhere, the Drake Passage has a massive current carrying a huge volume of water through it, this coupled with the high wind speeds that naturally occur in the area are the perfect recipe for stormy waters. Because of the latitude of Drake Passage, icebergs are also a problem – giving the area a reputation of being unpredictable and perilous.

Southern Ocean

This is the ocean that circles around Antarctica, also known as the Antarctic Ocean and is the southernmost ocean on the planet. Here, an icy cold northern flow of waters from the Antarctic merge with warmer sub-Antarctic waters. The area is infamous for icebergs, sea ice, huge swells, and high winds.

Scientists dropped a high-tech buoy into the deepest part of the Southern Ocean to measure wave height amongst other things. Awesome Ocean explains, “The collaboration between MetOcean Solutions and the New Zealand Défense Force had hoped to learn more about this desolate area and gain useful information for new ship designs, but they did not anticipate what happened next. The buoy measured a gargantuan 64 foot wave. 

Not only is a wave so massive scary, it is not even a complete anomaly in this area of the world! Although it is one of the largest waves found in the area, waves regularly exceed 32 feet in the Southern Ocean.”

Timor Sea

An area known as Port George LV in the Timor Sea is Australia’s stormiest body of water, here it is normal to have around one hundred thunderstorms a day. 

Many storms and cyclones pass through this area, which make it difficult for gas and oil production, often meaning delays and interruptions with workers having to be evacuated to the mainland. Although production facilities are designed to withstand the violent storms associated with the area, sometimes the conditions are so bad, it is safer to leave.