# what's the most dangerous sea in the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2007, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595 "2007-05-26T12:09:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pinkfrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@pinkfrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfrog)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/1 "2007-05-26T12:09:05Z")
Bering sea? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/2 "2007-05-26T12:24:56Z")
The Southern Ocean (that’s the modern standard name for it) – the area in the southernmost Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans that is wide-open straight around the world at the same parallel of latitude. Owing to this it is generally extremely stormy and dangerous. I suspect the Bering is well up there on the danger list, though. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/3 "2007-05-26T12:33:47Z")
Or perhaps the Mar de Hoces (Sea of Sickles), more commonly known as[Drake Passage](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_Passage), the body of water that lies between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica. Many ships were lost there when “rounding the Horn” was the only sea route from the Atlantic to the Pacific: > [@](#): > > Seas in the Drake Passage are famously rough, with waves over 10 meters (over 30 feet) high not uncommon. Located between 56 and (approximately) 60 degrees south latitude, the passage is undoubtedly the source of the sailors’ maxim that “Below 40 degrees, there is no law. Below 50 degrees, there is no God.” ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/4 "2007-05-26T13:04:16Z")
Presumably the Drake Passage is part of the Southern Ocean? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/5 "2007-05-26T13:11:53Z")
[QUOTE=Nancarrow] Presumably the Drake Passage is part of the Southern Ocean? [/QUOTE] Presumably the OP wanted locations more precise than [7,848,000 square miles.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_ocean) ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/6 "2007-05-26T14:48:38Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfrog] Bering sea? [/QUOTE] Dangerous based on what? As with all other “What’s the most [adjective] [noun] in the world?” threads, you have to define some measurable parameters. For example, dangerous meaning: number of ships lost? Lives lost? Highest waves? Remoteness of location precluding any reasonable rescue? Icebergs? Underwater hazards? Pirates? etc, etc. So, in terms of ‘dangerous’, what exactly constitutes ‘dangerous’ for your question? ---
**Author:** ![pinkfrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@pinkfrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfrog)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/7 "2007-05-26T14:49:28Z")
Use your imagination. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/8 "2007-05-26T14:51:42Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfrog] Use your imagination. [/QUOTE] OK then: The Sea of Love. When it’s good, it’s real good. But when it’s bad… ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/9 "2007-05-26T16:58:41Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfrog] Use your imagination. [/QUOTE] Autocracy? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/10 "2007-05-26T21:48:14Z")
Semen? Heresy? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/11 "2007-05-26T22:08:11Z")
An insurgency? ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/12 "2007-05-26T22:22:56Z")
Sure sounds like the Southern Ocean would qualify – that big current swirling the water around Antarctica moves a loooooooooooot of water. Hey, speaking of which, is there any reason the two pieces of land that form the boundaries of the Drake Passage both appear to be swept back in the direction of the current flowing between them? Is it just a coincidence, or is there some causality there somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/13 "2007-05-26T23:27:11Z")
[QUOTE=chorpler] Sure sounds like the Southern Ocean would qualify – that big current swirling the water around Antarctica moves a loooooooooooot of water. Hey, speaking of which, is there any reason the two pieces of land that form the boundaries of the Drake Passage both appear to be swept back in the direction of the current flowing between them? Is it just a coincidence, or is there some causality there somewhere? [/QUOTE] The Wiki article states that the passage was closed around 41 million years ago. Knowing that, it seems less than coincidence that the remaining landmasses are “swept” the same way. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/14 "2007-05-26T23:31:03Z")
[QUOTE=DJ Motorbike] The Wiki article states that the passage was closed around 41 million years ago. Knowing that, it seems less than coincidence that the remaining landmasses are “swept” the same way. [/QUOTE] Sorry, but I don’t understand what you mean – why would the separating of the continents cause the capes on either side to be “swept” in the same direction as the current? ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/15 "2007-05-27T00:13:59Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfrog] What’s the most dangerous sea in the world? Bearing Sea? [/QUOTE] 250 million years ago, it was the [Panthalassic Ocean](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panthalassa), owing to the fact that it was the only one. ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/16 "2007-05-27T00:28:45Z")
[QUOTE=Scruloose] For example, dangerous meaning: number of ships lost? Lives lost? Highest waves? Remoteness of location precluding any reasonable rescue? Icebergs? Underwater hazards? **Pirates**? etc, etc. [/QUOTE] (bolding mine) That’s actually a very good point. The sea off the coast of Somalia, for example, is extremely dangerous these days due to piracy. It’s even gotten to the point where agents are [outright refusing to deliver food aid](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6675117.stm). ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/17 "2007-05-27T00:31:35Z")
[QUOTE=chorpler] Sorry, but I don’t understand what you mean – why would the separating of the continents cause the capes on either side to be “swept” in the same direction as the current? [/QUOTE] The Andes and the West Antarctic Mountains are part of the same cordillera, the same series of mountain-chain upthrusts. During the Cenozoic Era, Antarctica and South America pulled apart along that chain, and the Sandwich Plate thrust itself between the two continental plates, pushing the present island arc (Tierra del Fuego, Falkland Is., South Georgia, South Sandwich Is., South Orkney Is., South Shetland Is., Graham Land, Palmer Land) eastward relative to the former line between them. (Actually, the island arc is the vulcanism result of the overthrust of the Sandwich Plate, not pieces of the former connection pushed ahead of it, but the concept remains the same.) As for the dangerousness of the Drake Passage vs. the Southern Ocean as a whole, my understanding is that the whole area lying within the current circumnavigating Antarctica is extremely stormy and treacherous, but that unless one is responding to Cthulhu’s invitation to an open house at R’lyeh, the only part of it that will get regularly traversed by vessels is the Drake Passage – the southern limits of Australia and Africa being far enough north to afford sea room north of the dangerous area. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-dangerous-sea-in-the-world/405595/18 "2007-05-27T01:15:00Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] The Andes and the West Antarctic Mountains are part of the same cordillera, the same series of mountain-chain upthrusts. During the Cenozoic Era, Antarctica and South America pulled apart along that chain, and the Sandwich Plate thrust itself between the two continental plates, pushing the present island arc (Tierra del Fuego, Falkland Is., South Georgia, South Sandwich Is., South Orkney Is., South Shetland Is., Graham Land, Palmer Land) eastward relative to the former line between them. (Actually, the island arc is the vulcanism result of the overthrust of the Sandwich Plate, not pieces of the former connection pushed ahead of it, but the concept remains the same.) [/QUOTE] Understood. But my question is whether the fact that they appear to be swept to the east has anything to do with the massive current flowing to the east between them, or if that’s just a coincidence.