Mysteries of the Deep

The ocean is a great mystery unto itself. Diving deep down to the ocean floor you never know what alien creatures you may meet or what pirate treasures you may find. Over the centuries the ocean has given rise to an immense number of bewildering and puzzling mysteries, myths and legends. People are still trying to solve the ancient secrets that the ocean has been hiding. What’s inside the Bermuda Triangle? What happened to the lost city of Atlantis? How to explain the phenomenon of the “Milky Sea”?

The scientists began to study the oceans intensively only in the second half of the 20th century. Many scholars argue that the depth of the oceans has been studied less intensively than the dark side of the moon. Experts familiar with exploration of the seas think only 2-5% of our underwater world has been explored thoroughly. But in that 2-5% we have a lot of interesting mysteries that need to be revealed. Let’s look through the top 10 of the most unbelievable ocean mysteries.

1. The Bimini Road

There is unknown structure of stone blocks near the Bahamas, which for decades have haunted local residents, scientists, mystics and psychics. They believe that these man-made structures are the remains of the ancient continent of Atlantis.

Nobody knows what the purpose of this road is and where it leads. It is made of huge stone slabs, some of which reach 13 feet in length. They lie at a depth of 20 feet, but thanks to perfectly clear water are easily visible from the surface. The total length of the road is about a half a mile.

Researchers later stated that these blocks are not the usual coastal fragments of rock, but specially treated plates. In favor of the fact that the stones appear to have been fashioned by humans. Some elements of this underwater road are as smooth as a polished table.

Over time, the mysterious stone “road” gave birth to chilling legends. For example, two American divers, who explored the area in 1979, swore that they had seen in the water a glowing triangular object. The triangle was rapidly moving from the bottom, made several steep turns, and then emerged from the water, soared into the sky and disappeared. Another diver saw a ten-foot tall human figure that was moving under water without a diving suit.

It is very difficult to investigate this area, as the waters are fraught with strong undercurrents and a large number of white sharks. Nevertheless, an American expedition in 2004 discovered under a layer of stone blocks one more level, and lower still a third level. They couldn’t get to the base of the ancient buildings. Divers have concluded that it is not a road, but most likely the top of walls.

2. The Milky Sea Phenomenon

For several years scientists have been trying to explain the amazing natural phenomenon – the formation of the “milk seas” in the ocean. They managed to register about 235 observations and get a shot of this phenomenon froma satellite. Moreover, seafarers repeatedly talked about how they found themselves in the midst of extensive court luminous areas of the ocean. One captain told investigators that his ship, hitting the “milky sea,” was unable to sail beyond the phenomena for six hours.
Despite the fact that science know a lot of facts about the “sea of ​​milk”, scientists have not been able to find an explanation for this phenomenon. It is still a mystery.

Scientist Steve Miller from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory believes that prolonged illumination of large areas of the ocean is caused by luminescent bacteria Vibrio harveyi. But still it is only a guess. Who knows, maybe these are signs from alien life forms that are living on Earth.

3. Yonaguni Pyramids
Yonaguni Island is located in the west of Japan, it is the western-most situated island in the country. Yonaguni became famous in the mid 80s, when divers discovered mysterious underwater rock terraces and pyramids with sharp corners. Scientists are inclined to believe that these pyramids were artificially created many years ago by an unknown civilization that disappeared from the face of the earth, but there are still many debates on this issue whether it is a natural phenomenon or the creation of mankind. If Yonaguni monument was created by man it will radically change the history of mankind…

The history of these underwater pyramids begins in 1986, when divers found strangely structured rock formations on the ocean floor. The rocks were in the shape of pyramids and platforms. The pyramids are really huge. One of the biggest is 600 feet in width and 90 feet high.

Divers found traces of processing and cutting on the stone blocks, which confirms the theory of scientists that the Yonaguni Monument is not a natural formation, but created artificially. Masaki Kimura – marine geologist from the University of Japan has been studying the underwater pyramids for more than 15 years. The scientist believes that this place was created more than five thousand years ago, but it was flooded 2,000 years ago during an earthquake.

4. Underwater Falls

Waterfalls exist not only on land, but in the depths of the ocean. Seven waterfalls have been discovered deep underwater.
It is known that the cause of underwater waterfalls are differences in temperature and salinity of the different parts of the ocean, as well as the difficult terrain of the seabed.

The largest of the currently known underwater waterfalls is located on the bottom of the Denmark Strait, which separates Greenland and Iceland. It stirs up more than 175 million cubic feet of water that is 350 times larger than the amount of water that pours over Guaira Falls on the border of Brazil and Paraguay, which is considered a long time the most effusive, free-flowing land waterfall on the planet.

5. Mysterious ‘Crop Circle”

Recently, a Japanese photographer and diver Yuji Okata found almost perfectly uniform, wavy geometric pattern at the bottom of the sea but situated very near the shore. Okata immediately invited witnesses – his fellow-divers and TV – which recorded this amazing site. Look at the picture – it’s not that difficult to create such elegant “cake” on the sandy beach, but just try to do the same under water!

Thanks to the modern technologies scientists managed to solve this mystery. It turned out that the circles were created by the famous puffer fish. The male puffer fish draws castles with its fins to attract female puffers. So you see, it’s all about love!

6. Bermuda Triangle
You didn’t think we would leave out the biggest enigma of all, did you?
Mysterious cases of missing people and equipment were first recorded in the 1940′s. Five Grumman Avenger torpedo bombers had disappeared in the area this area in 1945.The pilots were in touch with their base till the very end of their ill-fated journey. They radioed they couldn’t orient themselves and were immersed in “white-water”. Over a period of some sixty years there reported disappearances of more than 50 ships and aircraft.

People made up fantastic stories filled with very little scientific evidence: aliens, giant octopus, supernatural forces… Joseph Monaghan, a scientist from the University of Monash, Australia, developed one of the most trustworthy theories. His article entitled: “The bubble can absorb the ship?” was published in September 2003 in the American Journal of Physics magazine. Monaghan’s “bubble theory” said that pockets of methane gas can violently bubble up and cause distress for ships and aircraft as well.
The ocean floor has significant reserves of hydrogen sulfide and methane (gas hydrates). The gas rises to the surface, churning water. As a result, the density of water decreases sharply, ships can easily drown and aircraft can lose control.
But there is still no explanation for why during the last 30 years Bermuda has “swallowed” large objects. Such scholars as Lawrence David Kusche believes that the mystery never existed. People created this mystery themselves. But did they?

7. Cuban Underwater City

In October 2012 the world was rocked by the loud statement academics and journalists made about the discovery of the underwater city. Studies of the ocean floor off the coast of Cuba have confirmed that there is a gigantic city at the bottom of the Bermuda Triangle.
Scientists stated that the ruins of the ancient city are located at a depth of 600 feet. They suggest that it is more than 10,000 years old! In the heart of the flooded city there are several sculptures of sphinxes and at least four giant pyramids. Under a huge layer of silt plant species were also found buildings which purpose is unknown. 2 pyramids are even larger than the pyramids of Giza and Cheops in Egypt.
Formation of the Cuban underwater pyramids indicate that this place was once a huge ancient metropolis, which was destroyed as a result of a rise in the sea level and a catastrophic earthquake.

8. Devil’s Sea
This area has received a very poetic name. It is located in the Pacific and runs from about 60 miles from Tokyo to the northern part of the Philippine Islands and finally ends near the island of Guam. The area is not marked on a map but sailor still try to avoid it. The reason? There are spontaneously generated storms which are followed immediately by dead calm. You won’t see dolphins or whales in this area and birds don’t fly there either. In the early 1950′s nine ship disappeared over a five year period; the most celebrated disappearance was the scientific expedition referred to as “Calais-maru-5 which just vanished!
Scholars note that there is high seismic activity in the region. The sea bottom has not formed well and consequently volcanic island constantly appear or even disappear from the surface. Such changes can cause poor navigation and thus the disappearance of ships. However some scientist believe that high cyclonic activity is the main cause.

9. Persian Gulf and the eastern Indian Ocean Mystery
Unusual and unexplained phenomena happen here: huge circles that glow on the water and rotate. Once their origin was explained by the theory of Kurt Calle, an oceanographer from Germany. He noted that these circles can appear as a result of various underwater earthquakes, or because of the natural glow of plankton.
Currently, scientist call this hypothesis doubtful, as it does not explain everything, e.g. why the “wheels” rotate and change their shape.
It is the correct form of underwater glowing circles that suggests the idea that it could be a UFO. The speed of rotation is enormous, and sometimes people notice also the emergence of rays that look very similar to flying objects.

10. Baltic Sea Anomaly
The “Baltic UFO” was found at the end of July 2011 by a group of Swedes. An object with a diameter of about 160 feet appeared in a sonar image as it sat on the sea bottom.
In fact, the object shocked everybody with its precise geometric shape; yet at the same time it looked like the ship “Millennium Falcon” from “Star Wars”, and like an architectural structure similar to Stonehenge in Britain. Some even thought that it is one of the Nazi “flying saucers”.
Swedes managed to organize an expedition finally in 2012. The very first shots of the object at close range showed that it is unlikely it had ever flown. It seems that it is not a “flying saucer”, but rather a kind of construction. Although strips and furrows stretch from the “Baltic UFO” sideways possible evidence of an emergency landing.
The most probable theory was provided by Volker Bryuherta from Stockholm University. According to him, it’s just a rock. Since the Baltic Sea came under the influence of melting glaciers, these rocks probably formed at the same time. But this does not explain why satellite phones and cameras stop working near this “rock”.

Scientists and researchers have done a lot to reveal the secrets of the ocean. But the number of questions are not decreasing but increasing. Indeed, new discoveries pose new questions. And the abyss is able to save its riddles.