9.
SPACESHIP BOAT
Located along the Columbia River in Oregon, Sauvie Island is home to a clothing-optional
beach called Collins Beach.
But it doesn’t only attract visitors who like to swim and sunbathe in the buff.
There’s a mysterious graffiti- and moss-covered UFO-like structure on the property that draws
in curious urban explorers.
Measuring roughly 30 feet (9.1 meters) in diameter, it looks like it could very well
be a derelict spaceship.
But this otherworldly contraption was not designed to fly.
It’s actually an experimental boat that was built around 1970 with a material called
ferro cement, which is made of mortar and light wire steel mesh.
And while it looks characteristic of the bizarre inventions that DARPA is known for funding,
you might be surprised to learn that it wasn’t the brainchild of a secretive government project.
The boat was built by a local family who used it for several decades before leaving it in
its current place.
Visitors are urged to use caution because it’s aging and starting to slowly fall apart.
Oh, and anyone who goes there in the summer should be aware that they will probably see
some nudity!
8.
PATOMSKIY CRATER
Irkutsk Oblast is a vast region of southeastern Siberia.
It occupies a nearly 300,000 square mile (777,000 km2) area and is sparsely populated, with
just over 2.4 million residents.
A thick, dense layer of trees blankets the majority of the landscape, which consists
of hills, valleys, and plateaus.
In the middle of this seemingly endless forest, there’s a peculiar limestone formation called
the Patomskiy Crater.
At roughly 130 feet (40 meters) tall and with a diameter of 520 feet (160 meters), it’s
one of the few things in the region that manages to stand out among the surrounding trees.
The crater’s most distinct feature is its ring-shaped cone.
In the center of it, there’s a 39-foot tall (12 meters) mound.
A Russian geologist named Vadim Kolpakov discovered the strange structure in 1949, and scientists
have been trying to determine its origins ever since.
They believe it’s only 300 to 350 years old and have formed several theories about
what could have created it.
The possibilities include a meteorite, volcanic activity, and radioactivity – just to name
a few.
As of 2010, the general consensus seemed to favor a meteoric theory.
But experts have failed to come up with a solid argument for it.
They also have no explanation for why the trees near the crater grow unusually fast.
Of course, conspiracy theorists have put in their two cents.
Some think that there’s a hidden nuclear plant nearby, while others have suggested
the crater was caused by a buried UFO containing nuclear fuel.
But no asteroid-like materials or metal have been found at or near the site, so for now,
it’s hard to justify any theory that involves objects from space, including meteors and
flying saucers.
A recent study suggests that there could be a gas volcano in the area, formed by the underground
release of hydrogen and other fluids.
This could possibly explain the accelerated tree growth near the crater.
And while these particular researchers are admittedly baffled by the formation, they
believe that it is of “earthly” origins.
7.
A HIDDEN CITY
Deep in the woods outside Berlin, there’s a sprawling, 60,000-acre (24,281 hectares)
site called Wünsdorf.
It was originally used by the Prussian Army as a shooting range; then, during the 1930s,
it became the headquarters for the Nazi Wehrmacht forces.
A huge yet hidden settlement was built.
By all appearances, it seemed like a typical village filled with ordinary homes and buildings.
But the site was heavily fortified.
Hidden behind the inconspicuous exteriors of many buildings were walls that measured
up to 11 feet (3.2 meters) thick.
There were several bomb-proof bunkers and an underground communications center.
The Nazis left Wünsdorf after being defeated in World War II, and the Soviets wasted no
time moving in.
They used the site as a Red Army headquarters and an East German military camp.
At its peak, the population consisted of around 75,000 men, women, and children.
Roughly 40,000 of the residents were in the military.
Life at Wünsdorf was strict.
Soldiers were banned from taking vacations and couldn’t receive visits from anyone
who lived off-site, including family members.
But there were some advantages to living in the hidden community, which offered a much
higher quality of life compared to the standard for East Germany at the time.
It had schools, shops, a concert hall, a pool, and a theater, along with some luxury accommodations
that not everyone on the outside had access to.
The last Soviet soldiers at Wünsdorf left in 1994, after the Iron Curtain fell.
They received just 12 hours’ notice before they had to be gone.
Meals were left half-eaten, pets were abandoned, and belongings were left behind as everyone
scrambled to vacate the premises.
Some of the buildings have been converted into apartment complexes.
Others remain frozen in time.
A lone groundsman does his best to take care of the decaying structures.
The property is filled with Cold War relics, including two Vladimir Lenin statues and other
artwork.
It’s one of the few abandoned Soviet sites in Germany that are open to the public.
6.
RAINBOW SWAMP
In 2018, a photo of a swamp filled with vivid multi-colored water went viral on social media.
It’s easy to look at something like that and wonder if the image was altered or is
fake.
But it’s actually not the handiwork of a talented graphic artist!
It is indeed a real rainbow swamp!
A man named Brent Rossen and his girlfriend snapped the photo while walking through a
swamp at First Landing State Park in Virginia.
Like most swamps and marshes, it was filled with still, shallow water.
But instead of the murky brown color you might envision when you think of swampwater, it
had a rainbow sheen to it.
Former Florida swamp guide Jeff Ripple is no stranger to the phenomenon.
He told the BBC that the vibrant hues are caused by natural oils that decaying plants
release into the water, as well as “the biological processes of anaerobic bacteria
reducing iron in the soil.”
Ripple further explained that the water has to remain still for a long time for the rainbow
to appear, and that disturbing the water would destroy the “fragile rainbow film.”
So don’t touch it!
Haha
Tallahassee resident Michael Hussey told the news outlet that he watched as the swamp water
near his home began to change colors.
He said that he witnesses the phenomenon every 3 to 4 years in mid-February, and that the
effect becomes more pronounced when it doesn’t rain for several weeks.
The dazzling array of colors makes the forest look like a scene from the children’s board
game Candyland, but it is very real and it proves just how amazing nature is.
Have you ever seen a rainbow swamp?
Let us know in the comments below, but first, be sure to subscribe.
5.
RAINBOW TREES
From rainbow swamps to rainbow trees!
It’s perfectly normal for trees to occasionally shed bark, and the rainbow eucalyptus is no
exception.
But the colorful, psychedelic look it produces in the process seems anything but natural
or normal.
The rainbow eucalyptus is the only eucalyptus tree that’s native to the northern hemisphere.
It’s found in tropical forests in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia, where it
grows up to 250 feet (76.2 meters) tall.
As it loses its outer bark, its inner bark becomes visible.
This newly-revealed bark is green, and its color changes over time, creating a marbled
rainbow effect.
Scientists don’t know what causes the multicolored effect.
They think it might have something to do with the varying levels of chlorophyll and pigments
called tannins that are found in the bark as it is exposed to light and ages.
In addition to its eye-popping appearance, the species is known for its distinct but
pleasant aroma, which is released through its leaves.
It’s been introduced in the U.S. in parts of Hawaii, Florida, Texas, and southern California.
But it only reaches between 100 and 125 feet (30-38 meters) outside its natural habitat,
where growing conditions are less than optimal, and its colors are less vibrant.
Growing a rainbow eucalyptus tree outside its native region requires a lot of hard work.
The species is used to full sun, lots of rain, and moist soil.
It can only survive in a frost-free environment, requires a lot of watering, and is extremely
large.
The tree’s roots can damage sidewalks, home foundations, and other fixtures, especially
in small yards where it doesn’t have the room it needs to thrive.
In other words, the best way to enjoy the rainbow eucalyptus tree is to travel to the
remote tropical forests it grows naturally in and catch a glimpse of it firsthand.
4.
THE DEVIL’S TRAMPING GROUND
In the woods of Bear Creek, North Carolina, there’s a circular, 15-foot-wide (4.5 meters)
patch of barren ground where nothing will grow.
According to local legend, even animals refuse to cross through the patch.
Known as the Devil’s Tramping Ground, this is where the devil supposedly comes to dance.
Stories about the site began circulating during the late 19th century.
One popular tale claims that if someone leaves an object in the circle and returns the next
day, they’ll find that it’s been thrown out of the circle – no matter how heavy
it is.
After all, the devil needs room to dance, and he’s going to move anything that gets
in his way.
Some people have claimed to see a pair of glowing red eyes in the middle of the circle.
Of course, not everyone is quick to believe the rumors.
In 1998, a skeptical Greensboro News & Record journalist named Ethan Feinsilver camped overnight
at the Devil’s Tramping Ground.
People warned him about the strange things that allegedly go on there.
One resident told Feinsilver that she once saw a dead cat in the middle of the circle.
But the ambitious reporter was undeterred.
He set up his tent smack-dab in the middle of the circle and waited there with his friend
and two dogs to see if they would be thrown out of it.
Feinsilver reported hearing ghostly footsteps outside the tent, but that’s the only strange
thing he observed.
After daring to invade the devil’s dance floor, everyone woke up unharmed in the same
place where they went to sleep.
3.
MUSICAL ROCKS
In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, there’s a 7-acre (2.8 hectares) field filled with a
10-foot-thick (3 meters) layer of boulders.
Known as Ringing Rocks Park, the site is surrounded by a large forest near the rural village of
Upper Black Eddy.
The boulders don’t look like anything special at first glance.
They’re made up of pretty standard materials, like iron and hard minerals.
But they’re far from ordinary, and if you hit the rocks with a hammer, you’ll start
to understand why.
Around one-third of the boulders emit an audible, bell-like tone when tapped.
A 1965 study found that all the rocks vibrate and ring, but many do so at lower tones than
humans are capable of hearing with the naked ear.
Scientists haven’t figured out what gives the rocks their musical quality.
Geologists think that the ringing effect is caused by stresses in the rocks.
They also suspect that the freezing and thawing cycle that created the boulders may have something
to do with their unique sound.
Some people see this uncertainty as evidence that the rocks possess supernatural qualities.
But just because experts are stumped, it doesn’t mean a rational explanation doesn’t exist.
In fact, there’s a lot we don’t know about the world around us.
The good news is that we’re constantly learning, so maybe we’ll eventually understand the
surprisingly pleasant sound of these natural chimes.
Ringing rocks are found in several places throughout the world, including elsewhere
in Pennsylvania and in parts of Montana and Australia.
2.
DANCING FOREST
Sometimes it’s not what’s in the forest that’s strange, but the entire forest itself!
The Curonian Spit National Park is a narrow sliver of land straddling the border between
Lithuania and the Russian province of Kaliningrad.
It’s known for its sandy beaches and is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna.
The region is perhaps most famous for a grove of oddly-shaped pine trees called the “Dancing
Forest.”
Their trunks grow in a variety of strange, twisting shapes and directions.
Some spiral toward the ground and then jut toward the sky, while others grow horizontally
or take on a corkscrew-like appearance.
These so-called “drunken pines” were planted during the 1960s to stabilize the Curonian
Spit’s giant dunes.
Nobody expected them to grow so strangely, and scientists don’t know why this happens.
An ecologist and park employee named Irena told the Daily Telegraph that pine shoot moth
caterpillar larvae may have infected the trees when they were saplings, causing their young
trunks to distort.
Local folklore offers a much different explanation.
According to one story, a prince crossed paths with a beautiful girl, who was playing a lyre
in the forest.
He asked her to marry him.
She agreed, but only if he converted to Christianity.
The skeptical prince asked the young woman to demonstrate the power of her god to him,
so she went back to playing her lyre and the trees started to dance.
And they apparently must have frozen in place during the demonstration.
1.
THE CROOKED TREES OF ALTICANE
Alticane is an unincorporated community in rural Saskatchewan.
It’s home to a grove of trembling aspen trees with trunks and branches that are twisted
and tangled in seemingly unnatural ways.
Right across the street, there’s a grove of normal-looking trembling aspens that stand
tall and straight, posing the obvious question of how and why these trees are of the same
exact species, yet they vary so dramatically in appearance.
The so-called Crooked Trees of Alticane were first noticed by outsiders in 1940, but locals
have known about them for centuries, and have spent an equal amount of time trying to come
up with an explanation for them.
This is evident in the area’s folklore, which points the finger at curses, evil water,
and even radiation as possible causes for the trees’ distorted appearance.
Scientists, on the other hand, believe that a genetic mutation is responsible.
It makes sense, especially since aspens are known for their ability to clone themselves.
In this case, the grove would have started with a single deformed tree that continuously
copied itself, creating an entire mangled forest.
The cause of the genetic mutation is a mystery that botanists are still trying to solve,
but the good news is that it doesn’t seem to harm the trees or interfere with their
development in any major ways.
Thanks for watching!
If you’d like to learn about more strange discoveries in the forest, let me know in
the comments below, and be sure to subscribe!
See you next time!
Bye! :)