We know more about the deep reaches of our galaxy than we do about the depths of our oceans,
which is why there are so many strange, scary, and spectacular things lurking just below the waves.
Picture a bi-annual celestial phenomenon that sparks a surfer's dream where the ocean and
Amazon River meet or a marine spectacle that causes gorgeous, pale blue and white seas that
stretch for miles over the Indian Ocean. There are seas split with a watery line of demarcation
right down the middle, phantom sounds that nobody can explain,
and misty plumes that hover right above the waves. Did you know that there's an unforgettable,
otherworldly fire that sailors swear by? Or that the sun itself can spark an optical illusion over
the waves so beautiful that it looks like it came from another planet? How about deadly icicles that
stretch up from the depths at the very poles of our amazing planet? We are counting down the
fifteen most insane ocean phenomena on the earth, from viscous vortexes to ominous blood-red tides.
Sea Foam Number Fifteen: Sea Foam. What do you call
it when the briny blue starts churning up some serious lather? Sea Foam might not sound like an
insane phenomenon, but anyone who's ever witnessed this thick white slurry scudding up a beach will
think otherwise. It's a perplexing puzzle that scientists still haven't fully figured out.
The best guess is that Sea Foam is caused by alga, a microscopic single-celled organism that
is the byproduct of churned up algae blooms. This naturally occurring powder that combines with salt
water to create that lustrous lather we know as Sea Form. Although not dangerous to humans,
it is indicative that there could be algae blooms nearby, which disrupt the eco-system and can cause
visibility problems for surfers and seafarers. Bioluminescence
Number Fourteen: Bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is what happens when the ocean gets lit from
below, an otherworldly glow that has an almost… magical…. quality to it.
Although this sea phenomenon might look like it was whipped up by a wizard, it's actually
solidly scientific. Bioluminescence is a chemical reaction that smaller, more vulnerable sea life
use as a defense mechanism. Plankton routinely glows up when they want to ward off predators,
creating a glittering ocean that sailors used to refer to as "The Burning Sea."
Like underwater fireflies, millions of Plankton work together to create a beautiful blue tapestry.
Usually, this only happens in one specific area, but occasionally it can cover vast swathes of the
ocean- more on that later. Our next pick is a lot less glittery and glam, and a lot more ominous…
Fog Tsunami Number Thirteen: Fog Tsunami. This heart-stopping
natural phenomenon mimics an enormous tsunami, so you'd be excused for wetting your pants in terror
at the sight of it. Fog Tsunamis meld seamlessly with the waves, looking like a wicked extension
of the water- but they're not. THey're actually just a bunch of dense, grey fog affixed to the
top of the waves, a wacky weather phenomenon that happens in spring or summer. When condensation
hits cool water, it morphs into dense dark clouds that are mostly harmless-unless you're out to sea.
Navigating through pudding-like fog has serious consequences for sailors and is the cause of
plenty of tragic shipwrecks. Brinicle
Number Twelve: Brinicle. Travel to either of the poles, and you're bound to run across an icy,
incredible phenomenon known as Brinicles. These salty stalactites form when compact
saltwater oozes up from polar ice and makes it way into the chilly ocean water. The briny
mixture freezes and forms a ghostly underwater icicle that is deadly to any sea creature that
is unlucky enough to swim by. Brinicles are so super-charged with sub-Arctic temps that they
immediately freeze animals on contact, giving them the nickname "Icicles of Death."
They're not dangerous to humans, simply because we don't have much contact with them,
but these salty spires could undoubtedly do some damage to our unprotected flesh if they had
the chance. Although no person in their right mind would come into contact with a Brinicle,
daredevils flock to our next ocean phenomenon pick!
Pororoca Number Eleven: Pororoca. Surf's up!
Twice a year, the Amazon River greets the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in a tumultuous tidal bore that
brings surfers scrambling from all parts of the world. Pororoca isn't for the faint of heart. This
surfing sensation regularly churns up twelve-foot waves, even scarier when you consider the fact
that there are both oceanic and freshwater creatures in that water. Astoundingly, Pororoca
can occur up to five-hundred miles inland, and it only happens when the sun, earth, and moon
are aligned: a celestial celebration that is equal parts heart-pounding terror and excitement.
Sea Smoke Number Ten: Sea Smoke. Sea Smoke
is the eerie phenomenon that happens when the wind hits humid ocean water and evaporates. The result
is a dense steam that makes the sea look like it's actually on fire. Sea Smoke is most commonly
spotted on the Black Sea, but you can catch it on seas and smaller water bodies all over the earth.
Sea Smoke happens when cold air smacks into the water's warm surface, creating giant wreaths of
smoky air that hang just above the waves. Although Sea Smoke is beautiful and strange, it's nowhere
as otherworldly as our next pick... Lime Green Flashes
Number Nine: Lime Green Flashes. Oceanic flashes might look like greetings from
another planet. Still, these bright bursts are actually a result of a very earthly phenomenon-
precisely the way our atmosphere creates a prism right on the edge of the horizon. The sky blinks
lime green during sunset and sunrise when light is already scattered in a celebration of different
hues all across the sky. When the atmosphere is thick, the sun can cast off a greenish color,
the result of a spectacular optical trick that vanishes after just a few seconds. Although lime
green flashes start and stop in the blink of an eye, our next phenomenon can last for hours.
Milky Sea Number Eight: Milky Sea. A
Milky Sea is like Bioluminescence on steroids, which is why it gets its own pick on our list.
This expansive, incredible phenomenon sprawls across the Indian Ocean, mostly touching upon
Indonesia and its famed smattering of tropical isle paradises. Milky Sea happens when a ton of
Bioluminescence bursts forth all at once, flooding the sea with an incandescent blue light that looks
positively milky from the sky. Those lucky enough to observe a Milky Sea from the air
are in for a real treat, as the color and light spread out over miles. Milky Sea also differs
from Bioluminescence in another critical way- it's very uniform and consistent.
Elmo's Fire Number Seven: St. Elmo's Fire. From serene Milky
Seas to turbulent fiery ones, St. Elmo's Fire is a wonder to behold. In simple terms, it's a fierce
release of atmospheric electricity that occurs when something sharp smacks straight into an
electrical field teeming with electrons. Since St. Elmo's Fire generally occurs during thunderstorms,
the epic event can cause some panic and awe. As for the name, it comes from St. Erasmus of Formia,
a saint known for protecting people on the high seas. Although it looks scary,
St. Elmo's Fire is harmless, and sometimes even a welcoming glow greeting sailors
during an unpredictable weather event. Our number six pick certainly doesn't pack the
comforting punch of St. Elmo's Fire. Tangle with it, and you're bound for deadly disaster!
Meteotsunami Number Six:
Meteotsunami. Like the regular, destructive tsunamis produced by undersea earthquakes,
Meteotsunamis are deadly and terrifying. These ghoulish oceanic phenomena are the result of
air-pressure imbalances on a grand scale, leading to massive in-ocean waves. Just like their
earthquake-driven counterparts, Meteotsunamis are horrific if they reach shallow water,
often resulting in towering waves that can wreak havoc on villages and towns by the shore. They
are also notoriously hard to predict, so getting out of their path is impossible. To add a dash of
nightmare fuel to the fire, these freak phenomena can occur in all types of bodies of water,
including lakes and small seas. The only upside is that Meteotsunamis generally produce smaller
waves, so the damage is often less costly and deadly than earthquake driven ones. Still, they
are among the scariest insane ocean phenomena that we know of, and we hardly even understand them.
Water Spout Number Five: Water Spout. Water
Spouts take the terrifying form of tornados and bring it to the waves. The result is a centrifugal
spike of water, air, and mist that can crop up on any body of water if the conditions are right.
Occasionally, Water Spouts will make the jump between sea and land, although sometimes they
stay far offshore, picking up strength and speed. Water Spouts can churn up the water around them,
generating choppy seas and unpredictable waves. They are also usually accompanied by thunder and
lightning, so if you see a Water Spout on the horizon, you're better off getting inside quickly.
These ocean vortexes are also exceptionally dangerous to boats and swimmers. They might look
stationary, but they can glide across the waves swiftly and with deadly force. Every sailor knows
to steer very clear of a water spout. Maelstrom
Number Four: Maelstrom. If the name sounds ominous, it's because it is. Maelstroms are
exceptionally powerful whirlpools that occur in open water and can suck vessels far into
the deep. Like black holes in space, there's no escaping a Maelstrom once you get caught
in its vicious vortex. Maelstroms have caused untold numbers of shipwrecks and sea disasters,
and are famously documented in literature. Charybdis is one famous example of a Maelstrom
personified, but the grim Greek villain can hardly hold a candle to the real deal.
North/Baltic Sea Convergence Number Three: North/Baltic Sea Convergence.
What do you get when two differently dense seas meet up in the middle? The North/Baltic Sea
Convergence is one of the strangest phenomena on earth, and it only happens in the northern reaches
of Denmark, in Skagen province. Incredibly, the seas don't mix together but maintain their own
separate densities, so it looks like the water is split into two parts. It's astounding looking
from both the air and sea, where the line of demarcation is clearly etched in the waves.
Unlike our next pick, the North/Baltic Sea Convergence can't actually hurt you...
Red Tide Number Two: Red Tide. Also known as "Algal
Blooming," Red Tide is exceptionally beautiful… and incredibly dangerous. The sea literally turns
blood red with hyperactive algae blooms, and the resulting rusty orange or crimson color
is extremely toxic to local plant life, animals, and even human beings. Red Tide can even taint
the air, making it hard to breathe, and being exceptionally harmful to people with COPD,
asthma, or allergies. The culprit? Fast duplicating algae are known as dinoflagellates.
Red Tides can, and do, occur all over the world. If there was ever a compelling reason to get out
of the water, this is it. Julia
Number One: Julia. The strangest ocean phenomena on our list don't come in the form of an optical
illusion, a freak weather event, or an invasive algae bloom. Instead, it's a sound.
Julia is a ghostly underwater sound that was first observed in 1999 by NOAA- the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. Creepy doesn't even begin to cover it. Julia is a fifteen-second
clip that will break your mind, the disembodied moan of an underwater beast murmuring the name
"Julia." Like the famous "Bloop" before it, Julia was picked up in the Pacific Ocean and speculated
to be the result of an iceberg scraping against the ocean floor miles away in the polar region
of Antarctica. Who actually knows for sure whether Julia is the distant sound of ice pressing against
the seafloor or something more ominous that lurks in the nether reaches of our unexplored oceans?
Which ocean phenomena is the most insane one? Let us know in the comments below.
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