Oddest Objects In The Ocean
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Oddest Things in the Ocean
From underwater cities and bizarre squid … to Blobfish and the world's tallest mountain … Here are 15 of the oddest things found in the ocean
#15 Sunken Train Graveyard
In 1985, marine researchers were mapping the Atlantic Ocean floor when they detected some large metallic cases. It took several more dives before the cases were identified as the hulks of two ancient locomotives. They turned out to be rare Planet class models that were manufactured during the mid-1800s. Explorers say they may have been lost in a storm as they were being transported on a barge from Boston. Laying about 90 feet underwater (27 m), the steam locomotives have rusted, but are otherwise remarkably preserved about five miles off the New Jersey coast. Even though it’s unknown how the trains ended up there, they have become a popular attraction for wreck divers!
#14 Blue Tides
Dinoflagellates are small marine plankton that are bioluminescent. When they get agitated, they produce a ghostly blue light. That makes the water they inhabit come alive with a vivid blue glow that is sometimes called Smurf Surf. Witnesses have described the sight as a surreal spectacle, and is especially notable at beaches in the Maldives (mahl-deeves). The phosphorescent phenomenon is also known as the Milky Seas Effect because it can sometimes have a milky, pale coloration. Large areas of the ocean can exhibit the blue glow. At night, it can be brilliant enough for satellites to detect from outer space!
#13 Kelp Forests
Although it may appear so, kelp is not a plant. It’s a large algae seaweed that covers about one-quarter of the world’s coastlines. Forests of them occur all over the planet, from tropical to polar regions. Over the past century, kelp forests have become recognized as dynamic ecosystems that create unique habitats for many marine creatures. Some of the animals that benefit from kelp forests include shrimp and marine snails, to whales, sea lions, and shore birds. And the forests have been beneficial to humans for several millennia. Some researchers think the Americas were first colonized during the Ice Age when fishing communities followed Pacific kelp forests. That may have created a type of ‘kelp highway’ that extended for thousands of miles. In the 21st century kelp forests are valued by SCUBA divers and kayakers for their recreational value.
#12 Thonis-Heracleion (Thon-is_Her-ack-lee-on)
The origins of this city stretch back to the 12th century BC. It was once located on Egypt’s northern coast and was regarded as one of the Mediterranean’s most essential port cities. Ironically, it ended up at the bottom of the very sea it served. The remains of this once-great city lie about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) off the coast of Alexandria under 30 feet (10 m) of water. After first being identified in the 1930s, it wasn’t until 1999 that archaeologists explored the ruins. In addition to more than 60 ancient shipwrecks, excavations have recovered coins, historic temples, and enormous granite columns. Historians think a combination of forces including earthquakes, tsunamis, and severe flooding caused the city to sink into the sea at the end of the 2nd century BC.
#11 Floating Circles
Some weird circular formations sparked a lot of debate when they were initially reported in 2008 off the Baltic coast of Denmark. Speculation ranged from the circles being anything from UFO landing sites to bomb craters from the Second World War. Then the phenomenon seemed to disappear before again being reported in 2011. This time it was so prevalent that the media picked up on the circles, which could be 50 feet in diameter (15 m). Marine biologists concluded that the effect was the result of an aquatic plant called eelgrass. The unusual shapes are created by the plant’s growth pattern. From a central point they grow and spread outward in a ringlike formation until only the circle’s rim is visible.