More humans have walked on the moon than have been to the deepest parts of planet Earth. Covering 70% of Earth’s surface, the oceans are the largest habitat in the world yet we only know around 1% of the seafloor. Many a mystery surrounds the deep blue and in this list we dredge up some of the least understood. Check out these 25 deep sea mysteries and oddities that will leave you baffled!
10
Bloop
The bloop is another sound picked up by NOAA in the Pacific, but what makes it unique is it was detected at monitoring stations over 3,100 miles (5,000kms) apart. NOAA has now concluded it was ice breaking off a glacier, but some of its scientists still believe it could be a massive marine creature.
9
Disappearances
The aviation industry has experienced numerous unexplained sea disappearances since its founding. Most recently with the Malaysian Airlines MH370 jet, one of the most famous pioneers, Amelia Earhart, also disappeared mysteriously. She and co-pilot Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937. Millions of dollars have been funneled into finding out the plane’s whereabouts with no success. Rumours include running out of gas and being killed by Japanese troops for spying.
8
Giant Oarfish
Thought to be the reason for many alleged sea serpent sightings, the giant oarfish can reach up to 36 feet (11m) long – that’s bigger than a shipping container. Previously assumed to be quite rare, these mostly unknown creatures seem to be more common than once thought.
7
Underwater Whirlpools
The closest comparison being an underwater tornado, whirlpools exist above some deep sea vents. In certain conditions, they can break away and swirl around like flying saucers, bringing heat, chemicals, and organisms across the ocean. It’s like the wind’s uptake of a dandelion’s spores.
6
The Baltic Anomaly
The Baltic Anomaly is a still-unknown item in the Baltic Sea which some say could be a pre-Ice Age artifact or Nazi anti-submarine device. Oddly, divers’ electrical equipment stops functioning within 650 feet (200m) and a strong radio signal comes off from just near the item.
5
Lost Submarines
The year 1968 saw the still-unexplained loss of submarines by four countries: the United States, Russia, Israel, and France. Some say the losses could have been government cover-ups or (at least in the U.S. case) the nuclear-tipped torpedoes misfiring into the vessel.
4
Leptocephalus Giganteus
Only two of the eel species Leptocephalus giganteus were ever found, and both were larvae. The first (found off the South African coast) was six feet long and, extrapolated to adult size, could measure over 70 feet (21m) long.
3
Giant Squid
A massive ocean creature, the giant squid has made a lot of noise in the media but relatively little is known about it. Measuring up to 43 feet (13m) long and weighing up to 1,000 pounds (450kgs), the first live giant squid was filmed in July 2012.
2
Colossal Squid
But If you thought it couldn’t get bigger than the giant squid, think again. There’s even less known about the colossal squid which has eyes bigger than your hand. It predominantly lives in the Antarctic and has 25 rotating hooks on the end of each tentacle.
1
Macropinna Microstoma
The Macropinna is a fish with a very rare and little understood composition: its head is covered by a transparent, fluid-filled dome. Beyond that, it has barrel-shaped eyes which point up (through the dome) while it’s horizontal in the water and can be rotated forward if it changes position.
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