Top 10 Amazing Ocean Mysteries and Phenomena

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1Milky Sea Phenomenon

Milky Sea refers to the unique milky glow of the waters of the Indian Ocean. The ocean phenomenon occurs on account of bioluminescent bacterial action and in turn causes the water to turn blue, which appears to the naked eye as being milky white in colour in the darkness. The Milky Sea phenomenon has been documented to be in existence for over four centuries.

2Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence is the light produced by marine creatures as a defence mechanism. Certain chemicals in the creatures’ body when counteracted with atmospheric oxygen results in the emergence of bioluminescent light

3Convergence of Baltic and North Seas

This oceanic phenomenon has been a highly debated topic. The convergent point of the North and the Baltic Seas occurs in the province of Skagen in Denmark. However because of the differing rates of densities of the seas’ waters, the sea waters continue to remain separate in spite of their convergence. It is said that this ocean phenomenon finds a mention in the holy Koran.

4Steaming Black Sea

Called as the ‘sea smoke’, the steam arising out of the Black Sea is caused due the humidity of the oceanic water counteracting with the coolness of the wind over the water’s surface. Apart from explaining the ocean mystery behind the steam rising from the Black Sea, experts have also proved that the phenomenon is quite common to even smaller water bodies.

5Green Flash

The ocean phenomenon of green flashes occurs during sunset and sunrise. Usually seen for merely a couple of seconds, such green flashes are the result of the natural prismatic effect of the atmosphere of the earth. During sunset and during sunrise, the light cast by the sun gets diverged into multiple colours, which is seen by the emitting of the green flash.

6Baltic Sea Anomaly

The Baltic Sea Anomaly was accidently discovered by a team of diving experts in the year 2011. The divers found a 60-metre thick circular entity nearly at a depth of 90 metres in the Baltic Sea. A track seemed to lead towards the entity, which the divers measured to be around 300-metres. Though various scientists have offered innumerable suggestions about the entity’s origins, the Baltic Sea anomaly still remains one of the unsolved intrigues and ocean mysteries of the world

7Brinicle

Concentrated salt water escapes from within the frozen ice formed above the ocean’s surface and seeps into the depths of the water. However once the concentrated salt goes under the surface of the water, on account of natural processes it freezes and gets formed into brinicles. Brinicles occur in the frigid oceanic waters around the poles.

8Red Tide

The occurrence of red tide is technically called as ‘Algal Blooming’ by scientists. The ocean phenomenon occurs when there is a rapid growth or blooming of algae in the oceanic waters. The presence of red tide is highly dangerous as these algae can be fatal to birds, animals and even humans

9Sea Foam

The foaming of the seas is caused by the disturbance to the organisms present on the water surface due to the constant tidal action. Alternatively in certain cases, sea foam can also be caused due to disturbances caused by human activities like dispelling of waste toxicants into the oceanic water.

10Underwater Crop Circle

Once regarded to be objects of high intrigue, the underwater crop circles have been explained to be a creative demonstration of puffer fishes’ quests for finding their mates. These underwater circles are have circumferences of over six feet and are often decorated with shells and other decorative items found at the bottom of the sea. The underwater crop circles were discovered under the waters of the Japanese island of Anami Oshima. Some consider these ocean mysteries as the work of aliens.