5 Most Strange Ocean and Sea Phenomena
The large water bodies of earth and the events associated with it have always been a mystery to man. Although the oceans are being explored via research and studies, a huge portion of it still remains undiscovered. In the past, many strange events and occurrences in the ocean and seas have taken place which has baffled the scientists. Continuous research has been able to explain a few of them, while some still continue to remain a mystery. A few of the strange ocean and sea phenomena have been discussed below.
Bioluminescence
You must have heard about the glowing beaches of Lakshadweep Islands. This strange yet one of the most spectacular phenomena is mostly found in the waters of the Indian Ocean where the ocean waters glow at night, quite literally transforming into a sea of stars. This strange ocean and sea phenomena occurs when marine organisms like phytoplankton emit blue light making the waters glow when disturbed. This event is best witnessed during the night on the beach shores where the waves crash lighting up the area. The milky sea phenomenon is similar to bioluminescence and occurs due to a bacterial action which makes the sea bright blue and appears milky white to the human eye. It’s quite an experience to witness bioluminescence occurring along the shores and one that you must definitely capture on camera.
Convergence of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
Skagen is a beautiful town in Denmark which is known for its many tourist attractions, one of them being the confluence of the North and Baltic Seas on the Grenen Beach. One of the most debated and strange ocean and sea phenomenon, this convergence is the point where two different seas meet but their waters never mix. This amazing natural phenomenon occurs due to the difference in the density of the waters of the two seas owing to their salinities. At the point where they meet you can see a line of white foam on the surface which happen due to the tiny bubbles which are formed when the exchange of sediments occur between the two seas. This line of bubbly foam marks the borders of the two seas which can be seen as a clear demarcation line.
Brinicle
Ever heard of ice pillars under the ocean? A brinicle is exactly that. One of the most weird ocean phenomena, a brinicle is found to happen under the water surface in the oceans of the Polar Regions. It is essentially a hollow tube of ice growing downwards towards the ocean floor which contains a plume of brine which is found directly under the sheet of ice formed over the sea water. When the waters of the ocean freezes to form ice, it expels the salty brine in a downwards direction since it is more dense. This brine solution is extremely cold and has a lower freezing point than the surrounding waters below the sheet of ice. When this plume of brine comes in contact with the extremely cold surrounding water, a layer of ice forms around it creating a hollow tube of ice which extends all way to the ocean floor like a stalactite.
Red Tide
This incredible ocean phenomenon can be visually exciting owing to its vivid red color. Mostly seen along the Florida Gulf Coast, the tides are orange red in color as they crash on to the shore. Notwithstanding its beauty, this strange sea phenomenon is a cause for concern. The red tide occurs when there is an increased growth of alga in the waters known as algal bloom. Algae belonging to different types of colonies grow in huge numbers due to the upwelling of nutrients from the seabed after a massive storm. They contain photosynthetic pigments which are red or brown in color which makes the water appear the same color. These algal blooms produce toxic substances which are not only harmful to humans but also the marine life.
Frost flowers
Frost flowers are one of the coolest ocean phenomena that occur mostly in the Arctic and Antarctic seas. Frost flowers grow on a very calm sea under extremely cold and dry weather conditions. As the ice on the sea surface sublimes, it turns into vapor. When this vapor becomes oversaturated with water, it turns into ice as soon as it comes in contact with an ice crystal thereby aiding in the growth of the flower. This process is similar to how frost forms inside the refrigerator. Usually seen on young sea ice, the ice crystals grow to about 4 cms diameter resembling a flower. When a large number of frost flowers form on a huge expanse of water they resemble the flowers in a meadow and hence the name.
Although there are other interesting oceans phenomena like the iod phenomenon or the steaming black sea phenomenon, the ones mentioned above are the most spectacular ones and one should try and witness them to understand the magic of nature.
