The world ocean takes up about 70% of our planet’s surface, but only 5% has been studied and researched. This means that deep down under the water there is a whole other universe with secrets and mysteries that are not yet discovered.
Bright Side picked out 12 amazing objects that were found underwater. That is, of course, just a drop in the bucket, and we cannot even begin to guess what else might be hidden deep down underneath.
The Great Blue Hole, Belize
The Great Blue Hole is a unique natural object in the shape of a circular hole surrounded by coral reefs. It is one of the biggest formations of this sort in the world, with a depth of 120 m and an overall surface area the size of 10 football fields.
It is located about 100 km east of Belize, and the approximate period of its appearance is measured to be 65 million years ago, in the ice age. This place was discovered by Jacques Cousteau. In 1971, he claimed it to be one of the top 10 best sites in the world for scuba diving.
Tectonic plate movement
Due to the movement of North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, the gap between them has widened significantly in recent years. This impressive phenomenon is only visible deep underwater and was captured by several photographers.
Marine biologist Alexander Mustard states that the view is incredible. The speed of plate motion is approximately 2.5 cm a year.
Underwater Stonehenge, Michigan
In 2007, Mark Holley, a professor of underwater archaeology, and his colleague Brian Abbot stumbled upon this mysterious and spooky site located about 12 m below Lake Michigan’s surface. After further examination, this carving of a mastodon was found. The origins of the occurrence and an approximate date for its appearance are still unknown.
The lost city of Heracleion, Egypt
Ruins of the ancient city of Heracleion were found by the French archaeologist Franck Goddio in 2000. It is located 6.5 km from the coastline of Egypt at a depth of 50 m.
Legend says that Helen of Troy and Greek hero Hercules visited the city, and it was named after Hercules. Up to this day, scientists have carried out thorough research and raised priceless archaeological finds to the surface.
Yonaguni underwater pyramid, Japan
The Yonaguni underwater pyramid is the most mysterious site in the whole of Japan. It was found in 1987 during a diving session close to the coast of Yonaguni Island in the Japanese archipelago.
On the pyramid, you can see a set of terraces and platforms of different sizes, and the surface is filled with canals and trenches. One of the monument’s walls goes vertically downward to a depth of approximately 27 m. According to expert opinions, the age of the pyramids could be more than 10,000 years.
Underwater river at the bottom of the Black Sea
An incredible underwater river was found by British scientists. If this river was on Earth’s surface, it would be the 6th largest in the world. It is 1 km wide and its depth can reach 35 m. There are even waterfalls, flows, and whirls.
Scientists have stated that this river was formed as a result of salty water from the Marmara Sea permeating into the Black Sea several centuries ago.
Shi Cheng underwater city, China
Originally, this mysterious city was located in Zhejiang, an eastern province of China. One day it suddenly disappeared. As was found out later, the whole valley was flooded in order to build a power station, and the government had to relocate 290,000 people. Inside the city, a dam was built, which resulted in Shi Cheng literally being at the bottom of a lake.
It is difficult to believe, but even after more than 50 years the wooden beams and stairs of the city remain perfectly intact, almost like time flows more slowly there.
Underwater sculpture park
This unique museum was created by the English sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. It is located at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea, not far from the island of Grenada. The first exhibits were put in there in 2006.
Today this unusual museum consists of more than 65 exhibits, and it is expanding every year. This project is not only valuable as a cultural object but also as an important part of the wildlife ecosystem.
“Black smokers”
These deep-sea volcanic vents are formed due to the combination of seawater and magma. The hydrothermal vents spew out streams of water and liquid with an extremely high temperature, sometimes up to 370°C. They are called “black smokers” because the water coming out is very dark, almost black in color, due to the rich mineral compounds in these vents.
They were discovered in 2008 in the Arctic Circle between Norway and Greenland. There is a whole “field” that consists of 5 “black smokers.” One of them has the height of a 4-story building, which makes it one of the biggest hydrothermal vents in the world.
Deep-sea squid
This creepy alien-like squid was first discovered in 1907 but was only captured on camera in 1988, not far from Brazil’s coast. Sightings of the squid are fairly rare, mostly occurring in the Gulf of Mexico. The overall length of some of the species can be more than 8 m.
Apollo 11 engines in the Atlantic Ocean
In 2013, the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, found the components of 2 rocket engines from Apollo 11. They have remained at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean since 1969. The engines are part of the spaceship that was the first to deliver astronauts to the Moon.
Titanic — defeated giant
The tragic history of Titanic doesn’t leave anyone indifferent. Even nowadays there are a lot of mysteries and theories about how it all came to an end. One thing we know for sure is that Titanic collided with an iceberg in April 1912. Unfortunately, this encounter became fatal for the ship.
During the process of sinking, Titanic split into 2 halves, which now lie at a 600 m distance from each other.
