Our planet is 70% water, and yet only 5% have been explored. That leaves a lot of vastness waiting to be discovered, and it’s one of the reasons why researchers and scientists are so eager to continue exploring the depths of the sea.
What’s underneath the sea? Perhaps we’ll never fully know. What we can be sure of is that every time we dip our toes in the ocean, we’ll always find something new, exciting, and even mysterious. That’s just how wonderful our world is.
How many mysteries and secrets are the oceans hiding from us? In spite of knowing so little about the sea, there have been so unbelievable things found underneath. Grab your scuba gear and hold your breath for we are going deep down to find the 10 amazing things ever found underwater. Get ready, we’re about to get wet.
A Tire Graveyard
Osborne Reef is an artificial reef constructed on the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Its objective was to be a container for discarded old tires. Nevertheless, the project failed and it is now considered an environmental disaster. Since 2001, a cleanup program began in order to remove the tires. It is estimated to be 2 million tires dumped in there.A Statue Of Jesus Christ
The Christ of the Abyss statue, also known as Kristu tal-Baħħara, is a statue found underwater off the coast of Malta. It was originally thought to be sunk. It was made in 1990 and can be found at 114 ft (35 meters) below water. It is considered an attraction for divers.
- Black Smokers
Black smokers are a volcanic vent formed in the seafloor between Norway and Greenland. They can get around 180 ft (55 meters) tall. They are considered to be underwater geysers. They discharge very hot water: around 750 °F. They can be found deep into 7,000 ft (2,100 meters). They get their name due to the dark, almost black minerals in the magma, which looks like black smoke.
- Ancient Roman Symbols
Baiae was an ancient Roman town that can be visited near Naples, Italy. It is dated from 100 B.C. to A.D. 500. Under the Mediterranean Sea, you can find the ruins of the tiles of what used to be a bathhouse. It is believed that this place was frequented by the high-class society of the time.
- The Movement Of Tectonic Plates
Currently, the tectonic plates located in North America and Eurasia are moving away from each other. It was discovered by the marine biologist Alexander Mustard during a deep dive near Iceland. This means continents are separating again like they did millions of years ago. Scientists have measured the gap and they are getting further apart at a rate of 2.5 cm per year.
- Undersea River #underseariver
If you dive to the depths of the Black Sea, 115 ft (35 meters) to be exact, you will find the first undersea river. It was recently discovered on August 1, 2010. It is 37 miles (60 km) long and 0.6 miles (1 km) wide. Its water contains low quantities of salt. So, yes, there’s actually a body of water inside another body of water.
- The Sunken City Of Pavlopetri
This sunken ancient city can be found on the coast of Greece. It was discovered in 1967 by the marine geo-archaeologist Nicholas Flemming. It dates back to 2800 B.C. It covers an area of approximately 1.1 million ft² (100,000 square meters). Scientists believed that this is the city that inspired Plato’s model for Atlantis.
- The Yonaguni Complex
The Yonaguni Complex is a monument found on the south coast of Japan. It is a rock formation that still remains a mystery whether it was man-made or not. It is over 2,000 years old. And it is considered to be the “Japanese Atlantis”.
- The Ancient City Of Heracleion
Submerged 21,000 ft (6.5 km) off the coast of Egypt, the lost city of Heracleion was a real discovery for archaeologists. It was built around 2,300 years ago. It has 64 ships, 700 anchors, a gold treasure, and statues over 16 ft tall. And if that isn’t enough, it has a huge temple built to worship the Egyptian deity Amun-Gereb.
- The Sunken City Of Dwarka
The sunken city of Dwarka can be found off the western shore of India. Scientists estimate that the city is over 9,000 years old. According to Hindu culture, Dwarka was the hometown of Lord Krishna. In fact, it is believed that it was this deity who founded the city. Its remains are 131 ft (40 meters) below the sea.
So many mysteries yet remain to be discovered under the sea that will probably lead us to understand not only the past but also the present of our planet’s history. Can you imagine what else the ocean’s depths guard?