Exploring the Unknown: Two if by Sea

Mysterious Water Locations/ Part Two

Water comprises about seventy percent of our planet, and the oceans take up somewhere around ninety-five percent of that figure. Yet, we know so little about the mysteries of the ocean. Here, we will delve into just a few that, while we may not know everything about, we know enough to make us go “holy mackerel!”

See what I did there?😁

And, speaking of sea creatures, how’d ya like to be immortal? Personally, I find the idea of going on and on rather exhausting, but there is one species on the planet who simply do not die. Who, you ask? Why, the Immortal Jellyfish, of course!

Their scientific name is Turritopsis dohrnii and their claim to fame? Being known as the only immortal creature on the planet. How do they do it? Youth serums or face creams? (Do jellyfish even have a face?) Antioxidants or vitamins? No, my friends. Apparently, the secret to an immortal existence is to turn the clock back. (If only😔) These gooey critters have a bunch of babies, and then revert back to a stage of sexual immaturity. And really, isn’t maturity soooo overrated anyway? Crazy stuff, but it’s like they can get their virginity back and become innocent, pure little wads of jelly again.

Hmmm.

Of course, they CAN die if eaten by a big, obnoxious sea creature or if they develop some kind of disease. But otherwise? They just keep on keepin’ on, forever young, never adhering to the ‘circle of life’ concept.

Kind of like J.Lo.

Speaking of geometric figures— not J.Lo but the ‘circle’ reference above 😁— we’ve all heard of The Bermuda Triangle, right? It is the 500k plus area of the ocean just east of Florida. Stories abound about UFO sightings, missing ships, strange lights. There is even a fellow who claims to have experienced missing time, 28 minutes to be exact, as he flew over the Triangle. He wrote a book about what he calls ‘Time fog’, entitled ‘Electronic Fog’. But, he isn’t the only one to speak about weird occurrences. Several seamen, to include Christopher Columbus himself, spoke of bright lights and compasses that failed while sailing through the Triangle.

So when did the hubbub and fascination in this country truly begin? That would be Dec. 5, 1945, when a squadron of U. S. Navy bombers went missing during a training exercise over the Bermuda Triangle. Before all radio contact was lost with the leader of Flight 19, the tower heard him say, ‘"Everything looks strange, even the ocean. We are entering white water, nothing seems right." None of the 5 aircraft, nor their 14 total crew members, were ever found. But in perhaps the strangest twist of all, one of the search-and-rescue planes, carrying 13 men onboard and sent to look for the missing planes, vanished during the search.

So, how many people have gone missing in The Bermuda Triangle, you wonder? Well, some put the numbers at 20 planes and around 50 ships that have vanished without a trace— no distress signal, no debris found. But, that is the conservative estimate. Other sources cite up to 75 planes and over a thousand ships lost.

That is a crap-ton of missing people.

Oh, sure, some logical explanations are out there: electromagnetic interference with flight equipment, heavy fog, gulf stream currents that sweep away crash debris. Even alien abductions.

Yikes😬

But wait! Bermuda isn’t the only place with their own triangle! Michigan, indeed, has its own fabled area where spooky and unexplained disappearances or craft crashes occur. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two locations is that in Michigan, most of the time the wreckage is discovered. Still, the questions abound regarding how it is that these disasters occur? Why are there no distress calls? It’s as if things go swimmingly until just before the accidents. No reports of wonky equipment or sudden storms. And why are there no survivors? I mean, you’d think at least one person would have luck on their side, no?

Oh, and don’t get me started on the underwater Stone Hedge-type formation discovered by archaeologists in a shallow area of Lake Michigan. It’s exact location is a secret while scientists try to ascertain whether this is man-made or…?

Oh, and the blocks of ice that fell from the sky in 1883. They crippled a ship called the Mary McLane, the crew even saving a block to show people ashore.

Definitely not something you see every day.

Speaking of things you don’t see everyday…Don’t you love a good loch? I know I do! Especially one in particular, located in the Scottish Highlands, home to The Loch Ness Monster, affectionately known as Nessie. Described by witnesses as a prehistoric-looking animal, there are few photographs that have been deemed ‘legitimate,’ although this one is probably the most widely-known photo out there.

Nessie, the legend goes, is the lone survivor of either a variant of the dinosaur or, some say, a dragon. Still others think she is a gigantic eel or an extinct marine reptile. Nessie spends her days swimming in the waters of Loch Ness, alone and, apparently, camera-shy.

I’ve also heard she enjoys sunsets and long walks on the beach.🥰

What say you? Do you believe any of these mysteries indicate something paranormal? Or are you a left-brained thinker, believing there is a logical explanation to them all. Drop me a line below in the comments section!

Next time on Exploring the Unknown, we will take on some of the Wonders of the World! Until then, just keep swimming!