The sea is a deeply mysterious place, filled with enigmas and strange, unexplained phenomena. Many are still left unsolved, but there are some that you will be aware of or even been witness to, both on land and out at sea.
Around 70 percent of the earth is covered in ocean and only around 5 percent of these captivating blue depths has been discovered - that's a lot of mystery to uncover!
To get you thinking, Sea Chest have put together our top 5 most intriguing ocean phenomena and exactly what they mean.
#1. Bioluminescence
You may have seen images or been lucky enough to witness the sea shore shimmering with neon blue light - it looks rather alien, but the reason behind it is far more anchored in reality. There are many species of living organism that emit a light source, particularly certain types of sea creatures such as jellyfish, crustaceans and some forms of fungi, bacteria and insects. Bioluminescence occurs in living things as either a defence mechanism as a warning sign to other creatures or even as a form of mimicry in deep sea creatures.
#2. Milky Sea Phenomenon
Another light related phenomenon - milky seas become apparent usually from a satellite's orbit, when large areas of bioluminescent bacteria display a spooky blue glow in unity.
#3. Foaming Seas
Nearly all of us have been on the sea shore and seen this weird foaming phenomenon, but why does it happen? The foaming occurs when seawater that contains organic material causes a foaming reaction when combined with trapped air and the natural stirring of the sea water on the shore.
#4. Red Tide
Red tide, or algal bloom, is a sea event which involves algae and aquatic organisms growing at a huge rate, causing a red discolouration of the seawater. A Red Tide can occur in conditions where the water is warmer than usual, contains low salinity or when there is a high level of nutrients are present in the water. This rapid reproduction of algae is often toxic to marine life, birds and even humans.
#5. Green Flashes & Rays
An optical phenomenon that happens during sunrise and sunset. Green flashes and rays are visible for only a couple of seconds, usually on sea horizons. This mirage effect happens due to an atmospheric refraction of light near the horizon, causing colours to separate into a prism of different shades.
