One would think that in this modern world that we find ourselves in, we would know everything there is to know about water. These disturbing water facts will have you looking at the vast oceans, lakes, and rivers in a different way.
From oceans to rivers, the scary fact of the world is that most of the Earth’s water remains undiscovered, What more, that fact doesn’t even come close to making this disturbing water facts list. Keep reading if you would like to dive into the top 13 terrifying, yet true, disturbing water facts about the highly unknown water world surrounding us.
Giant Aquatic Cemetery
The first of the disturbing water facts is that there are more human bodies lying (or floating) at the bottom of the ocean than all of the graves found on land combined. With millions of humans in the ocean at any given time out swimming, boating, surfing, vacationing, serving in the military, or completing research, this will continue to be the largest cemetery on Earth as many will continue to perish doing these activities.
Rip Currents
Another one of the most disturbing water facts is the existence of rip currents. While these may be easily visible, many swimmers do not recognize the signs unfortunately drown. These deadly currents vary between being very narrow and over 50 yards wide. Further, sometimes these rip currents end just beyond the line of breaking waves while some continue their treacherous path hundreds of yards offshore.
An important fact to know about this beast is that rip currents do not pull swimmers underwater, they pull people away from shore. Therefore, the best way to escape is to swim to the side, parallel to the shoreline. Eventually, you will hopefully find your way out of the terrible situation and can swim back to safety.
Presence of Sharks
Scientists have found that people swim near sharks much more often than they would like to believe. Frequently, the surfers and swimmers do not notice this presence, as most of them report being unaware that sharks are around. For example, back in 2014 pro surfer Kelly Slater didn’t seem to notice a shark that photobombed his Go-Pro footage.
The Congo’s Low Depths
Coming in as the world’s deepest river, The Congo takes the place as one of the most disturbing water facts. As almost a mile deep at its deepest point, it is one scary river. The Congo holds multiple difficult to manage whirlpools that are big enough to swallow a boat. You will also find plenty of dangerous whitewater and high, fast-flowing waterfalls that will likely scare off any daredevils.
Outrageous Global Water Pollution
Over 1.5 billion people do not have access to adequate, working sewage treatment. Consequently, over 18 percent of the world’s population defecates in the open, with no treatment plan installed to properly remove waste. Further, with the 21st century increasing dependence on plastics, the ocean has become riddled with an absurd amount of waste. There are an estimated 17.6 billion (not million) pounds of plastic dumped in the ocean every year. This is the equivalence of over 57,000 blue whales!
Great Lakes Shipwrecks
The Great Lakes located in the northern region of the United States contain at least 6,000 shipwrecks (some estimate as high as 20,000). Caused mostly by sudden changes in the Great Lakes’ weather, this series of lakes have become the final resting spot for thousands of lakes. If you are planning a trip out on the lakes, make sure to check the weather before you leave!
Ginormous Blue Holes
Located all around the ocean floor, the existence of blue holes is quite literally earth-shattering. The one displayed above is the Great Blue Hole found in Belize and offers a vertical drop of more than 400 feet! While divers often flock to these awe-inflicting sites, the mere existence of these phenomena is puzzling and quite terrifying.
Unusual Lake Finds
Around the world, scuba divers have found numerous creepy items at the bottoms of lakes. First, you can find a statue of Jesus and an underwater Stonehenge at the bottom of Lake Michigan. Another find is a random prosthetic leg that was later returned to its owner. Near a Himalayan Lake by Roopkund a British forest guard discovered nearly 200 human skeletons! Finally, a mysterious plane was discovered in Lake Norman in 2013. To read about more unusual lake finds, check out this article.
Abyssal Zones
The ocean is naturally divided into various Abyssal Zone based on the depth. Each of these zones boasts its own characteristics including pressure, temperature, and biodiversity. The light from the surface can only penetrate about 330 feet of water, and therefore, most of these zones contain a bio-environment not reliant on the sun.
River Monsters and Man-Eaters
Next up includes the weirdest river fish in the world. Seen far less often than the ocean’s terrifying beasts, these monsters are clouded by murky, low visibility waters. This adds to the scare and the hunt as many, including Jeremy Wade, spend their days seeking the man-eaters. The weirdest river finds include 280-pound stingrays, giant piranhas, fish that change sex, and man-eating catfish.
Skin-melting Ocean Vents
Hydrothermal vents have bases on the ocean floor and rise to the surface as they emit high temperature bubbles. The hottest, darkest plumes have extremely high sulfur content. Further, these vents will burn human flesh. Do not be too mad these vents exist however, some speculate that the first glimpses of life began at these hydrothermal spots.
Ocean Monsters
There are real monsters hiding in the depths. You may have thought that the crushing pressure caused by the Abyssal Zones would mean there would be no sea life but you could not be further from wrong. In reality, the creatures found at these depths are mostly made of water themselves. With high water content, these creatures are buoyant by nature and do not have to deal with gravity. This allows them to grow to monstrous sizes.
Giant Ocean Drain
Similar to a sink, the ocean also has a drain-like system. Located right in Mauritius, this underwater waterfall was created by an underwater mountain range (well kind of). Here you will feel water currents that make the ocean floor look like it is being sucked down a giant, deep drain.
That completes my list of the top disturbing water facts. Let me know which one creeped you out the most down below!
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