From Jaws to Finding Dory, the oceans of the world have always been a point of interest to millions of people. Considering over 95% of the oceans have still not been explored, it is no wonder that humans throughout history have speculated about what may exist down there. But, frankly, we don’t really know much about what that may be, and that can be a very scary thought. Well (as if we all weren’t stressed enough) here is one more thing about the oceans to keep you up at night:
In 1997, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who were listening for volcanic activity in the Pacific Ocean found something rather unexpected. Using hydrophones (underwater microphone arrays), these researchers picked up a strange and extremely loud sound in a remote part of the South Pacific. To give you a scale on how loud this was: the sound was picked up by hydrophones that were placed over 3219 kilometers apart (that’s over 2000 miles…). Beyond that, the sound was unlike anything the researchers had heard before. Instead of resembling that of volcanic activity, it had a more…lifelike quality to it. Due to this unique profile, the event came to be known as The Bloop.
You can hear The Bloop for yourself here:
See? It sounds like a ‘bloop’.
Afterwards, researchers at the NOAA began looking for explanations for The Bloop. One of the most interesting and sensational theories to explain this was an enormous underwater creature. However, if this was true, the ‘Bloop creature’ would have to be truly gigantic. The largest animal on earth, the blue whale, can, at its loudest, create sounds that can be heard a few hundred miles away. The Bloop was heard thousands of miles away. This would make the bloop creature many times larger than anything known to man. And, frankly, the NOAA couldn’t exactly disprove this. As previously mentioned, 95% of the oceans have yet to be explored. Could some giant beast be living out there?
For years, The Bloop went unexplained. Conspiracy theorists continued to speculate about what could have caused it; meanwhile, oceanic researchers were busy looking for a more scientific explanation. Finally, in 2005, the source of the mysterious Bloop was finally confirmed. According to the NOAA, The Bloop was: an icequake! Icequakes, also known as ice calving, are a phenomenon where massive icebergs break away from the Antarctic glacier. Researchers were able to match up the sound profiles of known icequakes to the sound profile of The Bloop.
However, without having observed The Bloop themselves, researchers can only be so certain. Something could still be out there. I guess the world will never know…
When I first saw “bloop,” I thought you might have been talking about the blue loop of the bus here in State College. I’ve read that the blue and white loops are referred to the Bloop and Woop respectively. However, a sea creature 2/3 the length of the Eiffel Tower sound much cooler.
The fact that this noise was heard thousands of miles away is such an interesting point to note in that it means that, as the scientists correctly discovered, it was created by something or someone gigantic. It would make sense for volcanic activity to be as loud as ‘the bloop’ as volcanic activity has connections with underground heat, pressure and of course the tectonic plates. What I don’t understand is that how such a large sound was made by icequakes that are on the surface and above the tectonic plates without there being any evidence that the event had taken place? It’s truly a mystery that can only be hypothesized about. Great Post!
Oooo This is so mysterious. I trust that there are tons of crazy ideas about this. I think I’ve heard some people think that this “creature” could be the one from the Biblical story of Jonah, but I’m not sure about that. I also found the icequaking explanation so interesting; I don’t think I’ve heard of that. If there is a creature that big out there, I hope to never encounter it!
It’s really interesting that I’ve never heard of this. For the sound to travel that far, it must have been very loud. Maybe it’s possible that there is a giant animal living in the ocean making “bloop” sounds. If the NOAA found it, an ice quake would be the perfect excuse to hide it from the public.
The fact that the bloop was heard thousands of miles away is insane!! I liked how you embedded a link for us to hear the bloop for ourselves. Also, the chart comparing the size of the ‘bloop beast’ to the Eiffel Tower was extremely helpful to put things into perspective. Great job!