The Eerie Ocean Noises That Have Perplexed Scientists Over The Years

One of these noises was the mysterious “bloop” sound, first heard by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1997. It was a freak loud, ultra-low frequency sound that blasted through the south Pacific Ocean.

The noise was captured on hydrophones (submerged microphones) and sounded like a water droplet that landed in a bath. Scientists located over 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) apart were stumped and perplexed over this sound.

In fact, some people thought that this sound could be mermaids or even a vast, unknown marine beast.   

Eventually, the noise was consistent with the wavelength created when giant icebergs crack to produce ice-quakes.   

This is not the first weird sound that we have heard from the deep. In 2016, a group of researchers recorded a weird buzz that occurred during dusk and dawn. The scientists thought that the noise could be a “dinner bell” for deep-water organisms that travel up and down the depth of the ocean to the water’s surface to feed.

The sound was picked up around 200 to 1,000 meters (660 to 3,300 feet), from the mesopelagic zone – a very dark area that has limited food sources.

You can listen to the sound in this NPR article.

In August 1991, another sound was heard in the Pacific. Nicknamed the “upsweep”, lasting several seconds at a time, this is a long train of narrow-band upsweeping sounds. Weirdly enough, this is a seasonal sound that reaches its peak in spring and autumn, although it is unknown whether this is due to the source changes or seasonal.

It is located near inferred volcanic activity, but people are unsure about the true origin of the noise.

And of course, no one can forget about “Julia”, a sound that was recorded on March 1, 1999. It was thought to be located between Bransfield Straits and Cape Adare and was due to a large iceberg that run aground in Antarctica.   

With all of these weird noises occurring in the ocean, you must think – poor fish!