The deep ocean is an unexplored terrain surrounded by lore.  In fact, around 80% of the ocean is unmapped and unobserved.  To put that number in perspective, 100% of both the Moon and Mars has been mapped.  Relatively speaking, we have utterly no idea of what’s going on in the deep.  Anything could be happening down there, and we would be none the wiser.  Could the government be hiding secrets?  Is Tupac undercover on the ocean floor?  Is Jack from the Titanic hanging out down there?

Here are some interesting tidbits we do know:

• The deepest part of the ocean is Challenger Deep, which is 36,070 feet below sea level.  If Mount Everest were placed on the bottom of this trench, there would still be a mile of water covering it.
• 94% of life is aquatic.
• There are about 20 million tons of gold dispersed throughout the ocean.
• The Pacific Ocean is five times wider than the Moon.
• The pressure at the bottom of the ocean could crush a human, as if they were attempting to hold 50 jumbo jets.
• Tsunamis can travel at speeds up to 500 mph.
• 86% of species on Earth are undiscovered, most of them in the ocean.
• Within the ocean, there are around 3 million shipwrecks.

Ocean mysteries:

• The Bloop: in 1997, this low-frequency sound was picked up across the Pacific Ocean.  Many people believe that the sound was emitted by an unknown animal and it has remained a mystery for years.
• The Megalodon: this giant shark, believed to have gone extinct 1.6 million years ago, was three times the size of a Great White Shark.  However, some people believe that these sharks still exist somewhere in the deep ocean.  After all, the fish coelacanth, believed to have gone extinct a whopping 65 million years ago, was recently discovered to still be alive.
• The Colossal Squid: this aptly-named squid is 46 ft long and 1650 lbs, outweighing the giant squid which is 43 ft long and weighs 1000 lbs.  Only one specimen of the Colossal Squid has ever been caught and studied.
• Underwater Cuban City: this “city” is a series of submerged granite structures off the coast of Cuba.  It is underneath 700 m of water, and thus has confused scientists of its origin for years as it is highly unlikely that a city could sink to this depth.
• Baltic Sea Anomaly: this is an indistinct sonar image depicting an object strikingly resemblant to the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars.  Many believe that it was placed there by aliens, as its origin is completely unexplained.
• Milky Sea Effect: if you’ve ever seen Life of Pi, this effect occurs when the ocean surface appears to be bioluminescent.  There is no modern research as to why or how bioluminescent bacteria are able to illuminate the ocean.
• The Bimini Road: near the Bahamas, this underwater rock formation is thought to be either an ancient road or an ancient wall.  It consists of a roughly 1 km long series of rectangular-shaped limestone blocks.
• “Atlantis” of Japan: this “Atlantis” of a sort features a collection of man-made stepped monoliths.  It is about 90 ft tall and 16 ft below sea level.

What do you think is at the bottom of the ocean?

“Nicki Minaj, going for a swim.” – Graham Inabnett

“There’s definitely a mermaid cult somewhere in the ocean.” – John Conley

“Sand.  In fact, I know for a fact that sand is at the bottom of the ocean.” – Hannah O

“Meat.” – Rifah Tasnia

“The whole ocean floor is Atlantis.” – Rachael Stokes

“Tupac and Biggie just chillin’.” – Sarah Hudock

“Mermaids.” – Janie O’Shea

“A Kraken.” – Shabih Jafri

“Just like some dirt honestly.” – Eli Leroy

“All my hopes and dreams.” – Graysen Hasty

“The Meg.” – Samuel Ford Dirks

“A reversal of the Earth, the bottom is actually the top.” – Kate Kuisel

“JFK’s brain.” – Sallie Limehouse

“Any chance of me having a good senior year.” – Stuart Philp

In conclusion, next time you step in the ocean, just remember that the end may be near.  You could easily be eaten by a Megalodon.