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A mysterious noise dubbed the Bloop sparked theories it could be a giant Megalodon or undiscovered creature – but scientists later discovered what it actually was
In a startling revelation that left scientists gobsmacked, an eerie noise known as the “bloop” was detected off the coast of Florida.
Initially, speculation ran wild with theories suggesting the sound could be evidence of an undiscovered entity such as a colossal Megalodon or an unknown underwater species. However, the reality proved to be far more ominous.
According to Discovery UK, several scientists proposed that the Bloop might have been created by a living creature, given its resemblance to an amplified whale call.
The conundrum lay in the fact that the sound was significantly louder than any known aquatic creature’s vocalisations, leading to conjecture about the existence of a new marine animal.
This sparked a frenzy online with theories ranging from undiscovered sea monsters to H. P. Lovecraft’s mythical beast, Cthulhu, reports the Mirror US.
Geographers offered more plausible explanations, suggesting underwater volcanic activity or tectonic plate shifts. The duration and intensity of the noise were reminiscent of past incidents where tectonic movements had generated unsettling sounds.
Years later, the National Ocean Service (NOAA) deployed hydrophones to investigate seafloor volcanoes and earthquakes. They discovered that the source of the sound was an icequake – the breaking off of an iceberg from an Antarctic glacier.
The NOAA stated: “As the years passed, PMEL researchers continued to deploy hydrophones ever closer to Antarctica in an ongoing effort to study the sounds of sea floor volcanoes and earthquakes.
“It was there, on Earth’s lonely southernmost land mass, that they finally discovered the source of those thunderous rumbles from the deep in 2005.
“The Bloop was the sound of an icequake-an iceberg cracking and breaking away from an Antarctic glacier! With global warming, more and more icequakes occur annually, breaking off glaciers, cracking and eventually melting into the ocean.”
One Reddit user voiced their disappointment at what they considered a mundane explanation: “No kidding. I was looking forward to scientists discovering a new, previously unknown life form in the deep ocean.
“I know there’s a ton of species down there we haven’t discovered, but they’re probably all going to be tiny or not much bigger than a small dog. I want science to discover something HUGE.”
Another remained sceptical of the NOAA’s findings. They said: “Wasn’t there a bunch of experts saying that it was almost certainly organic in nature? Is there any explanation as to why this instance of iceberg cracking was so loud?”.
“Why did it take NOAA so long to attribute it to icebergs cracking? Not saying it’s Cthulu or anything (just desperately hoping), just wondering what took so long.”
