There’s nothing quite like a day at the beach”the sand on your feet, wind in your hair, and the beautiful ocean view. The ocean seems like such a calm and peaceful place, but there is so much we don’t know about it. In truth, it’s home to some of the most terrifying sights known to man.
Check out the photos on the following pages for sights that will make you think twice about swimming in the ocean ever again…
Anaconda
While these enormous snakes live on land, they also, unfortunately, live in the ocean, too. Fact. Do you know what that is? That’s a BIG NOPE from us.
Blue Whale
The biggest of all the animals on the planet can be found swimming happily in the ocean. Blue whales are known to grow to lengths of over 100 feet and could weigh more than 180 tons when fully matured. To give you an idea, blue whales can grow to be as long as a Boeing 737 plane.
Giant Eels?
Just kidding, it’s just kelp. But hey, we wouldn’t really blame you if you ran for the hills if you saw this in real life. This is reminiscent of Ursula’s tentacles from The Little Mermaid.
Giant Pacific Octopus
As scary as the thought of seeing an octopus as big as that may be, what’s scarier is that the octopus in the above photo isn’t even the largest. Case in point, the Giant Pacific Octopus are known to grow up to lengths of 16 feet and weigh as much as 110 pounds, with the largest ever recorded setting the bar at 30 feet and more than 600 pounds.
Basking Shark
While the basking shark does not feed on people, but rather on planktons, it’s still not really comforting knowing that a creature with a mouth that can open as wide as that could be swimming right under you at any moment.
Manta Ray
Again, as scary and large the stingray in the photo may look, others have been caught and documented to be much larger. For example, back in 2015, a stingray weighing nearly 800 pounds became the largest freshwater fish ever caught by rod and line. The stingray came in with a measured length of 14 feet and width of 8 feet and took nearly two hours to reel in.
Giant Isopod
Does anybody have any clue what that creature is? On second thought, it’s probably better to remain in the dark. The mere fact that it lives in the water is enough to scare us…
Lion’s Mane Jellyfish
Most people believe jellyfish are usually small, and for the most part, it’s true. It’s just that some species grow up to be humongous, like the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, which are known to achieve bell diameters of well over 2 meters and tentacles whose lengths can trail as long as 30 meters or more!
Giant Stargazer Fish
With both their eyes and mouth located on top of their head, these fish bury themselves in the sand and leap upwards to attack their prey as it swims by. Moreover many species are electric and capable of delivering lethal shocks.
Blacktip Reef Shark
Among the most abundant sharks inhabiting the tropical coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, this species prefers shallow, inshore waters. NO thanks we’ve seen Jaws and too many other shark horror films to know where this is going.
Dragonfish
Although they are found at depths of nearly 2km, the Dragonfish actually starts its life at the surface of the ocean as a result of its egg being buoyant. Like many other deep sea creatures, it eventually becomes capable of producing its own light using a method known as bioluminescence after which it descends to the depths. One of its many light-producing photophores can be found on a barbel attached to its lower jaw, which it most likely uses for hunting. Wonderful.
Frilled Shark
Termed a living fossil, this seldom seen shark inhabits the depths of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Scientists speculate that it captures its prey by bending its body and lunging forward like a snake while proceeding to swallow its victim whole. Nope.
Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle
The most mysterious and dangerous nautical location has always been the Bermuda Triangle. Located between the points of Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Florida, it’s also known as the Devil's triangle because of its infamous reputation. For centuries thousands of aircraft, ships, and boats have mysterious crashed or disappeared within the mysterious triangle. The most well-known cases were ships that were found with their entire crew mysteriously disappearing.
Disappearances
The triangle has been known to be the location of dozens of mysterious disappearances. One of the most popular was the disappearance of Daniel Burack and his 23-foot cabin cruiser called the Witchcraft. On December 22, 1967, Burack called the coastguard to report he had hit something. He used his flare to signal for help. But then 19 minutes later, when the rescue vessel arrived at his location, the ship and its captain were nowhere to be found…
Unexplained Absence
The rescue crew scanned the horizon and found no traces of Burack or his ship. There was no sign of any ship or the debris of a sunken vessel. There were no signs that Burack and his ship were ever there. What made things even more mysterious was the fact that the ship was stocked with life-saving devices such as lifeboats, life jackets, and signal flares. No sign of the boat has been seen to this day…
Ancient City
One of the most popular theories is that the triangle is the location of the ancient sunken city of Atlantis. The city was buried in the sea and is said to have contained technology far beyond its time. Many people have theorized that some of this technology could be causing the strange disappearances inside the dreaded triangle…
Confusing Compass
One of the most mysterious facts about the triangle is that compasses inside point to the true north rather than the magnetic north. This is just one of two places in the entire globe that does this (the other being the dragon's triangle near Japan). This could account for the hundreds of lost vessels and aircraft in the area.
Deadly Gas
Another theory is that the seabed under the Bermuda Triangle releases methane gas. This gas makes the water above it less dense, which could lead to many of the ships sinking. The gas is also highly flammable and could cause several aircraft to just suddenly combust. The gas could also explain the numerous ghost ships that have appeared in the triangle; the crew could have lost consciousness from inhaling the gas…
Famous Disappearance
One of the most famous disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle was the disappearance of Flight 19, with five Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bombers. On December 5, 1945, the five planes lost contact with the naval airbase in Florida and all 14 airmen on the flight disappeared. What made things even more mysterious was the rescue mission sent to look for the planes, the Martin PBM Mariner flying boat also disappeared along with its 13 crew members…
Time Storm
Another theory about the Bermuda Triangle is that the area contains an electronic fog known as a time storm. The theory was published by Bruce Gernon, who recounts his own experience flying through the Bermuda Triangle. According to Gernon, he went through a rift in time and space when he flew through an electronic fog in the triangle. He claimed to have lost 28 minutes of fly time in the fog.
The Mary Celeste
One of the most mysterious cases regarding the Bermuda Triangle was the disappearance of the crew on board the Mary Celeste. On December 4, 1872, the ship was found abandoned but otherwise seaworthy. What made it odd was that the alcohol cargo was still intact and the belongings of the captain and the crew were untouched but one lifeboat was missing…
Out of this World
One of the more farfetched theories about the triangle has been that the area contains a crashed UFO with advanced technology. The alien tech was said to have caused the crashes and disappearances in the area. Another theory is that the area, being far away from land, is where alien abductions occur most often and those spaceships frequent the area to abduct humans.
Largest Ship
One of the largest ships that were found mysteriously abandoned in the Bermuda triangle was the Carroll A. Deering. The ship was a large 255-long cargo ship, 44 feet wide, with 5 massive masts, and weighing close to 2,000 tons. It passed through the Bermuda Triangle, but was found on January 31, 1921, hard aground with the entire crew nowhere to be found.
Revenge of the Dead
Another popular theory has been that the area is haunted by the thousands of slaves that have died in the area. During the 18th century, slaves from Africa were often thrown overboard before landing so that their owners could claim cash for loss of property. The lost souls of these slaves are said to haunt the waters inside the triangle.
First Recorded Instances
In his voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus himself encountered the Bermuda Triangle. Inside the triangle, Columbus reported that he saw a ball of flame fall into the water. This was presumably a meteor or a comet that fell to the water. Columbus also reported he saw a strange light appear in the distance a few weeks later, and documented how he had erratic compass readings in the area.
Biggest Loss of Life
The biggest tragedy that occurred in the Bermuda Triangle, in terms of human life, was the USS Cyclops. The Cyclops was a large ship that passed through the triangle in 1918. The ship had a crew of 309 members. It was last heard from entering the triangle reporting everything to be okay. After entering the triangle, it was never seen or heard from again.
The Origins
The term Bermuda Triangle was first coined in a 1964 article by author Vincent Gaddis. Gaddis had heard reports of mysterious missing planes and ships in the triangular area near Bermuda. This was the start of the media’s obsession with the Bermuda Triangle.
Stormy Weather
One of the most practical and logical explanations of the disappearances and crashes in the Bermuda Triangle is due to the fact that the area is commonly affected by huge hurricanes and sea storms. The weather in the area has been known to be so violent and turbulent that it could capsize ships and crash planes.
Blurred Lines
The Bermuda Triangle is made up of close to 500,000 square miles in the open sea. But even with such wide zone of responsibility, many of the reports of missing planes and ships have been credited to be found inside the triangle, when in fact, they were nowhere near the area.
Cosmic Radiation
Another theory about the triangle has to do with the comet/meteor that Columbus reportedly saw during his time. It is possible that heavenly bodies such as this crashed in the area and remained on the sea floor. Comets and meteors have high radiation properties, which could explain why there are so many dysfunctional compasses and erratic navigation in the area.
Human Error
Most of the crashes and accidents that occurred in the area have been credited to the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, when in reality; it can be simply explained by human error. Most of the missing boats and planes could be simply explained by mistakes and errors in judgment.
Year of the Triangle
The year 1948 was probably the most notorious year for the Bermuda Triangle. During this time several ships and planes disappeared within its borders. On January 17th the G-AGRE Star Ariel disappeared in a flight from Bermuda to Jamaica. On January 30th the G-AHNP Star Tiger disappeared on a flight from the Azores to Bermuda. Then, on December 28, 1948, a Douglas DC-3 aircraft NC16002, disappeared on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico. No trace of the plane or the 32 passengers were ever found.
Air Bombs
One of the leading theories about the Bermuda Triangle, proposed by meteorologists, has been air bombs. Air bombs are 170 mph gusts of wind that randomly occur at sea. These random air pockets have been found all over the Bermuda triangle and could be the cause for the sudden crashes and disappearances of ships and planes.
Evidence of Air Bombs
Evidence of air bombs has been corroborated by the strange hexagon cloud holes found in satellite pictures. Colorado State University’s satellite meteorologist Dr. Steve Miller explained to Science Channel: “You don’t typically see straight edges with clouds. Most of the time, clouds are random in their distribution. The satellite imagery is really bizarre. These types of hexagonal shapes over the ocean are in essence air bombs.”
Exaggerated Reports
Most of the missing and crashed planes in the Bermuda Triangle are not as mysterious or ominous. They have only garnered media attention because of its location in the triangle. In fact, most of the cases are actually sensationalized reports due to the infamous reputation of the triangle. In reality, the triangle is not considered the most dangerous place to travel in the world. Statistics have shown that the area of triangle actually contains normal missing/crashed statistics compared to other places in the world.
Vampire Squid
With the largest eyes (proportionally speaking) of any animal in the world, this deep-sea creature is born to live in the depths. And no, it doesn’t suck blood, in fact, its tentacles barely have suckers at all. The name actually comes from its intensely red eyes and cloak like webbing.
Hydrozoa Jellyfish
This startlingly large jellyfish can grow to be over 1 meter in length. Rather than tentacles, this deep sea jellyfish uses a series of fleshy “feeding arms” to capture its prey.
Giant Squid
Seldom seen by human eyes, the giant squid has for centuries been a thing of legend. Dwelling deep beneath the waves its only real predator is the sperm whale. In fact, the two are famous for their deep sea battles and their carcasses are often times found bearing the marks of mortal combat on their bodies.
Blobfish
Primarily found in the deep water off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, the blobfish lives at depths of over 1200 meters. The pressure here is several dozen times higher than at the surface and as a result, its body is little more than a gelatinous mass.
Stargazer Fish
Resembling a pink, spine-covered balloon these deep-sea hunters are something of a cross between pufferfish and anglerfish (#12). Although they lure their prey using a fleshy protrusion, they are capable of puffing themselves up when threatened.
Giant Isopod
Unlike the other creatures on this list, the Isopod is permanently constrained to creeping along the bottom of the ocean, primarily the cold, dark waters of the North Atlantic and the Arctic Circle.
Chimaera
Not to be confused with the Chimera of Greek mythology, these creatures are also known as ghost sharks, and although they used to reside throughout the world’s oceans, today they are mostly confined to deep water.
Charonne
Named after the elephant in the Disney film, while this octopus isn’t necessarily as terrifying as the frilled shark, it’s far too strange to not include on the list.
Black Gulper Eel
Also known as the pelican eel, this is probably one of the strangest looking creatures lurking in the deep. With its enormous mouth, it is capable of swallowing things much, much larger than itself.
Snaggletooth
There aren’t many ways to describe this deep sea critter that don’t include the words “very ugly”. Like several other species on this list, due to the fact that it lives at such depths, it’s capable of producing its own light and uses this ability to hunt for prey.
Alien Fish
Not to be confused with the freshwater hatchetfish found in many home aquariums this species was named after the distinctive hatchet shape of its body. Living at extreme depths it has two tubular eyes that point upward enabling it to catch food falling from above.
Barrel Eye
Also known as spook fish, these strange looking creatures are similar to hatchetfish in that they have two upward facing eyes to scan for prey. Their distinctive feature, however, is the transparent dome that encases them.
Sea Dragon
The Sea Dragon is a marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, which includes seadragons, pipefish, and seahorses. It is the only member of the genus Phycodurus. It is found along the southern and western coasts of Australia.
Mega Mouth Shark
Since its discovery in 1976, this extremely rare species of deepwater shark has rarely been seen by human eyes and as of yet, there is still no consensus in the scientific community as to how to actually classify it. Its most distinctive feature is its gaping mouth that it most likely used to swallow plankton and small fish.
Pacific Dragonfish
While during the day it stays in deep water, at night it has been known to venture into more shallow territory, and thus, into the nets of deep sea fishermen. They don’t survive very well in captivity, however, so not much is known about them, although their appearance certainly earns them a spot on this list.
Black Swallower
Also known as the great swallower, the capacity of this little monster to engulf and digest things significantly larger than itself should not be underestimated. In fact, it can consume prey over 10 times its own mass.
Fangtooth
Although it has an intense sounding name (for its teeth that are proportionately the largest of any fish in the ocean), the fangtooth is actually quite small and harmless to humans. Still terrifying, though.
Goblin Shark
Not much is known about this deep sea dweller as only a few specimens have ever been caught, but those rare catches have been enough to earn it a fearsome reputation. With a prominent snout and retractable jaws, its physical characteristics are worthy of its name.
Blue-Ringed Octopus
The Blue-Ringed Octopus lives in tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are considered one of the most venomous marine animals but are normally rather passive unless they feel threatened. If handled or provoked, they will sting humans with a neurotoxin that is powerful enough to kill. If stung, artificial respiration on the victim is required, as the venom causes paralysis of the respiratory muscles. Pretty and deadly.
Portuguese Man O’ War
The Portuguese Man O’ War is found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is commonly identified as a jellyfish, however, it is a siphonophore (a colonial organism). The stinging venom from the man o’ war leaves humans in severe pain and normally large red welts. The venom can also travel to the lymph nodes and cause symptoms similar to an allergic reaction. Other symptoms can include fever and shock. Not only can these species sting you while alive but detached tentacles can also cause just as painful of a sting.
Great White Shark
The Great White Shark is a predator that can be found all over the Earth, more specifically coastal oceans. Both male and females can grow very large, however, the females can grow slightly larger than the males. Females can grow up to 20 feet (6.1 m) in length and weigh up to 4,300 pounds (1,950 kg). The Great White is responsible for the largest number of recorded shark bites on human beings. Although Great Whites do not normally seek out humans as food, humans are normally just “test-bitten” by the shark when attacked.
The Mola Mola
The ocean sunfish or common mola is one of the heaviest known bony fishes in the world with an average adult weight of 1,000 kg. It’s native to tropical and temperate waters around the globe.
Giant Pacific Octopus
One of the largest octopi on earth is the Giant Pacific Octopus. This octopus has 8 arms, all of which are lined with two rows of suckers. The suckers are then lined with hooks to capture its prey. In the center of the arms is a mouth that contains a beak and a toothed-tongue.
Cone Snail
The Cone Snail can be found in warm waters near the equator. They are normally seen in shallow depths close to the shore around rock formations and coral reefs. Although tempting, if you see one do not touch it! The snails have harpoon-like teeth which contain a venom called conotoxin. The toxin stops nerve cells from communicating and can cause paralysis almost immediately and there is no antivenom.
Flower Urchin
The flower urchin, or scientifically known as the Toxopneustes pileolus, is commonly found in the Indo-West Pacific. The urchin normally inhabits coral reefs, seagrass beds, or rocky environments. Although they may look pretty, do not touch. When touched they deliver a very painful sting causing debilitating pain.
Ribbon Eel
The ribbon eel, also known as the leaf-nosed moray eel or bernis eel, is a species of moray eel, the only member of the genus Rhinomuraena. The ribbon eel is found in lagoons and reefs in the Indo-Pacific ocean, ranging from East Africa to southern Japan, Australia, and French Polynesia.
Bobbit Worm
The Bobbit Worm is a bristle worm typically ranging from 0.1 centimeters to 300 centimeters long that inhabit burrows it creates on the ocean floor. It lives mainly in the Atlantic Ocean, but can also be found in the Indo-Pacific ocean area.
Red Lipped Batfish
The Red-lipped Batfish or the Galapagos batfish is a fish of unusual morphology found around the Galapagos Islands and off Peru at depths of 3 to 76 m. The red-lipped batfish normally being small, are capable of growing in length up to 40 cm long.
Sarcastic Fringehead
The sarcastic fringehead is a small but very hardy saltwater fish that has a large mouth and aggressive territorial behavior, for which it has been given its common name. When two fringeheads have a territorial battle, they wrestle by pressing their distended mouths against each other, as if they were kissing.
Giant Squid
The Giant Squid is a deep-ocean dwelling squid that can grow to a tremendous size due to deep-sea gigantism. Recent estimates put the maximum size at 13 m for females and 10 m for males from the posterior fins to the tip of the two long tentacles.
Black Dragonfish
The Black Dragonfish is a very long, very thin fish that lives in deep water and will go as low in the water as about 2 thousand feet.
Fangtooth Fish
Fangtooth fish are dark-colored fish that have small bodies, big heads, large fang-like teeth, and live in deep ocean water. They have small eyes and scientists don’t think their eyesight is very good. They can grow to be around six inches long.
Anglerfish
The Anglerfish is a bony fish named for its characteristic mode of predation, in which a fleshy growth from the fish’s head acts as a lure. Some angler fish can be quite large, reaching 3.3 feet in length.
Comb Jelly
Comb Jellies are notable for the groups of cilia they use for swimming, and they are the largest animals to swim with the help of cilia. Depending on the species, adult ctenophores range from a few millimeters to 1.5 m in size.
Scorpionfish
Scorpionfish are a family of marine fish that includes many of the world’s most venomous species. As the name suggests, scorpionfish have a type of “sting” in the form of sharp spines coated with venomous mucus.
Viperfish
Viperfish are characterized by long, needle-like teeth and hinged lower jaws. A typical viperfish grows to lengths of 30 to 60 cm. Viperfish are known to be preyed upon by sharks and some species of dolphin.
Pompeii Worm
Pompeii worms were initially discovered by French researchers in the early 1980s and are described as deep-sea polychaetes that reside in tubes near hydrothermal vents along the seafloor.
Grenadier
One of the more abundant bottom dwellers, grenadiers have been estimated to make up about 15% of the deep sea population. Found at depths of up to 6km, there are few other creatures that can survive in such hostile environments.
Lionfish
One wild fact about the lionfish is that its stomach has the ability to expand up to 30 times its normal volume.
Big Red Jellyfish
This Jellyfish grows over one meter in diameter and was given the nickname “big red.” It would be hard to miss, except that it lives at depths of 650 to 1,500 meters (2,000 to 4,800 feet).
Coffinfish
The coffinfish is a species of sea toad found in the salty temperate waters of the southwestern Pacific, off the east coast of Australia. Deep sea crab fisherman off the east coast of Florida pull them up from depth ranging from 5,000-8,000 feet about 54-68 miles off the coast.
Chimaera Fish
Chimaeras are cartilaginous fish known informally as ghost sharks, ratfish, spookfish or rabbit fish.
Amphipod
Amphipods range in size from 1 to 340 mm and are mostly detritivores or scavengers. There are more than 9,900 amphipod species so far described.
Pacific Black Dragonfish
Pacific Black Dragonfish are long, slender fish which live in mesopelagic to bathypelagic waters at depths of about 2,000 m. This species presents one of the most extreme cases of sexual dimorphism known.
Nudibranch
Nudibranchs are a widespread and successful group of marine Gastropod Mollusks. The name means ‘naked gills’. They are shelless and uncoiled Gastropods, famous for their bright colors. There are more than 3,00 known species and are informally known as sea slugs.
The Vast Ocean
One thing’s for sure, the ocean is vast and mysterious. So much of it is undiscovered still, and yet, we have already discovered so much.