Finally, proof of the existence of the mythical Kraken? In 1997, scientists at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded a mysterious sound, dubbed the 'Bloop'. Coming from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean between Chile and Antarctica, this low-frequency shock was so loud that it could be heard and recorded almost 5,000 kilometers from its point of origin.
Discover our latest podcast
Logically, this sound soon intrigued researchers. And once human causes had been ruled out, some were quick to put forward the hypothesis of an animal source. A huge animal source, but which one? The largest known marine creature is the blue whale. However, it is incapable of producing such a loud sound.
If the Bloop comes from a creature, it was produced by a gigantic animal, much larger than the whale and capable of a more powerful cry than any previously observed. A hypothesis that has given rise to the wildest theories...
The cry of Cthulhu?
On the subject of speculation, let's take a look at the most famous. In fantasy literature, author H.P. Lovecraft set a central location for his book, The Call of Cthulhu, less than 2,000 kilometers from the Bloop's emission point.
It's the mythical, cyclopean R'lyeh, the city lost in the depths, where Ctulhu, a giant monster with a humanoid appearance and a face like that of a dry-cleaner, is said to live. According to Lovecraft's mythology, Ctulhu was present long before the appearance of all life on Earth. And for some,there was no doubt about it: Ctulhu itself was the source of the Bloop! But always ready to shatter the expectations of the most fanciful, NOAA scientists rejected this hypothesis.
Read more:Mysterious holes discovered 2,500 metres deep in the Atlantic Ocean, scientists left puzzled
An 'icequake' at the origin of the noise?
The agency now even claims to be certain of what created the Bloop. Unfortunately, it wasn't a sea monster, but an iceberg! NOAA's Robert Dziak explained to Wired magazine:
The frequency and duration characteristics of the Bloop signal are compatible with, and essentially identical to, the signals from an ice quake.
A much more down-to-earth explanation, but one that's far less satisfying for us lovers of mystery and fantasy. Yes, we would have liked to learn that an oceanic animal of Ctulhu's stature was the source of that scream that had a few researchers shaking in their boots in the late 1990s. But science has spoken and dashed all our hopes.
Read more:A prehistoric crystal may contain 'ancient life' inside and geologists want to open it
This article has been translated from Gentside FR.
Source used:
Wired: From 'Bloop' to 'Wow': how science is solving the world's biggest mysteries
