The sea is a mystical place for all of us because it is unknown the mysteries that lurk within. We have compiled a list of the weirdest things ever found at the bottom of the sea.
1. Yonaguni
The massive, geometrically perfect and vast constructions in what has come to be called the Yonaguni monument are one of the great finds of the modern era presenting archeologists with a challening and mysterious case study off the coast of Japan.
2. Jurassic Era Microbes
Vast sections of the deeper oceans play host to undisturbed ancient populations of species long thought to be extinct and with little interaction with other species that have evolved to live in the planets changing conditions. These might be the closest we could actually get to a real 'Jurassic Park' with some of these species have been in continuous existence for more than 86 million years!
3. Lazarus Fish
Thought be extinct for more than 60 million years, scientists were startled to find stray populations of the Lazarus fish still in existence along the coasts of Africa and South East asia. Fortunately, the the Lazarus fish has no commercial or gastronomic value, and is therefore likely to be conserved very effectively.
4. Thonis
Discovered in 2000, Ancient Heracleion, later known as Thonis was a once great city submerged by rising sea levels in the meditteranean. Although many of the artifacts can not be removed from site, the ocean has preserved many of the materials that have been recovered phenomenally well.
5. Antikythera
The famous Antikythera mechanism is often hailed as one of the most important finds of the 20th century. This gear like object is in fact, the worlds first analog computer. Its highly complex mechanical function is rumoured to have allowed far reaching progress in mathematics and astronomy for the ancient greeks.
6. Doomed Emeralds
Diver and treasure hunter Jay Miscovich is credited with discovering the infamous Doomed Emeralds off the coast of Florida. The find was noted for bringing a lot of coverage and piquing the interest of federal officials in the value of Miscovichs assets and other finds. This ultimately led to Miscovich taking his own life, and the emeralds reputation was cemented.
7. Pirate Treasure
Pirate ships with their often exotic armory and decorations, and their value as being avant-garde collectors items have always fascinated divers and deep sea archeologists. Treasure hunters too are inspired by the potential for "hidden treasure" on ships that were sunk fully loaded.
8. Bullion Treasure
World war era bullion in gold and silver gets a lot of publicity as they tend to be very high value finds, and have a more recent historical background to them. Famous cases exist of findings of Nazi Silver, and British silver on ships sunk on voyages. Most of the time less than 50% of the total value is recovered in these finds and therefore they tend to hold continued public interest.
9. Atocha Motherlode
In 1985, after a 17 year search, Mel Fisher discovered the underwater wreckage of the famous Nuestra Senora de Atocha. The ship sank for unknown reasons with precious cargo onboard, off the Florida Keys. It is currently one of the biggest and most valuable finds in history, at $450 million.
10. Colossal Squid
The mythical Giant Squid from Jules Vernes famous 20,000 leagues under the sea, turned out to be much more than just a myth, as there have been about half a dozen documented sighting of these majestic beasts over the last 100 years. These amazing and reclusive deep sea creatures can measure as much as 15 metres in length.
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