There are over 25,000 islands located inside the Pacific Ocean and every one of them shares a part of the mysterious world under and around them. There are many thousands of things we don’t know about what lies beneath, from unknown animals to strange sounds and disappearances. Here’s a small collection of the most intriguing unsolved mysteries!
Mariana Trench
This is one of the world’s largest volcanoes and lies deep in the middle of the Pacific Island. Some 200 kilometres (124 miles) east of the Mariana Islands, the crescent shaped trench is the deepest on Earth. To give you an idea of the magnitude, it is deeper than Mt Everest is tall. It’s one of the most remote and unreachable places on the planet, with only a few attempts to reach the bottom to study its environment. The most famous adventurer to date has been James Cameron piloting the Deepsea Challenger in 2012 to a depth of 10,908 meters (35,787 feet) and spent three hours filming and exploring the bottom.
This is one of the world’s largest volcanoes and lies deep in the middle of the Pacific Island. Some 200 kilometres (124 miles) east of the Mariana Islands, the crescent shaped trench is the deepest on Earth. To give you an idea of the magnitude, it is deeper than Mt Everest is tall. It’s one of the most remote and unreachable places on the planet, with only a few attempts to reach the bottom to study its environment. The most famous adventurer to date has been James Cameron piloting the Deepsea Challenger in 2012 to a depth of 10,908 meters (35,787 feet) and spent three hours filming and exploring the bottom.
Deep Sea Monsters
There are many stories of giant squids, monster whales and the scariest descriptions of unknown large sea animals lurking beneath the Pacific Ocean, seemingly all able to cope with the near-freezing temperatures of a deep-sea environment. In 2024, an expiation off the coast of Chile uncovered more than 100 unknown marine species, including sea urchins, molluscs and lobsters. There weren’t any ‘giant’ new monsters, but scientists are sure the next expedition could reveal many deep-sea mysteries!
There are many stories of giant squids, monster whales and the scariest descriptions of unknown large sea animals lurking beneath the Pacific Ocean, seemingly all able to cope with the near-freezing temperatures of a deep-sea environment. In 2024, an expiation off the coast of Chile uncovered more than 100 unknown marine species, including sea urchins, molluscs and lobsters. There weren’t any ‘giant’ new monsters, but scientists are sure the next expedition could reveal many deep-sea mysteries!
Ghost Ships
There have been many legends, books and even movies about vessels drifting around the Pacific with no crew aboard and not all the eerie tales are fictitious. In 1955, all 25 passengers aboard the American merchant ship MV Joyita mysteriously vanished with the ship found adrift in poor condition with no one aboard. Several theories for the passenger’s disappearances have been mooted, including insurance fraud, a Japanese attack and even a mutiny but their disappearance is still a mystery. It’s likely there are many more ghost ships waiting to find their way to the top of the ocean!
There have been many legends, books and even movies about vessels drifting around the Pacific with no crew aboard and not all the eerie tales are fictitious. In 1955, all 25 passengers aboard the American merchant ship MV Joyita mysteriously vanished with the ship found adrift in poor condition with no one aboard. Several theories for the passenger’s disappearances have been mooted, including insurance fraud, a Japanese attack and even a mutiny but their disappearance is still a mystery. It’s likely there are many more ghost ships waiting to find their way to the top of the ocean!
Mysterious Sounds
Mysterious sounds from the Pacific Ocean have been investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for years. The Bloop, the Upsweep and the Slow Down are just three of numerous puzzling sounds that have been recorded. Using hydrophones positioned in various parts of the ocean collect digital records of sounds – and they are fascinating.
The Bloop, detected in 1997, is thought to be from either and ice quake or an unknown living creature. The Upsweep was first recorded in 1991 after NOAA detected a train of narrowband sweeping sounds. It can still be heard in the Spring and Autumn, but the origin is still a mystery. The Slow Down is still on the ‘baffling’ list.
Mysterious sounds from the Pacific Ocean have been investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for years. The Bloop, the Upsweep and the Slow Down are just three of numerous puzzling sounds that have been recorded. Using hydrophones positioned in various parts of the ocean collect digital records of sounds – and they are fascinating.
The Bloop, detected in 1997, is thought to be from either and ice quake or an unknown living creature. The Upsweep was first recorded in 1991 after NOAA detected a train of narrowband sweeping sounds. It can still be heard in the Spring and Autumn, but the origin is still a mystery. The Slow Down is still on the ‘baffling’ list.
Vanished Islands
Everyone has heard of the tale of Atlantis, but there are other islands that have mysteriously vanished in the Pacific Ocean. The island of Teonimanu, part of the Solomon Islands, disappeared hundreds of years ago after rapidly sinking. Most likely, it was the result of a large underwater volcanic eruption. In 1774, Captain James Cook charted the island of Sandy, and it was recorded in Cook’s Chart of Discoveries made in the South Pacific. It was mentioned again in 1876 after the ship Velocity reported Sandy Island and was spotted on Google Maps until recently. In 2012, Australian scientists failed to locate the island and recorded ocean depths of no less than 4,300 feet (1,310 meters), where it should have been. Was the island ever there? Did it just mysteriously vanish? No one really knows, making it one of the biggest Pacific Island mysteries.
Everyone has heard of the tale of Atlantis, but there are other islands that have mysteriously vanished in the Pacific Ocean. The island of Teonimanu, part of the Solomon Islands, disappeared hundreds of years ago after rapidly sinking. Most likely, it was the result of a large underwater volcanic eruption. In 1774, Captain James Cook charted the island of Sandy, and it was recorded in Cook’s Chart of Discoveries made in the South Pacific. It was mentioned again in 1876 after the ship Velocity reported Sandy Island and was spotted on Google Maps until recently. In 2012, Australian scientists failed to locate the island and recorded ocean depths of no less than 4,300 feet (1,310 meters), where it should have been. Was the island ever there? Did it just mysteriously vanish? No one really knows, making it one of the biggest Pacific Island mysteries.
Mysterious Disappearances
Probably the most well-known disappearance in the Pacific realm is Amelia Earhart’s plane crash. Her body and the wreckage has never been located, but there have been many stories that she made it one of the Pacific Islands, including Easter Island. Other disappearances include Carlo Giuseppe Bertero, an Italian physicist who mysteriously vanished on a voyage from Tahiti to Chile and two pilots who disappeared two days apart during the famous Dole Air Race. Scientists suggest strange disappearances could be to do with underwater volcanoes, methane hydrates (methane trapped in ice) hot and cold currents causing turbulence and seismic activity, but many remain a mystery.
Probably the most well-known disappearance in the Pacific realm is Amelia Earhart’s plane crash. Her body and the wreckage has never been located, but there have been many stories that she made it one of the Pacific Islands, including Easter Island. Other disappearances include Carlo Giuseppe Bertero, an Italian physicist who mysteriously vanished on a voyage from Tahiti to Chile and two pilots who disappeared two days apart during the famous Dole Air Race. Scientists suggest strange disappearances could be to do with underwater volcanoes, methane hydrates (methane trapped in ice) hot and cold currents causing turbulence and seismic activity, but many remain a mystery.
The Lost Continent of Mu
Some people believe the long-lost continent of Mu, also known as Lemuria, once existed in the Pacific Ocean between 10,000 and 50,000 years ago. It’s believed more than 60 million people called Mu home, with the continent being positioned somewhere between Easter Island and Marianas from east to west and somewhere between Hawaii and Mangaia from north to south. It’s claimed that a series of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions caused the continent’s demise, but in general, geologists don’t believe in the myth.
Some people believe the long-lost continent of Mu, also known as Lemuria, once existed in the Pacific Ocean between 10,000 and 50,000 years ago. It’s believed more than 60 million people called Mu home, with the continent being positioned somewhere between Easter Island and Marianas from east to west and somewhere between Hawaii and Mangaia from north to south. It’s claimed that a series of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions caused the continent’s demise, but in general, geologists don’t believe in the myth.
