Ghoubbet, the Pit of Demons
At the end of a bay in Djibouti lies a deep basin with treacherous currents and a black volcanic island. Its name means 'the pit of demons'.
What was reported
Ghoubbet al-Kharab, the 'pit of demons' or 'gulf of devils', is a small, deep bay at the western end of the Gulf of Tadjoura, in Djibouti. It's joined to the gulf by a narrow channel with powerful, swirling currents, and in it stands a dark volcanic island known as Devil's Island.
Local people long believed the place was haunted by jinn and monsters, and avoided it. Sailors spoke of whirlpools and strange sounds.
Explanations offered
The bay sits on a rift where two of the Earth's tectonic plates are pulling apart, and new crust is forming: the land here is slowly splitting. The strong currents come from water forced through the narrow channel. Its volcanic landscape looks like another world.
- When
- Feared for centuries
- Where
- Ghoubbet al-Kharab, Djibouti
- Witnesses
- Afar fishermen and sailors
- Status
- A real place
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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