The Crackle Under the Sea
In the Second World War, sonar operators in warm seas heard a constant crackling, like fat frying, that could hide a submarine. The noise came from shrimp.
What was reported
Listening underwater in shallow tropical seas, navies found the background was full of noise: a steady crackle, like bacon frying or twigs snapping, so loud it could mask the sounds of submarines and ships.
Submarine crews learned to hide in it, and scientists set out to find what made it.
Explanations offered
It's made by snapping shrimp, which snap a giant claw shut so fast it shoots out a jet of water and a collapsing bubble, making one of the loudest sounds in the sea and even a brief flash of light. Colonies of millions together create the crackle.
- When
- Noticed in the Second World War
- Where
- Shallow seas off northern Australia
- Witnesses
- Navy sonar operators
- Status
- Explained
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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