Thor's Well, the Drainpipe of the Pacific
On the Oregon coast, the ocean seems to pour endlessly into a hole in the rock, as if draining away into the centre of the Earth.
What was reported
Thor's Well is a round hole in the black basalt shore at Cape Perpetua, on the coast of Oregon. As waves wash over the rocks, water pours into the hole from all sides, looking as though the sea is draining away. Then, with a rush, it shoots back up in a burst of spray.
It's sometimes called the drainpipe of the Pacific. At high tide and in storms, it's extremely dangerous, and visitors are warned to stay back.
Explanations offered
The well is probably a sea cave whose roof collapsed, leaving an opening in the rock connected to the ocean below. Water fills the cave from beneath and then empties, creating the illusion of a bottomless drain.
- When
- A natural feature
- Where
- Cape Perpetua, Oregon, USA
- Witnesses
- Visitors and photographers
- 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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