The Whistling Sands of Porthor
Walk across this Welsh beach on a dry day and the sand squeaks under your feet.
What was reported
Porthor, a small cove near the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula in north-west Wales, is known in English as Whistling Sands. When the sand is dry, walking on it or scuffing it with your feet makes a high squeak or whistle.
It's one of only a handful of beaches in Europe where the effect is strong, and families have come to hear it for generations.
Explanations offered
The sound comes from sand grains that are unusually rounded, of a similar size and free of dust. When they're pressed, they slip against each other in a way that sets up a vibration. If the sand gets wet or dirty, it falls silent.
- When
- Ongoing
- Where
- Porthor, Llŷn Peninsula, Wales
- Witnesses
- Beach visitors
- 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.