- 14 hours ago
Some natural phenomena can amaze and destroy at the same time. Imagine you look up at the blue sky and suddenly see the clouds in form of... a skull! Does it mean the most dangerous storm ever is gonna happen? Or maybe it's a sign of lightning coming your way? It turns out, it's neither of these options... Let's find out what it really means.
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00:00You're relaxing at the beach when suddenly you notice a huge flock of birds.
00:04They're excited about something near the water.
00:08You get the urge to go and investigate what's going on there.
00:11Here's some advice.
00:12Sit back down and stay away from the water.
00:16I get it, you think you're tough enough to handle a few pecks from a seagull.
00:20But it's not the birds that have me worried.
00:23It's what's lurking beneath the water.
00:26Fish are a staple of many diets across the animal kingdom.
00:30Both above and below the ocean.
00:32Tuna, squid, and octopus, as well as marine mammals like seals, all prey on a wide variety of smaller fish.
00:41Species such as bluefish and striped bass are their favorite dinnertime meal.
00:46They're also the favorite of another ultra-predator, which is why you shouldn't join those birds by the water.
00:52If you do, you're risking an encounter with a creature that can measure up to 20 feet long.
00:58That's three times the size of an average human.
01:01These are the size credentials of a great white shark.
01:05If there are fish around, they may come up near the ocean's surface to feed.
01:11A great white shark has the strongest bite force among animals.
01:16The only other animal species that comes close to them is the saltwater crocodile.
01:21And boy, is their ability to catch whiffs strong.
01:25Scientists believe it to be more than 100 times stronger than a human's.
01:29They don't even use the nostrils located beneath their snouts to breathe.
01:34It simply serves as a specialized sniffer.
01:39Thankfully, though, we're not the favorite meal of a shark.
01:41And the creature isn't going out of its way to hunt us.
01:45Researchers claim that the odds of being attacked by a shark are as low as 1 in 3.7 million.
01:52When unfortunate meetings between sharks and humans do happen,
01:56a shark may mistake a human for a seal or an extremely large striped bass.
02:02This is why you should stay away from those birds and fishes.
02:05And just let the other animals animal.
02:08You just focus on catching a tan in that sun chair.
02:12So, I guess this means that sharks have poor vision?
02:15Not quite.
02:16Their vision in clear water is up to 10 times better than that of humans swimming in the same environment.
02:22The structure of a shark's eye is quite similar to that of our own.
02:26It consists of a cornea, lens, retina, deep blue iris, and the pupil.
02:32Their eyes have two types of photoreceptors, rods and cones, just like humans.
02:39Although we're not too sure how well rods and cones perform for sharks,
02:42research has shown that they possess only one type of cone.
02:46It means they most likely don't have full color vision like a human.
02:51This might explain why they can sometimes mix humans up with other creatures.
02:55But hey, who's ever really fully focused when they're about to devour their dinner?
03:01Shark eyes also have tapitum lucidum.
03:03This is a layer of mirrored crystals located behind the shark's retina.
03:08These crystals allow the shark to see quite well in extremely dim light and murky water.
03:14The crystals reflect incoming light, which gives the rods inside the retina
03:19a second chance at detecting light that they might have missed the first time around.
03:25Fun fact, cats also have tapitum lucidum.
03:28This is why your cat's eyes glow in the dark when you shine a light on them.
03:33Another telltale sign that sharks may be hovering around in nearby waters is the presence of whales.
03:40Sharks have been known to stalk the creatures for over 100 miles.
03:44They'll follow pods waiting for one of the members to become vulnerable before expertly striking.
03:50So, lesson learned?
03:52If you now see birds by the water, it's probably not a good thing,
03:56unlike when you see thousands of birds flying together through the sky.
04:00This is known as murmuration.
04:02You can see thousands of starlings unite together in the sky,
04:06moving in unison, dipping and swerving at the same time.
04:10It's like they're competing in some sort of synchronization event at the Bird Olympics.
04:15This happens when the birds begin to roost.
04:18It can be as early as September in some places and as late as the end of November elsewhere,
04:23with more birds joining the nightly displays during this time.
04:28Are they doing it for our entertainment?
04:31Well, not really.
04:32Grouping together in the sky offers protection from predators, like falcons.
04:37It can also get cold when you're flying that high up.
04:40So, the birds gather in their thousands to keep warm and exchange information on potential feeding sites.
04:47Okay, so in this case, a huge group of birds doesn't mean anything evil.
04:51But if you ever see some flying towards you whilst in a wooded area,
04:54it's probably time to leave the area.
04:58Birds and other animals flee wildfire areas.
05:02Certain mammals, like amphibians, may actually stay in the fire.
05:05Instead of fleeing for their lives, they will dig underground to escape it.
05:10But nearly all other animals will try their best to leave.
05:14Oh, and don't forget to jump out of the way whilst all those animals are running towards you.
05:19Why don't we switch back from birds to sharks?
05:22Yes, we now know if there are birds near the ocean surface,
05:25then sharks will probably be quite close as well.
05:28But what if there are no sharks anywhere near at all?
05:31If you ever happen to be in the ocean and notice some sharks heading deep towards the bottom of the
05:36ocean,
05:37this may be a sign that a hurricane or a tropical storm is on the way.
05:42Sharks can sense the drop in barometric pressure that accompanies the storm,
05:46so they could be trying to get out of the hectic zone.
05:50Sharks don't quite care for humans,
05:52so they don't view our sandy beaches and inland towns and cities as safety zones.
05:57They're quite intelligent creatures and know the deeper they go in the ocean, the safer it gets.
06:03But the ocean's not always the best place to go in an emergency.
06:07Case in point, if you come across sea creatures who usually live in water randomly resting on the sand,
06:13don't get inside the water.
06:16This is a sign that the water is potentially toxic.
06:19It's possible that a red tide is congregating in the water near the beach.
06:24Red tides happen all over the world,
06:26but one algae species causes them in the Gulf of Mexico.
06:30A red tide occurs when the water is full of more toxic algae than normal.
06:36It can make the water reddish or brown, but sometimes the water's color is normal.
06:41If you go in the water, you might experience respiratory irritation like coughing or an itchy throat.
06:47If this happens to you, you should thoroughly rinse your mouth with fresh water.
06:53Speaking of water, frogs are famous for their croaking.
06:57But if you've ever heard them do it a lot more than usual,
06:59it might be because it's about to rain.
07:02One theory says that this might have to do with their mating.
07:06They first do it, then lay eggs in bodies of fresh water.
07:10A good rain means more watery real estate for the frogs.
07:15That's why male frogs invite the ladies for a date before the showers with a croaking symphony.
07:22If you hear a lot of buzzing around, meaning the bees are more active than usual,
07:27a storm could be on the way.
07:30When they feel like it's approaching,
07:32bees start working even harder and faster to collect more nectar before the storm.
07:37And once they're done with it, they'll always come back to the hive 10 to 15 minutes before the heavy
07:43rain,
07:44even when there are no obvious signs of it.
07:48Their secret is super-sensitive hairs on their back that can pick up electrostatic buildups from storm clouds.
07:57Ah, you're on the grass, looking up at the blue sky, enjoying some singing birds and catching some rays.
08:04You watch different shaped clouds soaring slowly, high up in the air.
08:08Suddenly, you hear a powerful loud rumble coming from far away.
08:13You get up and notice a gigantic thick cloud ahead.
08:17But it's not the size that scares you, it's the shape.
08:20The cloud looks like a skull.
08:23Don't worry, it doesn't mean anything bad's gonna happen.
08:26Anyway, it's not even a cloud.
08:28A few years ago, a skull formed out of thick smoke over Mount Vesuvius in Italy.
08:34That's the same volcano that erased the ancient city of Pompeii from the face of the Earth.
08:39Of course, back then, many people were afraid that the volcano would erupt again.
08:45Luckily for everyone, the volcano's still in a deep sleep.
08:48It was just a nearby forest fire that caused the famous skull cloud.
08:53But the locals weren't so sure.
08:55Some thought that the fire and the skull were set on purpose.
08:59Wouldn't be the first time.
09:02Centralia, Pennsylvania.
09:04Population, well, just look around.
09:06Looks a little scary.
09:08Bare trees, no animals, no people.
09:11All the buildings are empty.
09:13Roads are all cracked and strewn with gravel.
09:15No cars, obviously.
09:17Thick smoke everywhere.
09:18This town's been burning for more than 50 years.
09:22Centralia used to be a mining town.
09:25One of its coal mines was abandoned, and locals used it as a dump for their trash.
09:30Then, according to most people, the city decided to get rid of the trash in the usual way, by burning
09:36it.
09:36The plant was a major failure.
09:38Hmm, let's see what could have possibly gone wrong here.
09:42The trash fire got deep into the mine's tunnels, ignited the coal that's still down there, and has been burning
09:48steadily ever since.
09:50The level of carbon dioxide shot up, and they had to shut down the other mines nearby for safety.
09:56No one could stop the fire, and the underground flames spread beneath the city.
10:02Roads began to warm up, the soil went sour, and the streets slowly filled with smoke and smog.
10:08In 2017, there were only 5 people living there.
10:13Welcome to Abraham Lake in Canada.
10:16It's completely frozen.
10:17You step onto the transparent ice and look down at what lies beneath.
10:22No fish, just some mysterious frozen bubbles.
10:26They look like small clouds frozen in ice, or jellyfish who forgot to pack a winter jacket.
10:31There are thousands of these little bubbles made up of methane.
10:35But don't try to dig a hole in the ice to touch it.
10:38Methane is highly flammable.
10:41It's created by methane-producing bacteria that eats leaves, grass, insects, and any other organic stuff that gets into the
10:48lake.
10:49When the methane touches the frozen water, it turns into tens of thousands of frozen little balls.
10:55When the ice melts, they burst open and sizzle.
10:58If you lit a match over them at just the right moment, the lake would look kind of like an
11:03erupting volcano.
11:04Similar lakes can be found near some shores of the Arctic Ocean.
11:08There, the size of the bubbles can reach several times the size of hot air balloons.
11:13Beautiful for sure, but not exactly safe.
11:17The next shocking lake is in Indonesia, on the island of Java.
11:22You come to a majestic volcano overgrown with grass and trees.
11:26The volcano seems to be asleep, but smoke is pouring out of it.
11:31You, of course, climb to the summit.
11:33Exhausted, tired, sweaty, you're ready to cool on.
11:36Nice work, you made it to the top.
11:38You look into the mouth of the volcano.
11:41Hmm, no boiling lava, just a beautiful, bright, turquoise lake down there.
11:46It looks like an oasis.
11:48Perfect time for a refreshing dip.
11:50You run down and get ready to jump in.
11:53But that's not water, that's acid.
11:57Sulphurous gases get into the lake from under the volcano.
12:00The lake itself is full of metals.
12:02When the gases touch them, they form that beautiful turquoise water.
12:06I mean acid.
12:08Better head back to the nearest village, rest, and come back at night when it's cooler.
12:12In the dark, the lake seems to grow.
12:16Right above it, you see light-filled, exploding little clouds.
12:20The sulfurous gases rise out of the lake, combine with the air, and flash bright blue.
12:26Still, don't get too close.
12:29Up in the sky, underground, volcanoes, lakes?
12:33Hmm.
12:34Time to head out to sea.
12:36You get on a yacht and sail off.
12:38It doesn't matter where.
12:39This next one happens all over the world.
12:41So, the sea is crystal clear and calm.
12:45There's no wind in your sails.
12:47Everything is so peaceful.
12:49Wait, what's that?
12:51You hear a loud, loud noise.
12:54Two seconds later, a huge wave, way taller than your mast, rises from the calm sea and hits your yacht.
13:01The ship manages to stay upright, and the huge wave disappears.
13:05You just survived the attack of a rogue wave.
13:08Some scientists think it happens when the surface sea current smashes into a strong headwind.
13:14Others say it happens when warm and cold currents come up against each other.
13:19Another popular theory is wave interference, where small waves team up to form one monster one.
13:25Under certain conditions, waves get a sort of superpower.
13:29Out of all the waves in the area, there'll be one which sucks the energy out of all the others.
13:35When it's full, the wave spits it all out.
13:38Maybe that's why the wave's so strong, but only lasts an instant.
13:43What about clouds? Scary?
13:45Well, they can be, if they're huge thunderclouds, walls of gray and black blocking out the sun, the moon, and
13:52the stars.
13:53First, you're relaxing in your backyard.
13:56Then you see thunderclouds.
13:58Then you get thunderstorms, hail, floods, and even tornadoes.
14:02They're easy to spot thanks to their epic appearance.
14:06Thick, heavy, and dark.
14:08They can even sparkle inside because of lightning.
14:11That's one scary-looking cloud.
14:13But before you run away, let's see how it forms.
14:17Clouds are like roller coasters.
14:19Imagine you're a small drop of water, hanging out with your friends in the ocean,
14:23waiting in line for the brand-new ride that just opened up.
14:26It's time! You strap in.
14:29Nothing happens.
14:30Then you feel it.
14:32The roller coaster starts to go up, up, up!
14:34You can see all your droplet friends down there.
14:37They're so small.
14:38You keep rising, just waiting for the big whoosh.
14:42But nothing happens.
14:44Then you're so high up that you're in the clouds.
14:47It's not so scary up here, and there are loads of your friends.
14:51Nice!
14:52It's starting to get cold.
14:54You look around.
14:55It's happening to everyone.
14:56You're being turned into beautiful ice crystals.
14:59So shiny and pretty.
15:01The clouds filling up, getting kind of cramped with all those other water droplets.
15:06Still, what a peaceful, enjoyable…
15:09Wow!
15:09The ride kicks back in, and you start to free-fall.
15:13Slowly at first.
15:14Then faster and faster.
15:16Thousands of your fellow drops falling back to Earth.
15:19Some holding on tight to the handrail.
15:21Some laughing and waving their hands in the air.
15:23Woo-hoo!
15:24And splash!
15:26Still, I like the lightning ride better.
15:29That's one where they strap you in, you ride up, and then you play bumper cars way up in the
15:34clouds.
15:35The more times you bump into another water droplet, the more lightning you create.
15:40Now, not all lightning happens inside clouds.
15:43There's a rare phenomenon called a dirty thunderstorm.
15:47The lightning happens above a volcano.
15:49The most famous is in Japan.
15:51It erupts almost every day and spits black clouds high into the air.
15:56So, it's super-scary volcano clouds, plus lightning.
16:00Woo-hoo!
16:01Regular lightning happens during a storm when ice crystals bump into each other.
16:06In a dirty thunderstorm, bits of volcanic ash collide, create friction, and spark up the sky.
16:13Okay, better finish the journey with something safe and beautiful.
16:17No more cloud roller coasters, please.
16:20You're in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, one of the driest places on Earth.
16:25But this desert has a beautiful secret.
16:28Every three to five years, flowers pop up out of nowhere.
16:32It's so famous, it's also called the flowering desert.
16:36Seeds lie around in the ground, just waiting for some rain.
16:40When the desert gets enough water, about 200 types of flowers sprout up.
16:45The yellow sands of the Atacama turn purple, white, green, and pink.
16:52Ah, beautiful.
16:53You're walking with your friend, and look up at the sky.
16:56The sun looks a bit different today.
16:58Like it has some kind of ring around it.
17:01A rainbow-type thing.
17:03Huh.
17:03Look at that.
17:05Your friend pulls his head up out of his phone.
17:07You shouldn't look directly at the...
17:09Stop everything, he says.
17:12It's a sun halo.
17:13We need to find shelter now, unless you have the world's biggest umbrella on you.
17:18A sun halo is nature's sign that there's a snow or rainstorm on its way.
17:24It's caused by clouds that are made of bazillions of small ice crystals.
17:29Sunlight goes through those crystals, which causes the light to split and refract.
17:34Like when there's a rainbow.
17:35Now, don't look at the sun halo directly.
17:38It's gonna be tempting, because it's not something you see every day.
17:41Plus, it's really beautiful.
17:43But ultraviolet light can burn the exposed tissue of your retina,
17:47and cause serious damage, so it's not worth it.
17:51Grab some sunglasses and you're good to go.
17:54This phenomenon lasts around 40 minutes.
17:57These clouds are the same ones that can cause a spooky ring around the moon at night sometimes.
18:01In June 2020, what the people were looking at was an anvil cloud, a rare storm formation in the sky.
18:10Formed when strong air currents carry water vapor upwards,
18:14the air expands and spreads out as it hits the bottom of the stratosphere.
18:18It pushes the dense cloud into the cool anvil shape you see.
18:23And sometimes it even gets to be a mushroom.
18:26Anvil clouds produce some of the most dangerous lightning of all storms.
18:31One that's called a bolt out of the blue.
18:33This lightning strike seems to magically come out of the blue sky,
18:37with the storm being many miles away.
18:40This type of bolt comes from the top of the anvil,
18:43and can be ten times more powerful than a typical lightning strike.
18:48People got so frightened after witnessing a giant cloud,
18:51that they thought something terrible must have happened.
18:54The locals had pictures of the large billow on social media,
18:58before officials could explain what was going on.
19:01Authorities managed to calm everyone's fears,
19:03by informing them it was nothing more than a natural phenomenon,
19:07and a beautiful one at that.
19:08But before dissipating, these clouds typically stay in one area,
19:13regardless of how strong the wind is.
19:16If you look off the western coast of France,
19:19you'll see the Isle of Ré.
19:21Thanks to its beautiful blue waters,
19:23clean sandy beaches, and stunning lighthouses,
19:26this place is a very popular vacation spot.
19:29But perhaps the coolest part about the Island of Ré
19:33is what you see just beyond the shore.
19:36Square waves.
19:37This strange wave pattern looks like a giant chessboard over the ocean.
19:41Many visitors to the island become captivated by these waves,
19:45and go to high-up places like nearby lighthouses,
19:48to take pictures of this natural phenomenon.
19:51They say that when looking down at these square patterns in the water,
19:55it's almost as if there's some sort of metal grid underneath it.
19:58And while these wave patterns are truly fascinating,
20:01the people who choose to enjoy them from afar are doing it right.
20:05They know to stay out of the water.
20:08To understand how these square waves come to be,
20:11it's important to know how waves occur in the first place.
20:15Generally, waves can travel many miles over the surface of the water,
20:19depending on local winds and weather.
20:22And even on days when the weather seems somewhat calm,
20:26storms located elsewhere can send in crashing waves
20:29that affect the surrounding calm waters.
20:31When waves travel onto the shores of distant lands,
20:35they're called swells.
20:36This is different from a wave that occurs from local wind.
20:40When two different swells coming from opposite directions meet,
20:44it's known as a cross sea.
20:46This is what generates these square waves you see near the Isle of Ray.
20:52While these waves are one of the reasons why people flock to this island,
20:56they can still expect to enjoy calm, relaxing waters most of the time.
21:00The cross sea only occurs during certain times of the year in specific weather.
21:06Plus, it's common knowledge around Ray
21:08to steer clear of the ocean when these square waves appear.
21:12So it's not often that you hear about anyone getting caught in them
21:16because most people know better.
21:18And since a lot of people on the island are tourists,
21:21there are plenty of signs around warning them to get out of the water during this time.
21:26However, not everyone gets the memo.
21:29There have been a handful of cases where people got caught in the cross sea.
21:33But, thankfully and luckily, they managed to get out safely.
21:39These square waves have become somewhat famous over time,
21:42given that there's really no other place in the world that boasts a cross sea like this one.
21:47In fact, no one has ever spotted square waves anywhere but the island of Ray.
21:53However, there are swells that can be found throughout the oceans in the world,
21:57and a cross sea can take place.
22:00But if the angle they approach each other at is more shallow,
22:04the wave may actually look like it's coming from the same direction, even when it's not.
22:09Not to mention, swells can slowly lose momentum as they drip further and further away.
22:14So their crest, or the top of the wave, appears more round and less jagged.
22:20The island of Ray's specific wind and weather patterns are literally the perfect storm,
22:25and create a cross sea that people can clearly recognize.
22:30It's 2009 in Italy.
22:32A man was hanging out in his kitchen.
22:35Then he saw some flickering lights.
22:37He knew just what to do.
22:39He moved his family to a safe place.
22:41A couple of seconds later, a massive earthquake hit the whole region.
22:46His family survived thanks to his quick reaction.
22:49He knew these flickering lights were actually a sign of an upcoming earthquake.
22:54People have been seeing these mysterious lights for ages.
22:57Some thought it was some kind of sign coming from space.
23:02Scientists never used to take them seriously.
23:04But after the invention of photography,
23:07more and more evidence of these strange lights appeared.
23:10Soon, they realized the connection.
23:13The lights appear, and pretty soon, the earthquake hits.
23:18After a bit of digging around,
23:20they actually found some records of these earthquake lights from hundreds of years ago.
23:25There were bluish flames coming out of the ground right before an earthquake.
23:30Oh, creepy.
23:33The Christmas Island crab is part of an amazing phenomenon once a year.
23:38Their migration period is determined by the phase of the moon
23:41and the first rainfall between October and February,
23:45although the precise date can't be predicted.
23:47Once the crabs have been prompted,
23:50they leave their homes amongst the forest
23:52and migrate in massive hordes towards the sea.
23:56Numbering in millions,
23:58a sea of red crabs is observed
24:00as they make their journey across the island,
24:02creating roadblocks and making their way to the ocean.
24:06There, they lay their eggs
24:08and then make their trek back,
24:10returning to the forest until the next year.
24:13There are bridges in the Indian state of Meglahaya
24:17that are created entirely of living tree roots.
24:20The bridges are made up of tangled, thick roots
24:23that are strong enough to hold over 50 people at a time.
24:27The Kasi and Jaintia tribes
24:30became masters in the art of growing these insane bridges.
24:34They need them to cross the streams below with ease.
24:37Some of these root bridges are over 180 years old.
24:41To make them,
24:42the members of the tribes care for the roots
24:44until they grow long enough to reach the opposite bank.
24:47It can take as long as 10 to 15 years to grow a bridge.
24:52In the process,
24:53the roots become tightly entwined with one another.
24:56This is how the bridges get so strong.
24:58And once a bridge is fully grown,
25:00it can last for over 500 years.
25:03While some roots decay,
25:05new ones are continually growing.
25:07That's why the unusual natural constructions last so long.
25:12Light pillars are colorful beams of light
25:15that either jet up from Earth towards the sky
25:18or shine down from the clouds.
25:20Usually, they only occur in cold temperatures
25:23as they form when the sunlight gets reflected
25:25off ice crystals floating in the air.
25:28The higher the crystals are in the air,
25:30the taller these bright and colorful pillars become.
25:33There are hidden caves all over the world
25:39that are filled with glowing light.
25:42This light comes from hundreds of glow worms
25:44that have made a cozy home in the caves.
25:47Some of the caves are more than 30 million years old,
25:50and most of them can be found in New Zealand and Australia.
25:53The worms themselves don't actually glow.
25:57But baby worms, called larvae,
26:00form silk strings made out of mucus.
26:03These strings form nets.
26:05It's these nets that can illuminate the entire cave.
26:08Their purpose is to attract flies
26:10and other tasty insects for the glow worms to munch on.
26:14Rainbow trees are 100% a real thing.
26:18Hailing from the Philippines and Indonesia,
26:21these colorful wonders are called rainbow eucalyptus,
26:24or rainbow gum.
26:26The rainbow hues are created by the contrasting colors
26:29of old and new bark.
26:31As the thin surface layers of bark peel away,
26:34they reveal newer ones with brighter,
26:37more eye-catching colors.
26:39The brand new bark is green.
26:41Then it changes to purple, then red,
26:44and finally brown.
26:45This is because the trees contain a substance
26:48called chlorophyll.
26:49It makes the bark green.
26:51As each strip of bark ages,
26:53it loses chlorophyll and slowly changes its color.