• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Scientists get unexpected deep sea visitor when inspecting gas line 3,000ft underwater

Home> Community

Published 15:10 3 May 2024 GMT+1

Scientists get unexpected deep sea visitor when inspecting gas line 3,000ft underwater

The footage was taken 3,000 feet below the ocean surface

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton

There's so much that we're yet to learn about our oceans.

The deepest and darkest part of the sea is arguably one of the most interesting parts of our waters as humans seldom make it down there.

To date, the deepest point ever reached by man is 35,858 feet below the surface of the ocean. But, as I'm sure you can imagine, this is no easy feat.

It's predicted that there are millions of different of types of marine species, many of which we'll never see. These divers were extremely lucky to encounter one for themselves, however.

Advert

In diving footage that dates back to March 2006, the divers were going down to inspect a gas line owned by Helix Energy Solutions that sits 3,000 feet down from the surface.

Everything seemed as normal until a large presence loomed into focus.

Apparently the marine animal that verged towards the divers was a whale of some kind (thought to be a sperm whale), and many might not have been aware that the ginormous mammals could dive so deep.

This isn't the deepest a whale has been known to go, however, according to the Natural History Museum, the deepest whale dive recorded so far was made by a Cuvier's beaked whale.

It's thought to have been a sperm whale that greeted the divers. (YouTube/Helix Energy Solutions)
It's thought to have been a sperm whale that greeted the divers. (YouTube/Helix Energy Solutions)

A 2014 study found that one of the eight whales that was being tracked via satellite tagging went as far as as 2,992 meters. Impressive!

Typically Curvier whales will only go as far as 2,000 meters, it further notes. Meanwhile, sperm whales have been known to regularly dive 1,000 to 2,000 meters deep - around the same depth as the gas line in question.

The clip of the Helix Energy Solutions gas line has wowed a lot of people online.

Sperm whales can dive as far as 2,000 meters. (Reinhard Dirscherl/Getty)
Sperm whales can dive as far as 2,000 meters. (Reinhard Dirscherl/Getty)

One person wrote: "Amazing how a biological creature with bone and organs can withstand the intense pressure that deep. We need to build machines with very thick metal to get that deep, and even then they are sometimes crushed like tin cans.

"Also The fact that whales can't breathe under water yet he is just cruising along the bottom 3000ft deep."

"It's crazy to think we haven't explored the deeeeeeeeeeeeep ocean. What's down there?" asked another.

A third person wrote: "Make us realize that we still have no idea from what is down there, like from the few creatures we have seen before on certain deep sea videos, I'm sure there is way more down there."

I wonder what else lurks below the water's surface...

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Helix Energy Solutions

Topics: Viral, Community, Animals, Science

Niamh Shackleton
Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

X

@niamhshackleton

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Scientists get unexpected deep sea visitor when inspecting gas line 3,000 feet underwater
  • People have ‘chills’ after scientists filming in deep-sea make ‘unsettling’ discovery
  • Scientists reveal what happens to your body if you get less than 6 hours of sleep at night
  • Discovery of underwater 'pyramid' could rewrite history as scientists claim it could predate Egyptian landmarks by thousands of years

Choose your content:

4 hours ago
6 hours ago
19 hours ago
4 days ago
  • YouTube/@zackdfilms92
    4 hours ago

    Shocking simulation shows what really happens when you pluck a hair from your skin

    It might be tempting to target the sharp point jutting from your skin, but is it really worth it?

    Community
  • Getty Stock
    6 hours ago

    How often you should actually wash your jeans in between wears

    Levi's revealed how many times you need to wear your jeans before you can wash them

    Community
  • FarmHER + RanchHER
    19 hours ago

    Mom who named all four of her daughters Mary reveals why it's not as strange as people think

    Mary Heffernan and her husband Brian reckon it's a 'strong name'

    Community
  • SWNS
    4 days ago

    Surrogate mother reveals the hardest part of carrying someone else's baby as process faces controversy

    The surrogate has carried someone else's baby on two separate occasions

    Community