15 MYSTERIOUS Places Defying Science

from bioluminescent beaches with waves of light to Unique rock formations that don't look real the planet Earth is full of mysterious locations that continue to Intrigue and Fascinate scientists around the world so for today's video we're going to count down the top 15 most mysterious locations in the world starting with number 15 mosquito Bay at night an eerie ethereal light lights up mosquito Bay located on the south side of Puerto Rican islands of Ikeas bright blue Tracer lines appear in the water as small fish Dart through the Blackness but this illumination has nothing to do with Spirits or aliens mosquito Bay happens to be one of the world's brightest bioluminescent bodies of water this bioluminescence is a form of natural light created by living organisms converting internal chemical energy into light the light in this Bay is created by these tiny organisms called dinoflagellates specifically pyridinium Bahamas orb swirling fire mosquito Bay also contains an astonishing number roughly seven hundred thousand per gallon of water although they are microscopic the effective size of the light they give off is a hundred times larger than their own bodies and in great numbers they light up like an underwater Aurora Borealis trapped by a curve in the Bay's opening and fed by the surrounding mangroves the dinoflagellates find this Bay a perfect home these microscopic organisms make light upon sensing any movement in the water swirling out bright blue green plumes that eventually diffuse back into the dark Stillness of the bay their bioluminescence is thought to be a defense mechanism this light actually attracts larger fish that can ward off the small fish that feed on these dinoflagellates it also makes paddling through the bay an astonishing and surreal experience number 14 the dancing Forest between the Baltic Sea and the coronian Lagoon on the kruglia Dune of the coronian spit there's a forest where the pine trees seem to be doing the twist dozens of trees in the dancing Forest of Russia have trunks that are contorted into rings Spirals and other loops and squiggles and the reason for this mysterious malformation isn't known the trees were planted in the early 1960s to stabilize the Dune sand but the unstable sand is one explanation people posit for the trees seeming so unstable themselves locals called The Crooked wood the drunken Forest Studies have been done to try to determine the exact cause though the results are inconclusive the leading scientific theory is that Pine shoot moth caterpillars damage the pine shoots apical buds at an early stage causing them to start growing out at a weird angle from their lateral buds since plants naturally grow towards the sun they eventually corrected themselves and started growing up again but with their new deformities intact some blame strong winds others manipulation by humans but the supernatural inclined have suggested that the forest is a place where positive and negative energies clash and these forces have manipulated the shapes of the trees some say the trees willfully follow the movements of the Dune Sands one local Legend says the dancing trees twist and bend because centuries ago on that very spot the trees were made to dance in order to prove the power of the Christian God superstitions fuels many of the theories and it's also made the dancing Forest a popular source of Hope climbing through one of the Rings has been said to add a year to a person's life or earn that person a granted wish number 13. norber erratics norber erratics stand as silent Sentinels in the landscape captivating witnesses to a Time long past when ice and Earth engaged in an intricate dance these geological Marvels are large Boulders often of distinctive rock types that have been transported vast distances by glaciers during the last ice age perched emits the barren beauty of the Yorkshire Dales National Park in England norber erratics are both a testament to the power of glacial forces and a reminder of the Earth's ever-changing surface these erratic balancing acts owe their existence to the Relentless Advanced and Retreat of glaciers that once blanketed northern Europe around 20 000 years ago the immense weight of the ice sheets acted like colossal bulldozers plucking these Boulders from their place of origin and transporting them over long distances as the climate warmed and the glaciers melted the erratics were left behind as a lasting Testament to the forces that shaped the landscape these isolated Boulders some perched precariously on outcrops challenged the imagination as they defy the odds of their placements they have become a focal point for geologists nature enthusiasts and even curious Wanderers alike offering a tangible link to Earth's history norber erratics they stand as silent storytellers reminding us of the ever-changing nature of our planet and the powerful forces that have shaped it number 12 the nescoin ghost Forest rising out of the Sand and Sea water on Oregon's Tillamook coast around a hundred ancient decaying stumps stand watch dubbed the nescoin ghost Forest they are an eerily beautiful Memento of the Towering Sitka spruce trees that stood here for some two Millennia for centuries these old stumps were hidden under the sand peeking above the surf only briefly every few decades the ghost forest was little more than local Legend then in the winter of 1997 to 98 the coast was pummeled by powerful storms that eroded away the Sands and exposed these uncanny natural wonders that was buried there geologists theorized that these ancient trees carbon dated to around 2000 years ago or fell during the major earthquake that hit the cascadius abduction Zone in the year 1700 the earthquake dropped the forested land into the tidal Zone when the ocean water rushed in it likely decapitated the trees leaving only their trunks submerged in the mud which staved off Decay and preserved the forest remains for the years to come before they met that water fate though the mighty trees stood around 150 to 200 feet tall today the relics of those Giants share the beach with small tide pools and various marine life the phantom-like forest is revealed by the shallow Waters of low tide and more and more ancient stumps become exposed When the tide is at its lowest during the summer number 11 Gobekli Tepe summarizing the importance of the archaeological site at gobegli Tepe Turkish forb hill with a belly is a formidable task in 1994 German archaeologist Claus Schmidt and his team on Earth a handful of findings that continued to revolutionize the way archaeologists think about Stone Age man the site dates back about 11 500 years to the tail end of the Stone Age the predominant understanding was that during this time hunter gatherers roamed the Earth never settling living as each day came the huge Gobekli Tepe complex however brings this view into question it consists of large t-shaped pillars with animal carvings huge stone rings and vast amounts of rectangular rooms many believe to have religious importance one theories that this site wasn't used for domestic purposes but for rituals and sacrifices and the site at Gobekli Tepe is believed by some to be the oldest religious complex known to Modern Man for this reason the site is often invited breathless comparisons to the Garden of Eden or the origin of of religion which has long been associated with the Fertile Crescent and the ancient Sumerians who invented written language equally curious is the fact that before this discovery there was no evidence of hunter-gatherers ever erecting large monuments and buildings making this perhaps the world's oldest known architecture nearby the site is mount caracadog a mountain that geneticists believed to be the birthplace of many of today's cultivated grains it's theorized that Gobekli Tepe could be showing us a transition period depicting nomadic culture's first attempt to farm which would later bring about permanent settlement the one acre excavation site has raised more questions than it's answered and astoundingly enough this site's believed to extend some 22 Edition Lakers then around 8 000 BC the site was filled with soil and mysteriously abandoned number 10 Horsetail Falls Firefall Central California's Yosemite Valley is filled with countless waterfalls but many of them only flow for part of the Year Horsetail Falls is one of those seasonal waterfalls flowing over the Eastern edge of El Capitan in the winter and early spring it's got two distinct streams and drops some 1500 feet onto the Steep slabs spraying up a Mist before continuing down another 500 feet to the bottom of the mountain as beautiful as the fall is by itself for just a few days at the end of February it becomes a dazzling show known as the Firefall if the conditions are just right once the sun dips below the Horizon everything will begin to go dark and it will seem for a moment as if the Firefall has failed to ignite but as the sunlight disappears the waterfall catches the final raise which reflect off the Falls to create a spectacular short-lived effect that looks like a beautiful Cascade of liquid fire even if you're standing at the right spot at the right time of the year you may not witness a Firefall this phenomenon happens when the sky is free of cloud or Haze and their sufficient snow melt to feed the waterfall bizarrely Yosemite Park used to actually create these firefalls by pushing huge piles of coals off the edge of a cliff these were a popular tourist site from the 1880s until the 1960s when the park realized this was a fire hazard and stopped it luckily this natural phenomenon was able to pick up where the park rangers left off after famed climber and photographer Galen Rowell noticed it and took a picture of the Firefall effect on Horsetail Falls in 1973. even when it isn't catching the late February Sun Horsetail Falls is impressive it's the second highest free-falling waterfall in Yosemite Valley the highest is ribbon Falls located on the other side of El Capitan it doesn't stand out from the flat wall where it free falls down to the valley floor as well as Horsetail Falls which has an edge allowing visitors to view it from the side number nine deadly among the Towering red Dunes of Namib nokolov National Park in the central Namib Desert is an area known as sosus fly it's a strange and alien landscape the rich red Dunes that surround the area owe their Hue to age over a thousand years the sand has literally rusted sosus Malai is a wide flat salt-covered expanse with a dense and compact layer of clay in the subsoil when Dry sosus Fly is hard and arid and when wet as it gets every five to ten years when fed by the south shop River it becomes sticky and plastic the areas the river's Final Destination even in the wettest of years the water soaks into the salt clay pan giving the area its nickname place of no return altogether the blue sky red dunes and white pans make a striking Vision reminiscent of movies such as the fall the cell and Steel Dawn nearby is yet another place of no return this one's even older and much more dead than sosus fly it's known as Dead Fly or dead Marsh the LIE being Afrikaans for a type of marsh it's found among the tallest Dunes in the world some of them Reach 1300 feet high which is almost as lofty as the Empire State Building deadly was once like social Supply with a river dancing into it to nourish desert life and even trees but no longer some 900 years ago the climate dried up and the dunes cut off dead fly from the river it became too dry here for the trees to even decompose they simply scorched black in the sun monuments to their own destruction the trees now over a thousand years old form a Barren Forest the area however is not entirely without life sasola shrubs and clumps of Nara melon Stay Alive by subsisting off of morning Mists it's a 45-mile drive from the park gates to the dunes here at sosu's fly and dead fly one of the many reasons to go is to experience the sunrise or Sunset over the huge red sand dunes of the Namib Desert these Skies that are here are among the clearest on the planet number eight slope point slope point is the most southerly spot on New Zealand's South Island it's perched upon rugged Cliffs that dip into the sea cold winds tear through the air battering the land and all that grows on it the weather's so Fierce here that the whipping winds have left a patch of trees weirdly warped the Tangled trees stretch sideways rather than upwards they're bent at these weird angles their branches permanently quaffed to the side like a permanent ill-advised hairdo sheep Farmers planted the trees to give their flock Shelter From The Wild weather this cold air whirls around the Antarctic ocean uninterrupted causing the winds to gain immense strength before hurling themselves at whatever objects they encounter first the trees struggled to Bear the brunt of the windy assault causing them to bend northward on a pleasant day beams of sunlight Spotlight the gnarled knot giving an appearance of a surreal piece of art against the ominous gray skies of a dreary visit the mangled Mass seems almost Sinister it is a beautiful place to explore green pasture land stretches towards The Horizon leading to the rocky Cliffs that plunge into the water below the place is sparsely inhabited apart from the sheep that dot the landscape assigned by the road gestures towards slope Point you'll know you're there when you come across a canary yellow sign that gives the distance between your location the South Pole and the equator moving on to number seven the al-nasala rock formation this al-nusla rock formation is a great example of how nature is a serious force to be reckoned with being a giant solid Boulder that looks as though it was split down the middle with the aid of an alien's laser weapon far from a story about extraterrestrial Antics the al-nosla rock formation is actually thought to be forged from completely Earthly Origins the 20-foot High rocks sit upon two natural pedestals that make the Rocks appear as if they're almost levitating in perfect balance with one another as they don't lean into their small divide and touch it's hard to imagine that the al-nosla rock formation came about by accident but most scientific theories to explain its existence center around the natural weathering process being responsible for its perplexing formation found in the Tama Oasis in Saudi Arabia the al-nasala rock formation is a Petroglyph arguably one of the most photogenic in the world petroglyphs are images made by carving or engraving the surface of a rock depictions of Arabian horses ibexes and humans can be seen on this rock form surface exactly when the carvings were committed to the stone isn't known but the sandstone rocks are believed to date back thousands of years there are several theories surrounding this rock formation's perfect split down the middle one is that the rock sits on a fault line and that the split was first created as the ground Beneath The Rock shifted causing it to split in half at a weak point the crack created by this activity could have been something of a wind tunnel for sand Laden gusts sweeping across the landscape as grains passed through the Gap over thousands of years they may have effectively sanded down the uneven crack to create a perfectly smooth surface another theory is that freeze thaw weathering may have caused the crack when in ancient times water got into a small crack in the then connected Sandstone rock this water may have then Frozen causing it to expand and exaggerate the crack once the cool period came to an end the divisive ice would have thought and melted leaving behind a perfectly straight Gap dividing the sandstone rocks sometimes nature creates counterfeits a fish that looks like a plant a fruit that looks like a vegetable or in case of Mexico's jerave El agua a rock formation that looks like a waterfall sound unusual yeah it is in a distance this enormous rock structure looks exactly like a frozen waterfall a seeming impossibility in the hot temperatures of San Lorenzo almaradas the town closest to the Rock if you come closer to the formation however you'll realize that your eyes have played a trick on you the rocks are in fact mineral deposits on top of a Limestone Mountain on the mountains Ledges sit two freshwater pools noted for their medicinal properties and springs that are saturated with calcium carbonate and magnesium subsequently the water from the pools drips down through the cliffs depositing the minerals onto the side of the mountain now over time these deposits have accumulated in staggered columns that look an awful lot like icy cold waterfalls the name of the place literally the water boils in Spanish comes from the way the water bubbles as it travels through the spring the zapotec people who lived in the area more than two thousand years ago revered these pools and directed the spring waters to irrigate their plants the canals created by these people have petrified into this unusual Rock site in the subsequent passage of time this result which took thousands of years to create is essentially an above ground stalactite that hangs more than 50 meters from the bottom of the valley the waterfall misnomer is perpetuated by the name of the rock formations dubbed salt waterfalls or petrified waterfalls oh yeah and the Park's hours aren't the most consistent so make sure to call ahead before setting out to see these unusual Falls number five Yoon Chang Salt Lake when summer comes the glassy water of yongchang Salt Lake in China's shangshi Province turns a shocking rainbow from above the lake looks like a painter's palate with dabbles of magenta green and aquamarine across the landscape down on the surface a yearly ritual has taken place for Millennia workers slowly and painstakingly shoveled piles of salt that are left behind as the water evaporates these hunks of white crystal have helped Grant you Chang a place of cultural and political esteem and the chemical reactions catalyze and other worldly landscape that enchants locals and foam-wielding tourists alike known as China's Dead Sea for its salinity this vast lake has long been the focal point of yongchang's culture and economy Chinese historians estimate that locals have consciously harvested salt from the lake for about 6 000 years and ancient human remains found in the area suggests that people may have realized the water's salty benefit even further back by the 6th Century yongchang Lake was responsible for a quarter of China's overall salt production local lore reports wars fought over possession of the lake and nearby temples are dedicated to Salt Gods the lake is connected to that signature Tang in shanxi's food which is replete with salty soy sauce today most Travelers come to the lake not to worship the salt Gods but to Marvel at The landscape's Surreal charm as opposed to the Dead Sea which is filled with high concentrations of chloride that make it hostile to most forms of life this lake is filled with sulfate which supports a lush ecosystem in the summer algal blooms turn the water Technicolor thanks to a type of algae species that changes the color when it reacts with salt in winter when the temperature dips below 23 degrees Fahrenheit the salt forms crystals of mirabilite also known as glober's salt transforming the landscape into a twinkling winter fantasy yoonchang salt was traditionally harvested for culinary use through a five-step process that the shanxi province has officially recognized as a piece of the Region's intangible Heritage and since the 1980 however producers have abandoned that process and pivoted towards industrial harvesting locals hoped that the influx of visitors interested in marveling at the lake can also help Inspire the preservation of local salt harvesting traditions and the rich ecosystem that's given rise to an extraordinary natural beauty number four the plane of jars the plane of jars is a collection of large Stone jars interspersed throughout the shuang Huang plain in the Lao Highlands the stone structures are mostly made of sedimentary rock and ranging from three to Ten Feet in height each can weigh up to 14 tons to date these origin of these jars is unknown though archaeologists believe that they were originally used between fifteen hundred and two thousand years ago many researchers have theorized that the jars may have once served as funeral urns for food storage as local Laotian Legend would have it the jars were created by Kung Chang Ancient King of giants who lived in the highlands it's said that Chong after fighting a long and Victorious battle created the jars in order to brew huge amounts of celebratory laulau rice wine the plain of jars received relatively little Western attention until the 1930s when French archaeologist Madeline Kalani began surveying the area though previous reports of the jars had cited the existence of goods such as Carnelian beads jewelry and axes site was mostly looted by the time Kalani arrived despite this Kalani discovered a nearby cave housing human remains such as buried bones and Ash leaving her to believe that the jars were funeral urns for Chieftains Kalani excavated the artifact some of which dated between 500 BC and 800 A.D and published her findings in the megaliths of upper Laos though the plane Remains the Central site of the jars similar clusters can be connected to form a linear path all the way to Northern India the existence of similar jar clusters in other parts of Asia also led to the belief that the jars were part of a large trade route some researchers believe that the jars collected Monsoon rain water for Caravan travelers to use during the dry season Travelers would use the water and then leave behind prayer beads or offerings in jars thus explaining the previous sightings of jewelry and assorted Goods though the caretakers of the plane of jars are applying for status as a UNESCO world heritage site the area Still Remains one of the most dangerous archaeological sites in the world thousands of unexploded bomb remain from the secret War of the 1960s and some of these bombs still cause injuries to this day as such only sites one two and three and the Quarry are open to visitors while a number of organizations work to remove explosives and apply for more funding any visit you make to the jar sites takes you past numerous large bomb craters and crater clusters further adding to the area's mystique and the many varied casings of these American bombs are used to extensively decorate houses and roadsides and nearby fonsavan the provincial Capital Scrap Metal collection is one of the major economic activities here as well researchers have traced the jars back to a quarry a few miles outside of fonsivan the area was used extensively during the war by the pethet Laos the Lao Nation the Communist political movement who hid in natural and human-made caves here in the Quarry number three balls pyramid emerging from the Cerulean expanse of the Pacific Ocean like a sentinel of time balls pyramid is an extraordinary geological formation that's captivated the imagination of scientists explorers and nature enthusiasts alike rising to a height of over 1800 feet this Majestic pyramid-like structure is a testament to the Earth's complex geological history Sheltering not only intriguing geological Secrets but also harboring a remarkable Story of Survival for a species on the brink of Extinction located approximately 14 miles east of Lord Howe Island a remote Paradise in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand balls pyramid stands as a solitary icon its isolation and distinctive form has earned at a reputation of one of the most unique and visually striking geological features on our planet the pyramid is visible from various points on Lord Howe Island most notably from the vantage point of the mount goer track offering a captivating site for those fortunate enough to witness asset geologists estimate that Bull's pyramid is around 7 million years old making it a relic of ancient volcanic activity the structure emerged from the Pacific as a result of volcanic processes that occurred deep within the Earth's crust unlike traditional volcanoes with a conical shape Ball's pyramid took on its distinctive form due to the erosion of a once Mighty volcanic island over millions of years the forces of wind water and wave actions sculpted the island into the pyramid-like shape that we see today however balls pyramids Intrigue extends Beyond its geological origins in 1788 Royal Navy Lieutenant Henry ligbert ball stumbled upon this isolated Rock Spire during his explorations giving the formation its name for years the pyramid remained shrouded in mystery seemingly Barren and devoid of life that is until 2001 when a group of scientists unveiled an astonishing Revelation hidden within the harsh Contours of balls pyramid and unexpected Haven for biodiversity was discovered scientists stumbled upon a colony of the Lord Howe Island stick insect dry cochleus Australis a creature previously believed to be extinct for over seven decades the six-inch long insects nicknamed land lobsters or walking sausages were once commonplace on nearby Lord Howe Island until the introduction of black rats that led to their decimation in an astounding turn of events a population of these stick insects was found thriving beneath the inhospitable exterior of the pyramid these insects exhibited an exceptional tenacity for survival having braved the Journey of traversing 14 miles of open ocean to establish their fragile Colony it is a remarkable feat that defies conventional understandings of insect mobility and oceanic navigation number two Len swas matahane's National Park in the northeastern heart of Brazil a remarkable spectacle unfolds painting a vivid portrayal of Nature's ceaseless creativity then swamara haines's National Park emerges as a Living testament to the profound interplay between elements a captivating display of Earth's Artistry that transcends mere Geographic boundaries this expansive canvas stretches nearly 600 square miles along the coastline offering a glimpse into the intricate dance of wind water and time rather than be a predictable travel destination this place is an intricate poem etched by Nature embodying the ethos of the Untamed when the Skies open during the rainy season from January to June the park transforms into a masterpiece torrents of rain paint the landscape with The Strokes of transient streams that carve Serpentine Pathways across the sand here the very essence of the desert is reimagined and the concept of arid land is challenged by the presence of these turquoise lagoons these rain sculpted pools evoke a paradoxical Beauty like a marriage in the world of dreams they emerge amidst the dunes reflecting the heavens and embracing the sky as if drawn from the deepest desires of the Earth itself but the Park's Allure is not confined to its liquid Landscapes the Flora and Fauna that endure its shifting Sands are Testament to the resilience of life for those who listen the wind carries The Whispers of a myriad of bird species graceful arcs of Kingfishers herons and sandpipers Adorn the landscape with Elegance the Scarlet Ibis a rare and vibrant creature Paints the desert with a brush of vibrant color and borders and adventurers descend these towering slopes creating marks upon the surface like Footprints in a dream Guided by local experts off-road Journeys lead to Hidden lagoons and undulating sand formations uncovering the Tails woven into the land by time itself the play of sunrise and sunset choreographs a symphony of colors as the dunes radiate with Hues of gold rose and Amethyst Shadows dance upon this canvas casting ever-changing patterns that narrate Tales of light and time seamlessly weaving together past and present number one the great KO book sand dunes the state of Alaska is one of the most unique places in the United States and the world it's the last Bastion of true nature Untouched by man in the country it's the largest state in the United States by land area covering over 663 000 square miles and despite its vast size it's also the least densely populated state in some parts of Alaska during the summer the sun doesn't set for an extended period resulting in the phenomenon known as The Midnight Sun conversely during the winter certain areas experience the polar night where the sun doesn't rise for several weeks there are millions of other things that make the state great but there's one place in particular that stands Above the Rest for all the right reasons nestled emits the remote Wilderness in Alaska a paradoxical landscape emerges that defies expectations and ignites the Flames of curiosity the Great kobuk Sand Dunes a surreal expanse of Shifting Sands beckon Intrepid explorers to a world where contrast meld and Mysteries abound this improbable Desert Oasis tucked away in the Arctic Wilderness stands as a testament to the Earth's boundless capacity for surprise located within the kobuk Valley National Park these Dunes constitute an anomaly in a region more synonymous with ice and snow than with waves of sand situated near the Arctic Circle the juxtaposition of desolation and the expanse is awe-inspiring it's spread across an area of 25 square miles these sand dunes challenge the preconceived notions of the Alaskan landscape the origins of these Dunes Trace back thousands of years to a complex interplay of forces the Sands are not remnants of desertification but rather a result of glacial activity that shaped the landscape during the last ice age Millennia ago retreating glaciers Left Behind enormous deposits of sand which over time were molded by the Relentless Winds of the Arctic this geological history transforms the dunes into a living testimony of Earth's Transformations and the ceaseless a cycle of change that shapes our world these Sand Dunes Harbor an inherent Mystique that only deepens upon exploration the mere existence of a desert within a region known for its icy Landscapes has puzzled scientists and adventurers their location surrounded by boreal forests and rolling Tundra presents an enigma an arid expanse submits Arctic Greenery this juxtaposition Sparks questions about the delicate balance of ecosystems it's a Haven of biodiversity this seemingly Barren landscape is a refuge for diverse flora and fauna showcasing the remarkable adaptability of Life Hardy plant species like Willows and grasses establish a resilient foothold within the dunes defying the odds of survival in an environment known for scarcity I'll see you guys next time thank you to our channel members

Channel: Top Fives

Views: 913,248

Keywords: mystery, MYSTERIOUS, LOCATION, LOCATIONS, places

Id: f2BkHR5eln0

Length: 30min 18sec (1818 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 09 2023