Legends of the Sea

The ocean is a vast lonely place and we still know relatively little about it. Only a small percentage of Earth’s oceans have been explored, so the truth is we have no idea what could be lurking beneath the dark waters.

The oceans and seas are the source of many legends. From mysterious ghost ships to terrifying sea monsters, the ocean always has and always will be a place of mystery.

Krakens

The Kraken is a legendary sea monster that originated in Scandinavian folklore. Described as a giant octopus or squid a mile long, legend has it that it dwells off the coasts of Norway and Greenland.

The Kraken was known to terrorise sailors that passed through the North Atlantic, especially sailors of Nordic origin. The sea monster has featured in art work, stories, and poetry. The giant creature was first mentioned in the 13th century. It was said to be the cause of giant ocean whirlpools.

The writer, Jacob Wallenberg described the Kraken in his work My Son on the Galley:

“Gradually, Kraken ascends to the surface, and when he is at ten to twelve fathoms, the boats had better move out of his vicinity, as he will shortly thereafter burst up, like a floating island, spurting water from his dreadful nostrils and making ring waves around him, which can reach many miles. Could one doubt that this is the Leviathan of Job?”

Ningen

This mythological sea creature is said to be half human and half sea creature, and more than 60 feet long. The first sighting was in the 1960’s by a Japanese whale research ship, and there have been many sightings since then.

The creature is connected to Japanese mythology. It has also been spotted elsewhere around the world. One sighting was in Antarctica in 2006 – video footage which emerged seemed to show the Ningen creature to have human features with five fingered hands.

The Dark Zone

Scientifically known as the Aphotic zone, but commonly referred to as the dark zone or midnight zone, this is the part of the ocean that is so far below the surface that no sunlight reaches it. Not a lot is known about these depths, as not many scientists have managed to explore the areas.

As a result, the dark zone remains relatively uncharted. The deepest place in the ocean is the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific, at approximately 36,000 feet in depth.

There has always been speculation that giant sea monsters lurk in the depths of the Mariana Trench, some which could date back to the prehistoric era. This is because the ecosystems that far down would be relatively undisturbed. The reality is, no one knows for sure what is that far down in the ocean, and 99% of the ocean floor remains unexplored.