Natural Phenomena That Seem Beyond Nature

Bright Side

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Transcript

00:00:00Ah, Kyiv, you've been dreaming of getting here for years.

00:00:05Getting out your trusty camera, you start taking pictures of the cathedrals, aviation

00:00:10museum, and the Dnipro river, when without warning, there's an enormous boom behind

00:00:16you.

00:00:17Turning around, you see something towering in the distance.

00:00:20It looks like a gigantic explosion.

00:00:22Uh-oh, time to leave fast!

00:00:25In June 2020, what the people of Kyiv were looking at was an anvil cloud, a rare storm

00:00:31formation in the sky.

00:00:34Forming when strong air currents carry water vapor upwards, the air expands and spreads

00:00:39out as it hits the bottom of the stratosphere.

00:00:42It pushes the dense cloud into the cool anvil shape you see, and sometimes it even gets

00:00:48to be a mushroom.

00:00:51Anvil clouds produce some of the most dangerous lightning of all storms, one that's called

00:00:56a bolt out of the blue.

00:00:58This lightning strike seems to magically come out of the blue sky with the storm being many

00:01:03miles away.

00:01:05This type of bolt comes from the top of the anvil and can be 10 times more powerful than

00:01:10a typical lightning strike.

00:01:13People got so frightened after witnessing a giant cloud just 60 miles away thinking

00:01:18something terrible must've happened.

00:01:21The locals had pictures of the large billow on social media before officials could explain

00:01:26what was going on.

00:01:28Authorities managed to calm everyone's fears by informing them it was nothing more than

00:01:33a natural phenomenon, and a beautiful one at that.

00:01:38Before dissipating, these clouds typically stay in one area regardless of how strong

00:01:43the wind is.

00:01:45Touring around the northern tip of Queensland, Australia, way away from those creepy crawlies,

00:01:50it's time to take a break and relax at the beach.

00:01:54Getting comfortable, you notice a great big shadow passes over you, then another, and

00:02:00yet another.

00:02:02Looking up, this weird weather is simply stunning.

00:02:05The clouds are called morning glory, a very rare type of cloud that almost seems to roll

00:02:11across the sky, looking like a massive tube.

00:02:15These clouds can measure up to 600 miles long, even appearing in large groups as well.

00:02:22This phenomenon is the result of an updraft pushing through the cloud, creating a rolling

00:02:28appearance, while moist cooler air at the back causes them to sink downward.

00:02:35In India, between July and September 2001, people witnessed one of the strangest weather

00:02:41phenomenon in recorded history.

00:02:44The rain was red.

00:02:46What many would've thought to be a typical rainstorm left them shocked.

00:02:51The color was bright enough to stain clothes.

00:02:53There were other colors too, such as green, yellow, brown, and even black.

00:02:59In the middle of a monsoon, red rain started to fall, and did so periodically for several

00:03:06weeks.

00:03:07Researchers have found this unusual rain is stained either by dust or algae, so don't

00:03:13try to catch any on your tongue.

00:03:16Scientists aren't entirely sure how the algae got all the way up there.

00:03:20This does make events like this a little unsettling.

00:03:24Like to take a bubble bath to relax after an exhausting day, but taking too long to

00:03:29fill the bathtub?

00:03:31Problem solved!

00:03:32Head to any coastline after a big storm and take a dip.

00:03:37Foamy tides aren't native to any one place or location.

00:03:40They can be formed anywhere in the world.

00:03:43They're most likely to happen along rocky coastlines, like the coast of San Francisco,

00:03:49Northern Ireland, or the Mooloolaba, Australia.

00:03:52Each coast has differing conditions forming the sea foams.

00:03:57If you scoop up seawater into a glass and look at it closely, you'll see it's full

00:04:02of tiny particles.

00:04:04Many things like plants, chemicals, and lots of salt and minerals create the perfect formula

00:04:09for foam.

00:04:11When powerful currents and wind mix it all together, we get something that resembles

00:04:16a cappuccino top floating on top of the water.

00:04:21When freezing temperatures hit orchards in Michigan, all kinds of unusual things happen.

00:04:26Like ghost apples.

00:04:27No, they're not going to scare you at all.

00:04:31But if you plan on sneaking away one winter to find one, be warned!

00:04:36Everything has to be perfect for this to occur, and it's going to be freezing cold.

00:04:41This is actually a rare weather phenomenon caused by having the apples freeze where they

00:04:46are with rain coating the fruit in a thin layer of ice.

00:04:51The apples then thaw and leak out like applesauce, leaving just the beautiful ice shell behind.

00:04:59The Catatumbo River in Venezuela might be the most electric place in the world, with

00:05:04nearly 300 storm days per year.

00:05:08The lightning storms are so consistent, they're predicted for 3 months in advance.

00:05:14During the wet season in October, you might see 30 lightning flashes in a single minute,

00:05:19a truly shocking experience.

00:05:22With each bolt having the energy to power a single light bulb for 6 months, the impressive

00:05:27display could power all of Venezuela forever.

00:05:32At sunset, strong winds flow around the three surrounding mountains, forming storm clouds

00:05:37over the water.

00:05:39As the water droplets of humid air collide with ice crystals from the cold air, it produces

00:05:44the static charges that cause the lightning storms nearly every night.

00:05:50If that wasn't bad enough, some storms have lightning above them as well.

00:05:55Try to take a picture of this one!

00:05:58Jellyfish lightning sprites are electrical discharges high in Earth's atmosphere.

00:06:02They're associated with powerful thunderstorms, but they have nothing to do with rain.

00:06:08These sprites occur 30 to 50 miles up in the sky, in the mesosphere.

00:06:14Artificial lights at night make it a lot harder to see this faint lightning.

00:06:19If you spot one, it'll look tiny but can be well over 30 miles wide!

00:06:26The red sprites are a type of cold plasma discharge above a thundercloud.

00:06:31They're the balance of the lightning charges between the storm clouds and the ground below.

00:06:37Don't try to find this type of donut at your favorite bakery – it won't be there!

00:06:42Snow donuts are one of the rarest meteorological sights to see, with perfect weather conditions

00:06:48needed just to create them.

00:06:51Found in any snow-covered mountain area, like the Rocky Mountains, the wind, temperature,

00:06:56snow, ice, and moisture have to all work together for us to see these phenomenal rings.

00:07:03A thin layer of wet snow on the ground.

00:07:06Under that layer, ice or powdered snow.

00:07:08Then, a strong enough breeze to roll the donut down a hill, just like a snowball.

00:07:15Once it stops rolling, it can be the size of a baseball or as large as a car tire.

00:07:21It all depends on how strong the wind is.

00:07:24A newly formed snow donut won't stay around for very long, so hurry up with that camera!

00:07:31Watching the sunset over the horizon, the beautiful purples and pink overhead are nothing

00:07:36compared to the three suns you see in front of you.

00:07:40Wow, since when did Earth get three suns?

00:07:44These phantom stars sometimes appearing besides the sun are called sun dogs.

00:07:50Maybe they're called that because they're kind of dogging the actual sun?

00:07:55Sun dogs often appear as colored areas of light at the same height above the horizon

00:08:00as the sun.

00:08:02They're mostly observed on a ring or halo, where ice crystals best reflect the light.

00:08:08There are also moon dogs that appear alongside the moon and are formed by lunar light passing

00:08:13through ice crystals, though these aren't seen nearly as much as their daytime partners.

00:08:20Taking photos in the wild, you've finally found the perfect spot to take that dream

00:08:25shot.

00:08:26The crystal-clear water, the pines, the mountains, and the flying saucer!

00:08:31Wait, a flying saucer?

00:08:33Oh, aliens are here!

00:08:37You might be thinking this if you saw a saucer-shaped cloud.

00:08:41I'm not even going to try to pronounce their name, though.

00:08:44Put that on the screen, please.

00:08:45Wait, just kidding, it's Autocumulus Lenticularis.

00:08:49Aren't you impressed?

00:08:52These are really just unusual cloud formations over mountaintops.

00:08:56When moist air flows over a mountain, a wave is created if the temperature difference is

00:09:02perfect.

00:09:03As the air passes through the wave, evaporation occurs, and a series of these clouds may form

00:09:09into an oval shape.

00:09:11Not aliens at all!

00:09:15The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

00:09:18People who've experienced these clouds say they look like they're coming down from

00:09:22the sky.

00:09:24Mammatus clouds look like giant white lumpy marshmallows, but it might be hard to toast

00:09:30these ones.

00:09:31These weird fluffy clouds can extend hundreds of miles in any direction, remaining visible

00:09:37for short periods at the bottom of anvil or other thunderstorm clouds.

00:09:42The strange bubble shapes are formed from turbulence within the storm itself, creating

00:09:48an uneven cloud base and appearing anywhere in the world.

00:09:52Mammatus clouds form when moist air sinks into dry air.

00:09:56The air must be cooler than its surroundings, cooled with ice, or be heavy with water.

00:10:03You're in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, one of the driest places on Earth.

00:10:10But this desert has a beautiful secret.

00:10:13Every 3 to 5 years, flowers pop up out of nowhere.

00:10:17It's so famous, it's also called the flowering desert.

00:10:21Seeds lie around in the ground just waiting for some rain.

00:10:24When the desert gets enough water, about 200 types of flowers sprout up.

00:10:29The yellow sands of the Atacama turn purple, white, green, and even pink!

00:10:35Another mystical phenomenon that can be seen in the desert is called a sand waterfall.

00:10:40When the wind brings a lot of sand to the edge of the canyon, it begins to fall down.

00:10:45Now amplify this effect 100 times, and you get a sand waterfall in Saudi Arabia.

00:10:51It really is like Niagara Falls, only there's not a drop of water.

00:10:55The locals say this phenomenon warns of an impending sandstorm.

00:11:00Fairy rings, also known as elf rings or pixie rings, are mysterious circles of mushrooms

00:11:06that appear in grasslands and forested areas.

00:11:09There's a lot of debate about why these fairy rings form a nearly perfect circle.

00:11:14Some superstitions claim that fairy dances would burn the ground, causing mushrooms to

00:11:19rapidly grow.

00:11:21In southern India, between July and September 2001, people witnessed one of the strangest

00:11:27weather phenomena in recorded history.

00:11:30The rain was red.

00:11:32What many would've thought to be a typical rainstorm left them shocked.

00:11:37The color was bright enough to stain clothes.

00:11:39There were other colors too, such as green, yellow, brown, and even black.

00:11:44In the middle of a monsoon, red rain started to fall, and so did periodically for several

00:11:49weeks.

00:11:50Researchers have found this unusual rain is stained either by dust or algae, so don't

00:11:56try to catch any on your tongue.

00:11:58Scientists aren't entirely sure how the algae got all the way up there.

00:12:03This does make events like this a little unsettling.

00:12:07People who live in rural central Norway, over the Hestalen Valley, can often witness floating

00:12:12lights of white, yellow, and red cross the sky.

00:12:16The lights appear both at day and night, and once back in the 80's, ahem, the 1980's,

00:12:22they were spotted 15 to 20 times in a single week.

00:12:25The Hestalen lights can last just a few seconds, but sometimes they can last more than an hour.

00:12:32The lights move, seeming to float or even sway around.

00:12:36Some scientists believe that the reason for these lights is due to ionized iron dust.

00:12:41Others say it's a combination that includes sodium, oxygen, and hydrogen.

00:12:46Many people claim they're just misidentified aircrafts.

00:12:50Norway!

00:12:51Snow doughnuts are one of the rarest meteorological sights to see, with perfect weather conditions

00:12:56needed just to create them.

00:12:58Found in any snow-covered mountain area, like the Rocky Mountains, the wind, temperature,

00:13:03snow, ice, and moisture all have to work together for us to see these phenomenal rings.

00:13:10A thin layer of wet snow on the ground.

00:13:12Under that layer, ice or powdered snow.

00:13:15Then, a strong enough breeze to roll the doughnut down a hill, just like a snowball.

00:13:21Once it stops rolling, it can be the size of a baseball or as large as a car tire.

00:13:26It all depends on how strong the wind is.

00:13:28A newly formed snow doughnut won't stay around for very long, so hurry up with that

00:13:33camera and watch your head!

00:13:36Can you believe there's another place on Earth with its own ecosystem and atmosphere,

00:13:40similar to another planet?

00:13:42Well, start believing!

00:13:44Movil Cave, located in southeastern Romania, remained closed in complete darkness for a

00:13:50whopping 5.5 million years.

00:13:52It wasn't until workers discovered the cave, when they were looking for a place to build,

00:13:57that anyone learned about it.

00:13:59Scientists carved out an opening to the cave and found that a completely sustained ecosystem

00:14:04was thriving inside.

00:14:06As a pathway was carved through the rock past numerous tunnels, scientists found a lake

00:14:11of sulfuric water that stank like rotten eggs.

00:14:15The air was filled with hydrogen sulfide and had 100 times more carbon dioxide than Earth's

00:14:20atmosphere contains.

00:14:22Needless to say, this air is completely toxic.

00:14:26What's even crazier is that a whole ecosystem has been existing in this cave, with 33 species

00:14:31that can't be found anywhere else on Earth.

00:14:34This cave gives us a glimpse of what could possibly exist on other planets with completely

00:14:40different atmospheres.

00:14:41How it managed to exist on Earth all this time without anyone knowing is rather unbelievable,

00:14:47isn't it?

00:14:48Now, check these trees out.

00:14:50They're called Indian rubber trees.

00:14:52Their strong roots grow not underground, but on the surface.

00:14:56With the help of special frames and fasteners, people have learned to control how these roots

00:15:01grow.

00:15:02Let's say a tree is next to a small pit.

00:15:04You need to make a bridge from one end of this pit to the other.

00:15:08You direct the growing tree roots in the needed direction.

00:15:12Over time, the roots penetrate the ground and strengthen under endless downpours.

00:15:17It takes about 15 years to create one bridge.

00:15:21There's another amazing tree called the Tree of Life.

00:15:24It grows in Bahrain's desert.

00:15:26The tree has been standing on top of this sandy hill for more than 400 years, surrounded

00:15:31by miles of sand.

00:15:32It's extremely hot here, and there's no moisture.

00:15:36But despite this, the tree has green leaves, and it continues to grow.

00:15:40So far, scientists haven't figured out yet how the tree gets moisture and nutrients.

00:15:45There are only places with oil deposits around.

00:15:49Locals think the tree is sacred.

00:15:51After all, it demonstrates the magic of life and the power of nature.

00:15:55Some experts are sure it's all about the roots.

00:15:58They go so deep that they can reach underground sources of water.

00:16:03So there you are, you've been driving for hours through the night.

00:16:07You didn't have any chance to sleep, so your mind is hanging by a thread.

00:16:12You stop the car and go out to stretch your limbs.

00:16:15And then you look up into the sky and see a beautiful sunrise.

00:16:19Well, wait, there are three suns in the sky.

00:16:23You rub your eyes, but nope, there are still three bright stars in the sky.

00:16:28No, our home star hasn't been torn into three pieces, nor has it been visited by two

00:16:33other stars.

00:16:35This is called a sun-dawn.

00:16:37It occurs mostly during severe frosts.

00:16:40Small ice crystals in the sky bend the light.

00:16:43As a result, you may see three bright spots in the sky instead of just one.

00:16:47This phenomenon is officially called a halo.

00:16:50Usually it's just a circle around the sun.

00:16:53You can even see a halo at night, too.

00:16:55Just look at a street lamp, and you'll see a bright circle around it.

00:16:59Sometimes, a halo can take on a fancier shape.

00:17:02If there's a lot of ice in the air, the light is warped even more.

00:17:07Just like in a room with a dozen mirrors.

00:17:09Then the halo can take on the shape of a human eye.

00:17:13Because of this phenomenon, a false dawn can also occur.

00:17:17While you're looking at the horizon, the dawn begins, and the edge of the sun appears.

00:17:22A little bit more, and… wait, the sun starts to just dissolve in the sky!

00:17:28After a few moments, it's dark again.

00:17:31And only a minute later, the real sun shows its face.

00:17:35It was the same light curvature effect you saw before with the three suns.

00:17:39Only now, the light is curved vertically, not horizontally.

00:17:43And instead of the real sun, its reflection in ice crystals in the sky appeared.

00:17:48But the sunrise with three stars on the horizon is actually real.

00:17:53Not on Earth, though, but 340 light-years away.

00:17:56There's a star system at the center of which lurks a star almost twice the size of the

00:18:02sun.

00:18:03And there are two smaller stars orbiting around this giant.

00:18:06The strange world has a planet, too.

00:18:09Sunsets and dawns there really happen with three stars.

00:18:13If you brought your significant other to a park bench to watch a sunset here, your

00:18:17date would go just fine.

00:18:20Whatever that means.

00:18:22And since we're talking about the most baffling natural phenomena, it would be a crime not

00:18:27to mention snow in a desert.

00:18:29Yep, in the winter of 2018, the inhabitants of the Sahara Desert, one of the driest and

00:18:35hottest places on this planet, woke up to discover a thick blanket of snow covering

00:18:40the sand.

00:18:41In some places, the layer of snow enveloping the dunes reached a staggering 15 inches.

00:18:47Meteorologists, however, had an explanation for this exciting phenomenon.

00:18:52They stated that cold pools of air, combined with the precipitation from the most recent

00:18:57storm resulted in a snowfall instead of rain.

00:19:01So what do you do in that case?

00:19:03Build snow camels?

00:19:05One hump or two?

00:19:08The Kwajan volcano in Indonesia is not your ordinary lava belching mountain.

00:19:13Instead of producing black smoke and red lava, as most volcanoes do, this eccentric guy lets

00:19:19out a blue flame and electric blue lava.

00:19:22This phenomenon occurs because the volcano contains some of the highest levels of sulfur

00:19:27in the world, and when the sulfuric gases interact with scorching air and get lit by

00:19:32the molten lava, they start to turn blue.

00:19:35Unfortunately, you can see this mesmerizing sight only at night, but you can smell it

00:19:40all day long.

00:19:42By the way, the world's largest acid lake is also located inside this crater.

00:19:47The Dead Sea has a high concentration of salt and minerals compared to other seas, even

00:19:52though it's technically a lake.

00:19:54Swimming is almost impossible, but people go there for the natural chemicals for the

00:19:59body.

00:20:00Floating on the surface is a great way to relax.

00:20:03This ancient body of water got its name because no macroscopic organisms can live there since

00:20:08it's 9.6 times saltier than oceans.

00:20:11Only a few bacteria and fungi can be found enjoying the salt.

00:20:15It's also Earth's lowest elevation on land at 1,400 feet below sea level.

00:20:22An underground crystal cave exists in Mexico, and it looks like some interstellar world.

00:20:29It's roughly 1,000 feet beneath the surface, with each spike measuring up to 35 feet in

00:20:33length and weighing up to 55 tons.

00:20:37These are some of the largest crystals in the world.

00:20:40Leskintar Beach is an endless strand of white sand dunes in azure water, but don't let the

00:20:46tropical vibes fool you.

00:20:48It's located in Scotland.

00:20:49That's why it mostly looks like this during May and June only.

00:20:53In December, the place gets only an average of 1 hour of sunshine per day, making it way

00:20:58more dramatic and monochrome.

00:21:01The Georgia Guidestones is a collection of giant stones in a star pattern.

00:21:06It has inscriptions in 8 languages, including Hindi, Chinese, and Swahili.

00:21:11It also has an astronomical calendar finished in 1980 and was built the last centuries.

00:21:17No one knows who built it or why.

00:21:21All the way over in sunny California is Sequoia National Park, home to the Giant Forest.

00:21:27It's been around for thousands of years.

00:21:29More than 8,000 of these colossal trees rule the land, including 10 of the largest living

00:21:35plants in the world.

00:21:36The General Sherman Sequoia is estimated to be up to 2,700 years old and is recognized

00:21:42as the world's largest known living tree by volume.

00:21:47The famous stone heads of Easter Island have been around for hundreds of years.

00:21:52No one knows exactly why they were built.

00:21:54Some scientists think that local people believed the statues would make the soil more fertile.

00:21:59Soil analysis proved the heads did their job well.

00:22:02It's the best agricultural spot on the island.

00:22:06The chemical composition of the ancient hot springs in Pamukkale, Turkey, makes the water

00:22:11pouring over the edge look magical.

00:22:14They're not only good for cleansing your body, but the mind too.

00:22:18All the way in Saudi Arabia is a rock sliced perfectly in the middle with two pieces sitting

00:22:23parallel.

00:22:24What makes al-Nasla so unique is that it wasn't artificially done, but is a result of nature's

00:22:30work over the years.

00:22:32This glacier may look like someone dropped tons of red paint in the middle of Antarctica,

00:22:37but it's actually the natural color.

00:22:40Blood falls is a result of extreme salted water mixed with iron oxide, giving out this

00:22:45eerie vibe in the middle of nowhere.

00:22:49In early May 2018, New England observed one of the scariest and most dangerous phenomena

00:22:54ever – a super long-track tornado.

00:22:57The frightening natural phenomenon started not far from Charleston, New Hampshire and

00:23:02traveled toward the town of Webster in Merrimack County.

00:23:05It took the tornado 33 minutes to cover 36 miles and become the third on the list of

00:23:11the longest-track tornadoes in New England.

00:23:14In the Philippines, you can swim in some of the most crystal-clear waters and discover

00:23:19an underwater world below you in the province of Palawan.

00:23:23The municipality of Coron has white sandy beaches with many small boats riding through

00:23:28the many amazing sceneries.

00:23:31Tristan da Cunha is a small volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic with the only neighboring

00:23:36cities of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Cape Town, South Africa.

00:23:41It takes 7 days by ship to get to this unique place.

00:23:44If you want to escape from the rest of the world, staying with the 280 locals will make

00:23:49you feel like you're away from everything.

00:23:53During the first week of January 2018, unusually cold weather in the Northeast United States

00:23:59froze the Atlantic Ocean in North Thalmouth, Massachusetts.

00:24:03What's more, the ocean was frozen so thoroughly that people were walking on the waves.

00:24:08Now that's obviously something you don't see every day.

00:24:12Red sand is what makes this beach unique and why tourists flock to Tianjin, China.

00:24:18A red-colored plant called a suede salsa dwells in the saltwater.

00:24:22The whole beach is covered in red, with only the top layer of the sea visible.

00:24:28If there ever was a thing that said, I defy gravity out loud, it's the stone of Devasco

00:24:33in Argentina.

00:24:34The huge 300-ton boulder stands precariously on the edge of a cliff and rocks a little

00:24:40bit from side to side in the wind.

00:24:43People even checked it by putting glass bottles under one of its edges.

00:24:46They exploded with another movement of the rock.

00:24:49Unfortunately today, you can't see this wonder of nature as it was a century ago.

00:24:54In 1912, the boulder suddenly dropped from its perch, which it had occupied for literally

00:25:00hundreds of years.

00:25:01The people of the nearby town of Tandil were so sad about this event that 95 years later,

00:25:07in 2007, they decided to restore the stone.

00:25:11They made a plastic replica of the rock and put it on the same spot and even in the same

00:25:16position.

00:25:17So, even today, coming by Tandil, you can see its famous balancing boulder.

00:25:22More of a symbol now, of course, because it's no longer rocking and only weighs 9 tons,

00:25:28instantly recognizable nonetheless.

00:25:31Socotra is an alien-like island off the coast of Yemen in the Indian Ocean with one of the

00:25:37most unique trees ever seen.

00:25:39It's called the Dragon Tree, and it can only be found on this amazing island.

00:25:44In 2008, it was labeled as a World Heritage Site.

00:25:49If you ever see a tight-burning column of air, don't panic, it's not the end of

00:25:53the world!

00:25:55The creepy combination of whirlwind sounds and scorching inferno means that you have

00:25:59crossed paths with a fire tornado, also known as fire twister or fire whirl.

00:26:05This dangerous phenomenon occurs mostly during wildfires.

00:26:09These fires create a big area of super-hot air just above the ground.

00:26:14When this scorching air gets mixed with the cooler air higher up, it results in a whirlwind

00:26:18that churns up burning debris and flames.

00:26:21The most powerful firenados can stretch hundreds of feet into the air.

00:26:26The House of Mystery in Gold Hill, Oregon amazes its visitors with gravity-defying effects.

00:26:33You can't stand straight there, always leaning to the side and having to hold on to something

00:26:37for balance.

00:26:38Balls roll upwards.

00:26:40There's also a broom that stands perfectly still wherever you put it, unlike virtually

00:26:45everything else in the shack.

00:26:47The local Native American tribes called this place the Forbidden Ground, even before the

00:26:52house was built there, and they avoid approaching it.

00:26:56The owners of the shack, though, decided to turn it into an attraction, and they succeeded.

00:27:01They created an atmosphere of mystery around the place, and spread the news about it in

00:27:05newspapers and later on the Internet, and voila, a perfect anomaly is made.

00:27:11In fact, it's no more than a curiosity.

00:27:14A human-made optical illusion that tricks your eyes and other senses.

00:27:19If you travel to the Philippines, Indonesia, or Papua New Guinea, you'll have a chance

00:27:23to see some of the most unusual and cheerful trees in the world.

00:27:27The trunk of the Rainbow Eucalyptus looks as if it had been painted orange, green, red,

00:27:33purple, yellow, brown, blue, you name it.

00:27:37Some trees are so bright that they seem artificial.

00:27:40The Rainbow Eucalyptus regularly sheds strips of bark, which reveals a bright green layer

00:27:45underneath.

00:27:46A bit later, this green layer gradually changes its color, and since the shedding happens

00:27:51at a different time in different places on the trunk, the tree starts to look multicolored

00:27:56and very attractive.

00:27:59Yemen is home to the oldest skyscrapers in the world and the oldest metropolis.

00:28:04The ancient city of Shabam is considered to be the Manhattan of the desert due to the

00:28:09collection of mud buildings popping out of the desert floor.

00:28:12It used to be a caravan stop during ancient times.

00:28:20Now picture this, you're watching a volcano erupt, which is a scary view by itself.

00:28:25But suddenly, you notice ominous bright flashes lighting up the sky over the volcano.

00:28:31It takes the nightmarishness of the experience to a whole new level!

00:28:36Some cause the static electricity, which occurs when dense ash particles rub together

00:28:40not very high above the ground.

00:28:43The other source of volcanic lightning is high above the surface near the stratosphere,

00:28:47where chaotically moving ice crystals set free powerful jolts.

00:28:53Salar del Uyuni feels like you're standing on top of a large mirror, but it's actually

00:28:58a salt flat of more than 4,000 square miles.

00:29:01It's located in Bolivia, South America's highest elevated country.

00:29:06This natural mirror is a remnant of prehistoric lakes that had evaporated a long time ago.

00:29:13Even though it may look flat, GPS technology proved that some of the landscape has some

00:29:18little defaults that are all less than an inch small.

00:29:21The place is so bogged that it has around 10 billion tons of salt.

00:29:26If you get there at the right time, some of the nearby lakes overflow with a small layer

00:29:31of water, which acts as the mirror of the sky.

00:29:34Many locals extract salt and lithium from there.

00:29:37Don't forget to pass by the world's first salt hotel when you visit!

00:29:41You can find a real rainbow mountain in Peru.

00:29:44Scientists still can't explain it.

00:29:46The colorful peak is hard to reach, but seeing the blue, red, green, yellow, and pink colors

00:29:51in nature is something to remember!

00:29:56What looks like frozen flying saucers is, in fact, pockets of highly flammable and combustible

00:30:01methane gas.

00:30:03Trapped underwater, it forms psychedelic landscapes and stunning patterns.

00:30:08Typical for northern lakes, such as Lake Abraham in Alberta, Canada, these bubbles appear when

00:30:13dead animals, leaves, and plants fall into the water and get consumed by bacteria.

00:30:18These bacteria later excrete methane gas.

00:30:21Wow, I can smell it from here!

00:30:25In late March 2018, Eastern Europe witnessed an event as beautiful as it was spooky.

00:30:32Skiers glided down tangerine slopes under the red-tinted sky.

00:30:36Puzzled and excited, people described this experience as walking on Mars or skiing down

00:30:42sand dunes.

00:30:43But however mysterious this phenomenon seems, it has a disappointingly simple explanation.

00:30:49The sponsor of the extraterrestrial landscape was a powerful sandstorm that had arrived

00:30:54from the Sahara Desert.

00:30:56This storm had brought along dust, sand, and pollen particles that colored the snow orange.

00:31:02It's not a one-time natural phenomenon.

00:31:04Meteorologists say that orange snow covers the lands of Eastern Europe at least once

00:31:08every 5 years.

00:31:10Meanwhile, don't eat the orange snow!

00:31:14On February 20 and 21 of 2018, people in the northeastern part of the US experienced one

00:31:20of the most extraordinary weather events of recent times, and it was… a heat wave.

00:31:25Yep, in February!

00:31:27In fact, it was the most impressive winter heat wave since official weather records started

00:31:32in the 1800s.

00:31:34For example, in Freiburg, Maine, people were taking off their coats after the temperature

00:31:38had risen to a baffling 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

00:31:42In Fitchburg, Massachusetts, confused people put on sandals when they saw the temperature

00:31:46outside – 80 degrees.

00:31:49The same was happening in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where the temperature reached 83, and in Wells,

00:31:54Maine, where the thermometer showed 77 degrees.

00:31:59Around 11,000 years ago, in present-day Turkey, with no cities or metal tools whatsoever,

00:32:05some incredibly skilled craftsmen completed Gobekli Tepe.

00:32:09How they managed to chip and lift limestone blocks three times as heavy as a T-Rex and

00:32:14what they symbolize is still unknown.

00:32:19One mind-blowing fact about Devil's Tower in Wyoming, USA, is that scientists can't

00:32:25explain how it came to existence in the first place.

00:32:28You see, it's an 867-foot rock formation with walls so steep they're basically vertical.

00:32:35This piece of stone just arose amid the rolling plains of Wyoming with nothing like it for

00:32:40miles and miles around.

00:32:42So how is it that such a flat landscape could've suddenly given birth to something so tall?

00:32:48Theories abound, but nobody has the answer yet.

00:32:52Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park is a major tourist attraction and a World Heritage

00:32:59Site with many unique animals and plants teeming around.

00:33:03It looks like an epic movie set with infinite waterfalls flowing from every direction and

00:33:08the clear lakes all around.

00:33:12In the mid-1980s, a scuba diver discovered the Yanaguni Monument off the coast of Japan.

00:33:18Scientists are positive this collection of structures is thousands of years old, but

00:33:22they still can't decide if it's natural or man-made.

00:33:26In case it proves to be an ancient city, the new mystery is what lost civilization built

00:33:31it and how did it make it to the bottom of the sea?

00:33:35The shape and formations of these rocks aren't a result of some human's work.

00:33:40They were created by intense volcanic eruptions.

00:33:43Scientists are still confused why the Giant's Causeway in Ireland is shaped in such a weird

00:33:48way.

00:33:51Back in 1812, for an unknown reason, an English farmer paid a local painter to remove tons

00:33:57of soil on a hillside and fill the contours with chalk.

00:34:01The painter ran away with the money, so the farmer had to pay a second time to get the

00:34:05Alton Barnes White Horse finished.

00:34:09Black Falls in Iceland get their name from the dark lava columns surrounding it.

00:34:14The base of the waterfall has sharp rocks.

00:34:16The entire structure was the inspiration for Icelandic architecture seen in some of their

00:34:21famous buildings.

00:34:24You can see hair ice in the forest on a humid winter night.

00:34:28Resembling cotton candy or a white hair wig, unusual ice crystals grow on rotting wood.

00:34:34Unfortunately, this beauty melts as soon as the sun comes up.

00:34:38Only recently have scientists discovered what creates hair ice.

00:34:42All this time it was, are you ready?

00:34:45Fungus.

00:34:46Yep.

00:34:47It allows the ice to form super-thin hairs and helps them to support this form throughout

00:34:51the night.

00:34:52When this particular type of fungus isn't present, instead of fragile hair, ice forms

00:34:57a crust-like structure.

00:35:01One of the most common causes of wildfires is lightning from thunderstorms.

00:35:05But have you ever heard of a wildfire that triggered a thunderstorm?

00:35:09Well, now you know!

00:35:11It happened on May 11, 2018, not far from Amarillo, Texas.

00:35:16Then the super-powerful Mallard Fire not only created a massive dense cloud high in the

00:35:21air, its heat also caused a violent thunderstorm that later dumped tons of quarter-sized hailstones

00:35:2860 miles away in Wheeler County, Texas.

00:35:33Carhenge is the weirdest landmark of Nebraska.

00:35:36Its author studied the real Stonehenge and created his own version out of old cars as

00:35:41a tribute to his father.

00:35:43Some cars stand like monoliths.

00:35:47Others are connected into arches.

00:35:51When asked why he did all this, the creator of the construction said, why not?

00:35:58Another Stonehenge lookalike was found on the bottom of Lake Michigan in 2007.

00:36:03There's a group of rocks in a circle and carvings of a mastodon.

00:36:07This beast ceased existing over 10,000 years ago, so the carving has to be older than that.

00:36:13Its location is kept secret from the public.

00:36:15Good luck finding it!

00:36:18Canada's Hudson Bay is probably the only place in the world where gravity is indeed

00:36:23lower than anywhere else on the planet.

00:36:26Even skeptics can't smirk at it because the difference has been measured with precision

00:36:30equipment.

00:36:31So does it mean that the gravity here is as low as, say, on the Moon?

00:36:36Unfortunately, or is it luckily, I'm not sure yet.

00:36:39The difference is minuscule.

00:36:41The exact value is 0.005, or 1 200th of a percent.

00:36:47You won't be able to feel it even if you try your hardest, but it's still there.

00:36:52Scientists say this anomaly exists because of the ice sheet that covered the area about

00:36:5610,000 years ago.

00:36:58It compressed the rocks so much that they still can't fully recover, shifting the

00:37:02gravitational field in Hudson Bay.

00:37:05Sometime in the future, though, the gravity will return to normal in this area as well.

00:37:11In 2010, fossilized fish were uncovered 250 miles west of the Nile River, where the Sahara

00:37:18Desert was as arid as ever.

00:37:20This chance finding led scientists to believe there could've been a sea where the Sierra

00:37:25is now.

00:37:26So they conducted a geological survey of the area, and it yielded unexpected results.

00:37:32They found evidence of something huge under the sands, and it wasn't part of any sea

00:37:37at all.

00:37:39For several months, the research continued with GPS equipment on land, and later, when

00:37:44all the ground data was collected, scientists took a look at the area from a satellite.

00:37:49The view was astounding.

00:37:51It turned out there was an enormous basin underneath the desert, with another, smaller

00:37:56one nearby.

00:37:57Along the shores of these basins, ancient human settlements had been found previously,

00:38:02and now the researchers finally had the answer as to why exactly they had chosen those spots

00:38:07to live.

00:38:09There had been a lake of impressive proportions, over 42,000 square miles of freshwater in

00:38:15total, about half the size of Lake Michigan.

00:38:19The Baltic Sea Anomaly In 2011, a diving team came down to the bottom

00:38:25of the northern part of the Baltic Sea.

00:38:27They went on a treasure hunt, but what they came upon was a pretty weird object.

00:38:32When they took photos and showed them to others, many believed it was a sunken spaceship of

00:38:38another civilization.

00:38:41Other people thought that some natural causes formed the object, but the metals inside the

00:38:46structure definitely couldn't have been formed naturally.

00:38:50Now, some scientists even believe it was something that appeared way back in the Ice Age.

00:38:55Maybe it was even a meteorite that ended up trapped under ice back then.

00:39:02A maelstrom is a whirlpool, some sort of a powerful rotational current that forms when

00:39:07two currents collide and create a circular vortex.

00:39:11Even fearless Vikings were afraid of maelstroms because those were forces so powerful that

00:39:17they could sink large ships.

00:39:19These whirlpools remain dangerous even today, but luckily, not for big modern ships that

00:39:24are large enough to withstand the power of maelstroms.

00:39:29But a cruise ship that gets into a maelstrom usually faces massive waves that can rock

00:39:34even big vessels from side to side pretty intensely.

00:39:39A maelstrom can be so strong, it can turn into some sort of an underwater black hole.

00:39:45Yep, black holes are not only present in the cold expanse of space, you can find them here

00:39:50on our home planet too, swirling in the oceans.

00:39:54They're similar to those in space since they're compacted so tightly that nothing they trap

00:39:59can escape.

00:40:02Underwater black holes often span up to 93 miles in diameter, and if you got into one

00:40:08of those, you probably wouldn't even know it.

00:40:11These black holes act like vortices, but because of their size, even professionals

00:40:16can hardly see their boundaries.

00:40:20Here's something relaxing.

00:40:22Next time you go to the beach, pay attention, and maybe you'll see an optical phenomenon

00:40:27called the green flash.

00:40:29You can see it shortly after sunset or right before sunrise.

00:40:33It occurs when the sun is almost completely below the horizon, while its rim, the upper

00:40:38one, is still visible.

00:40:42For just a second or two, that upper edge of the sun will appear green.

00:40:47It's because you're looking at the sun through thicker parts of the atmosphere as it's moving

00:40:51down in the sky.

00:40:53As it's dipping below the horizon, light refracts, or bends, in the atmosphere and gets dispersed.

00:41:02Wait for a clear day with no clouds or haze on the horizon to see this phenomenon better.

00:41:09You've been looking forward to a nice swim, only to realize that the water in the ocean

00:41:13is red?

00:41:15Better avoid going in.

00:41:17Florida is known for its red tides.

00:41:20It occurs when the concentration of specific microscopic algae is higher than normal.

00:41:27Thousands of species of algae in marine and fresh waters are mostly harmless to animals

00:41:32and humans.

00:41:33They even help us, since they're an important source of oxygen.

00:41:37But some, like the algae that makes the ocean red, can be extremely dangerous for marine

00:41:43animals like sea turtles, fish, and seabirds.

00:41:47This kind can grow out of control and produce neurotoxins harmful to humans, especially

00:41:53those who have some respiratory issues.

00:41:56Such people should avoid red tide areas, especially when winds are strong enough to

00:42:01push the algae toward the shore.

00:42:05Volcanoes can spew poisonous gas, ash, and red-hot lava.

00:42:09Those are the most obvious dangers most of us already know about.

00:42:13But submarine volcanoes can be very tricky in their own way.

00:42:17Sometimes, when they're located in shallow waters, they reveal their presence by blasting

00:42:22debris of rock and steam high above the surface.

00:42:27Since submarine volcanoes are surrounded by an unlimited supply of water, they can behave

00:42:32differently from those on land.

00:42:34When they erupt, seawater gets into active submarine vents.

00:42:40Lava can be spreading across a shallow seafloor, or sometimes even flowing into the sea from

00:42:45land volcanoes.

00:42:47When in water, it may cool down so quickly that it shatters into rubble and sand.

00:42:53So, there are large amounts of volcanic debris left there.

00:42:56You know those popular black sand beaches in Hawaii?

00:43:00That's how they formed.

00:43:03Hot lava and powerful eruptions certainly don't sound safe, but submarine volcanoes

00:43:08in deeper waters are equally dangerous, even though they're not necessarily erupting.

00:43:14They produce pockets of bubbles.

00:43:16These bubbles reduce the density of the surrounding waters, which can even sink ships.

00:43:23The worst thing is that when you look at the surface of the ocean, you can't understand

00:43:27something's wrong.

00:43:29But at the same time, tiny bubbles are there, causing ships to lose buoyancy, and with very

00:43:35little warning.

00:43:38Across sea is a rare phenomenon, beautiful to observe, but also very dangerous.

00:43:44That's when you see square waves, which are more common in shallow parts of the ocean.

00:43:49That's something you can often see in France, or on certain beaches of Tel Aviv.

00:43:54But it can also happen in many coastal areas across the world.

00:44:00A cross-sea occurs when two wave patterns travel at oblique angles.

00:44:04They form this checkerboard-like pattern.

00:44:07It mostly happens when two swells meet, or when a swell pushes waves in one direction

00:44:12while a strong wind pushes them in another.

00:44:16These square waves can be dangerous for swimmers and boaters.

00:44:20The waves produced by strong ocean currents can be pretty unpredictable and tall, sometimes

00:44:25up to almost 10 feet.

00:44:27This phenomenon is sometimes called whitewalls.

00:44:31These waves can be so powerful that they can turn over even big boats.

00:44:37If you fill a clear glass with some ocean water and take a closer look, you'll see it's

00:44:42full of very small particles.

00:44:45Seawater contains dissolved salts, fats, algae, proteins, detergents, and other bits of artificial

00:44:51and organic matter.

00:44:54If you shake that glass, you'll see tiny bubbles forming on its surface.

00:44:59That's how sea foam forms when waves and winds agitate the ocean.

00:45:04When you see thick sea foam, algal blooms might have caused it.

00:45:08When big blooms of algae fall apart in the sea, large amounts of that matter move in

00:45:12the direction of dry land.

00:45:16Most kinds of sea foam aren't dangerous to humans.

00:45:19But when blooms of algae fall apart, it can have a negative impact on both the environment

00:45:25and people.

00:45:26For example, when sea foam bubbles pop, the toxins they contain get released into the

00:45:31air and they can irritate your eyes or cause some other health issues.

00:45:38You can see a tidal bore in the areas where a river empties into a sea or an ocean.

00:45:43It's a powerful tide that goes against the current and pushes up the river.

00:45:48A tidal bore falls into a category of something called the surge, which is a sudden change

00:45:54in depth.

00:45:55A tidal bore is a positive surge, which means it pushes up a river, making it much deeper.

00:46:01A negative surge is when the river suddenly becomes very shallow.

00:46:07You won't see tidal bores everywhere.

00:46:09The river must be fairly shallow with a narrow outlet to the sea.

00:46:13The place where the sea and the river meet must be flat and wide.

00:46:17Also, the area between low and high tide must be at least 20 feet across.

00:46:24Of course, there are some exceptions, like the Amazon River, the world's largest one.

00:46:30The mouth of the Amazon is not narrow, but the river experiences tidal bores.

00:46:35That's because its mouth is shallow and has many sandbars and low-lying islands.

00:46:40The tidal bore is so strong there that the river doesn't even have a delta.

00:46:45Its sediment goes directly into the Atlantic Ocean, where fast-moving currents take it

00:46:50away.

00:46:52A tidal bore is often unpredictable and can be extremely rough.

00:46:56In many cases, it changes the color of the river from greenish or blue to brown.

00:47:02It can damage vegetation or even tear trees out of the ground.

00:47:06So, recreation sports like kayaking and river surfing can be hazardous in these areas.

00:47:13Even if you just want to take a look at a tidal bore, be careful.

00:47:17Tidal waves can sweep over lookout points and drag whatever or whoever is there into

00:47:23the churning river.

00:47:25You're hiking in the wilderness, looking for a safe spot to set up camp.

00:47:29All you can hear are leaves and branches crackling under your footsteps.

00:47:33Some squirrels are running up a tree over there.

00:47:36But suddenly, something unexpected happens.

00:47:39You notice something weird in the distance in between the trees.

00:47:42It kind of looks like a concrete structure of some kind.

00:47:46Weird.

00:47:47At this point, you're at least 20 miles deep into the woods, and there are no nearby

00:47:51towns or villages, as far as you know.

00:47:54So, you decide to go off the trail with your friends to get a closer look.

00:47:59But as you get nearer, you realize that it's leading to… nowhere.

00:48:03Hmm, what's it doing here, in the middle of literally nowhere?

00:48:08And it doesn't even lead to anything!

00:48:11You put on your Sherlock Holmes cap and investigate.

00:48:14So, maybe there used to be an old house or mansion here that collapsed over the years,

00:48:20and the only thing left is a staircase?

00:48:23But weirdly enough, after circling the bizarre structure, you realize there's no trace

00:48:29of any ruins or even foundations.

00:48:31It's like someone just sliced a staircase off their house, cake-style, and plopped it

00:48:37here, for no reason, okay?

00:48:40You and your friends aren't really into getting a whole lot closer.

00:48:44Something feels wrong.

00:48:46The longer you look at this weird structure, the more you feel a super creepy presence.

00:48:52Something tells you you should probably leave the area as fast as possible.

00:48:57As weird as this sounds, discoveries of random staircases, illogically found in the woods,

00:49:02are surprisingly common.

00:49:05Some are made of wood, others of brick or stone.

00:49:08Some look ancient, while others look like they were finished yesterday.

00:49:12The one thing they all have in common – they all lead to absolutely nowhere, and they're

00:49:17all found in super mysterious locations.

00:49:20One of the most famous ones is in Chesterfield, New Hampshire.

00:49:24A long, medieval-looking staircase, made of stones with Roman arches in the middle of

00:49:29the woods.

00:49:30It's believed to have been part of Madame Antoinette Sherry's castle.

00:49:35She was a big singer back in Paris.

00:49:37The castle dates back about a hundred years, and it was later discovered again in 1962.

00:49:43This time, there was nothing but a staircase.

00:49:47Another mysterious ancient staircase dates back to 9,000 years ago.

00:49:52It's in a forest in Italy.

00:49:54It looks like a series of stairs that lead to a tiny platform at the top.

00:49:59Now why go through all the trouble of building the thing if it leads to… nowhere?

00:50:04Some scientists think it could've been some sort of ritual tower, but your guess is as

00:50:09good as theirs.

00:50:11There's an anomaly in the Indian Ocean, known as the Indian Ocean Geoid Low, or IOGL.

00:50:19It produces the largest distorting natural gravitational force in the world.

00:50:24Heavy mineral deposits, many deep-sea trenches, and magma reservoirs disturb the magnetic

00:50:29field in this area.

00:50:31This gravity changes in different places around the planet.

00:50:35It allows researchers to look for patterns and figure out what's happening beneath

00:50:39the surface.

00:50:41Higher gravity fields usually mean denser materials below, and vice versa.

00:50:46Some scientists believe that the anomaly might be a dent in the planet's mantle that is

00:50:51working its way up to the crust.

00:50:54The Niihau Island actually rejects the fruits of today's advancements.

00:50:59There are no cars in sight since the locals get around on foot or by bicycles.

00:51:05No wonder their legs have great definition.

00:51:08They thrive without running water, internet, or shops.

00:51:12The only school on the entire island is powered by solar energy with a backup generator.

00:51:17And what's awesome is that it's the only school in the state that's powered by the

00:51:21sun.

00:51:23Being a resident of the island, the local explains some ground rules the permanent residents

00:51:27must abide by.

00:51:29If they do break these rules, they can be evicted.

00:51:34Not far from Bangkok, in northeastern Thailand, there's a 75-million-year-old rock formation.

00:51:41These rocks look like three whales swimming together.

00:51:44The beautiful design created by nature became known as Three Whales Rock.

00:51:50Millions of years ago, this area was just a desert, but the land was changing.

00:51:55Gradually, sandstone got pulled apart by the movements of tectonic plates and erosion.

00:52:00That's how these spectacular formations were created.

00:52:04If you decide to explore this system of trails around Three Whales Rock, you'll find waterfalls

00:52:10and an abundance of fauna and flora there.

00:52:14Located on Gamal and Gaiden peninsulas, these expansive pit holes were discovered in 2014.

00:52:20They seem to be still changing and evolving.

00:52:23The pits grow wider, and people find them more often.

00:52:26Of course, there's no shortage of theories about how they appeared.

00:52:31Suggestions range from meteorite impacts to the activity of other civilizations.

00:52:36But the most common explanation is that methane gas reacted to water molecules after the planet's

00:52:42permafrost started to melt.

00:52:44This resulted in bubbles of methane bursting through the ice.

00:52:47The craters could be thousands of years old, but nobody knows for sure.

00:52:53You're driving to the state of New Mexico, to the small town of Taos.

00:52:58Two percent of the locals hear a strange buzzing in the air every day.

00:53:03Some residents believe the sound is somehow connected with technologies used by guests

00:53:08from other galaxies.

00:53:11Also there is a theory that something sinister lives in the town.

00:53:15They say Taos is cursed.

00:53:17An evil spirit or a phantom punishes people for something their ancestors did in the past.

00:53:24Scientists still can't explain the nature of this sound.

00:53:27Another theory says it's caused by unusual acoustics of the location, while others think

00:53:32the buzzing is a hallucination.

00:53:34Some can hear it because everybody talks about something, and our minds create an illusion

00:53:39of the sound that doesn't really exist.

00:53:42The sound isn't the same for everyone either.

00:53:45For some, it's a low hum.

00:53:47For others, it's more of a buzzing sound.

00:53:50But this is not the only place where you can hear the strange noises.

00:53:54It's called the hum, and people worldwide claim to have heard it.

00:53:58Some dwellers of a small village in Scotland describe it as a low, thick hum.

00:54:04Well, some residents of Florida heard a similar sound too.

00:54:08It's not exactly known where this phenomenon appeared, but the first time the media started

00:54:13talking about it was in the 1970s in England.

00:54:17Also, there are written records of a mysterious buzzing dating back almost 200 years.

00:54:23According to some estimates, only about 2% of people on the planet can hear the hum.

00:54:28Perhaps their ears pick up some low frequency waves, or the reason is something else entirely.

00:54:34Maybe, just maybe, they hear humming because the person doing it doesn't know the words

00:54:40to the song.

00:54:41Yeah, that joke is also 200 years old.

00:54:45A volcano in Indonesia spews bright blue lava and produces electric blue and purple flames.

00:54:53This phenomenon occurs because the volcano has some of the highest levels of sulfur in

00:54:58the world.

00:54:59You can also know you're near it by its foul stench.

00:55:02But I digress.

00:55:05And when sulfuric gases interact with scorching hot air and get lit by the molten lava, they

00:55:10turn blue.

00:55:12You can also find the world's largest acid lake inside this crater.

00:55:16Yep, it's a real stinker.

00:55:20Underwater rivers and lakes are called brine pools for a reason.

00:55:24High salinity makes the water in them denser than the seawater around.

00:55:28That's why it sinks to the bottom, forming rivers and lakes.

00:55:32Those have waves of their own, and these waves can sometimes lap up against the shorelines.

00:55:38If you went down there in a submarine, it would easily float on the surface of a brine

00:55:42pool.

00:55:43But without a submarine, swimming in such a lake would be too risky.

00:55:47They contain too much toxic methane and hydrogen sulfide.

00:55:50Yeah, I'd pass on that too.

00:55:53But hey, be my guest!

00:55:55Cave of Crystals in Mexico is home to the world's most unique crystal formations.

00:56:01Thanks to super-rare conditions in the cave, crystals there grow to unbelievable sizes.

00:56:06The air inside is incredibly humid.

00:56:09The water contains tons of minerals that boost the growth of the milky white giants.

00:56:14Some of them are longer than telephone poles.

00:56:18Cylindrical snow doughnuts occur when a wind gust starts to roll some snow across a snowy

00:56:23area, as if making a snowball.

00:56:26If it was a real thing, it would eventually become too heavy for the wind to move.

00:56:31But a snow doughnut's center is hollowed out.

00:56:34This happens because its inner layer is too thin and is blown away when the doughnut is

00:56:39formed.

00:56:40This makes the thing lighter than a snowball.

00:56:42That's also why it rolls further.

00:56:44Unfortunately, snow doughnuts are rare because they need very precise conditions to appear.

00:56:51The Danikil Depression in Ethiopia is probably one of the most bizarre-looking places you'll

00:56:56ever see.

00:56:58It started with neon-colored hot springs, lava pools, and vast salt flats.

00:57:03But you gotta be especially careful there.

00:57:06Toxic gases are swirling over hydrothermal fields, and many pools are super-acidic.

00:57:11So don't go swimming.

00:57:14Until at least 30 minutes after lunch.

00:57:16Just kidding.

00:57:18And finally, there's nothing mysterious about 28,000 rubber ducks found in the sea in 1992.

00:57:25That's when a ship transporting bath toys got lost in the ocean while traveling from

00:57:30Hong Kong to the US.

00:57:32Some of these ducks are still floating in the ocean several decades later.

00:57:36They've been spotted in South America, Alaska, Hawaii, and even Australia.

00:57:42And they make bath time lots of fun.

00:57:44Ooh, rubber ducky!

00:57:46Ah, a purple sunset.

00:57:49You must've seen one of those at least once in your life.

00:57:52Normally, it's nothing ominous and has to do with the way light travels.

00:57:57The light that the sun produces is white.

00:57:59When it goes through a prism, you see light waves of different colors, from red and orange

00:58:04to blue, green, and indigo.

00:58:07Light normally travels in a straight line if there's no obstacle in its way.

00:58:11The shorter light waves, including blues and purples, are scattered easier when they meet

00:58:16with those obstacles, like molecules and aerosols in the atmosphere.

00:58:21Because the sun is low on the horizon at sunset and sunrise, its light has to pass through

00:58:26more molecules that scatter the violet and blue light.

00:58:29The colors that your eyes pick up, then, are yellow, orange, and red.

00:58:34But with the right conditions, you can see the gorgeous purple sky.

00:58:39Sometimes purple sky appears for much scarier reasons.

00:58:42It can be caused by hurricanes, wildfires, or dust storms.

00:58:46The concentration of vapor in the air increases, and the light scatters more than usual.

00:58:51Dust, a setting sun, and low cloud cover all contribute to this natural show, too.

00:58:57The sky turns orange and red at dusk if there's still enough light.

00:59:01Then it gives off pink hues, which mix up with the dark blue sky above.

00:59:07Do you remember what happens when you mix pink and blue?

00:59:10You get the color purple.

00:59:13Not every hurricane makes the sky turn purple, and trying to predict if it's going to happen

00:59:18is like trying to forecast a rainbow.

00:59:20Still, people reported several major hurricanes made the skies turn purple.

00:59:26Green skies might look just as spectacular as purple ones, but they actually also scream

00:59:32danger.

00:59:33They're usually there to tell you a thunderstorm, hailstorm, or tornado is somewhere nearby.

00:59:39The unique color is a result of yellow sun rays getting mixed with the blue light coming

00:59:44from storm clouds.

00:59:46So you're enjoying a nice day by the ocean with a fresh breeze in your hair, when suddenly

00:59:52you notice the water starts retreating from the beach at a huge speed.

00:59:57This is a sign for you to start running as fast and far away from the beach as you can.

01:00:02This most likely means that a tsunami is on the way.

01:00:05A quick reaction maximizes your chances of survival.

01:00:10If you notice the sea level is rising, but it doesn't seem too extreme, it could be

01:00:15another sign of an approaching tsunami.

01:00:18It happens in 40% of cases, and the incoming water is the first tsunami wave.

01:00:24The next one, way larger and more dangerous, usually follows in about 10 minutes.

01:00:30Another thing about tsunamis is that they like to arrive with some loud sounds.

01:00:34People describe them as thunder, the sound of a locomotive, a helicopter, or just a loud

01:00:39boom.

01:00:40Do you see a channel of choppy water on the beach?

01:00:43It's in your best interest to stay away from the water.

01:00:47There might be a rip current under the surface that can be extremely dangerous.

01:00:52Sometimes waves hit the shore in a weird way, which forms these rip currents.

01:00:57You might see a strange break in the waves, or an area with a different color than the

01:01:01rest of the water.

01:01:02Random bits of seaweed going in all directions is another rip current warning sign.

01:01:08If you happen to find yourself caught in a rip current, try to stay afloat, but don't

01:01:13try to go against the current.

01:01:15You'll only waste precious energy.

01:01:17Scream for help and try to float your way along the beach.

01:01:21Once you break out of the current, swim diagonally to the shore.

01:01:26The next time you spot conically shaped clouds in the sky, remember it's a good time to

01:01:31start looking for some shelter.

01:01:33If it just stays like that, a severe storm is on the way.

01:01:37But if a cloud of that shape starts spinning around, it means it's about to transform

01:01:42into a tornado.

01:01:45If you have bees nearby, they can save you from big trouble one day.

01:01:49These hard-working little guys get more active than usual when they feel like a storm is

01:01:54on the way.

01:01:55They speed up to collect more nectar before it hits them.

01:01:58And once they're done with it, they'll always come back to the hive 10-15 minutes

01:02:02before heavy rain, even when there are no obvious signs of it coming.

01:02:07Their secret is super-sensitive hairs on the back that can pick up electrostatic build-ups

01:02:12from storm clouds.

01:02:15For centuries, people have noticed that animals act weirdly a couple of days before big seismic

01:02:20events.

01:02:21Dogs can't start barking, cows halt their milk, and toads, rats, and snakes leave their

01:02:27homes.

01:02:28It looks like animals can feel smaller initial shock waves that humans don't even notice.

01:02:34Scientists have tried to find some legit explanation for it and run endless tests and experiments.

01:02:39But so far, they're still on their way to explaining this mystery.

01:02:44Can you smell ozone in the air?

01:02:46When a thunderstorm is on the way, it's the most distinct and pungent smell you can

01:02:50pick up.

01:02:51An electrical charge of lightning sets it free from higher altitudes.

01:02:56The other, more pleasant smell of rain is petrichor.

01:03:00Rainwater wakes up molecules on plants, trees, concrete, and asphalt.

01:03:04Their aroma spreads all over the place.

01:03:07You can even feel that smell in your own mouth.

01:03:10All those positive ions in the air that a lightning bolt sets free gets mixed with ozone

01:03:15and your saliva, and that's how you get that bitter metallic taste.

01:03:21When lightning is about to strike, you might hear bizarre crackling, buzzing, or vibrating

01:03:26sounds coming from metal objects nearby.

01:03:29Your palms may begin to sweat, and then you can feel your hair stand on end.

01:03:34That's a clear call for action, and that action is to run for your life.

01:03:39Negative charges are going through your body, trying to reach toward the negatively charged

01:03:43part of the storm.

01:03:45Trust me, you don't want these charges to meet.

01:03:48If you see no shelter that you can reach fast, try to make yourself smaller than the objects

01:03:53around you.

01:03:54Drop down your umbrella and stay away from wire fences, metal pipes, rails, and other

01:03:59metallic objects.

01:04:01And don't lie flat on the ground – it's likely wet, which means it's a great conductor

01:04:06of electricity.

01:04:08If you suddenly notice crevices in the asphalt next to your house, it could be a sinkhole

01:04:13warning sign.

01:04:15Inspect your house on the inside – does that door begin to jam?

01:04:19Or maybe there's a gap where the walls meet the ceiling.

01:04:22Uneven kitchen cabinets and drawers, slanted floors, stairs that begin to slope, water

01:04:28leaking after every rain, and displaced moldings are all signs that a sinkhole is about to

01:04:34open.

01:04:35To find out if it's definitely a sinkhole and how dangerous it is, you gotta consult

01:04:40with an engineering company.

01:04:42If you find a sinkhole that's already there, you gotta stay away from the sinkhole area.

01:04:47Fence or rope it off to make it less dangerous for others.

01:04:50You'll need professional help to fix it.

01:04:54Some volcanoes scream when they're about to erupt.

01:04:58Small earthquakes, which often happen before, produce a hum.

01:05:02It's mostly non-audible to human ears, but sometimes it reaches a frequency that lets

01:05:07you hear it as a strange rumbling or hissing sound coming from the ground.

01:05:12This noise is known as a harmonic tremor.

01:05:15With some volcanoes, it's the sound of magma bubbles vibrating when they're going through

01:05:19crevices in the crust of the Earth.

01:05:22But it's not always like this.

01:05:24If scientists managed to understand what exactly causes these volcanic streams, they could

01:05:29create a limited early warning system for volcanic eruptions.

01:05:34If you're out in the wild, pay attention to the water in creeks, streams, and rivers.

01:05:39If its level is quickly falling, even if it's raining, this might be a sign of a nearing

01:05:44landslide.

01:05:46And if you hear a faint rumbling noise or unusual sounds, like boulders knocking together,

01:05:52it could mean debris is on its way to you.

01:05:54It's a sign to head to safety immediately, like right now.

01:05:59Hey, ever heard of a fire rainbow?

01:06:02Yeah, me neither.

01:06:04How about a circumhorizontal arc?

01:06:07Didn't think so, but just so you know, they're one and the same thing.

01:06:11At first glance, it looks like a painting, or like a rainbow-colored splash in the sky.

01:06:17Despite the name, they have nothing in common with either fire or rain.

01:06:21This phenomenon happens on rare occasions when the sun shines through a particular type

01:06:26of ice cloud formation.

01:06:29The rainbow halos are just as unique.

01:06:31Again, a specific type of ice crystals and clouds needs to be present for the surface

01:06:37of the Earth to bend light from the sun into a perfect ring.

01:06:41The same thing can happen with moonlight.

01:06:43The only difference will be that moon halos are usually white, and sun halos can be rainbow-colored.

01:06:50When visiting regions with high altitudes, you may be one of the lucky people to stumble

01:06:55upon penitentes.

01:06:57They're basically naturally formed ice spikes.

01:07:00For them to be formed, they need a really cold and elevated environment where the air

01:07:04is dry.

01:07:06The sunlight turns ice directly into vapor, rather than melting it into water.

01:07:11And that's why these blades of snow and ice start to pop up on the surface of the Earth.

01:07:16As cute as they may be, they can end up as tall as 15 feet!

01:07:22What happens when small, individual droplets of lava meet the wind?

01:07:26Pele's hair, basically.

01:07:28Let me explain.

01:07:29The word Pele comes from an ancient Hawaiian symbol for volcanoes.

01:07:34Whenever the wind picks up little drops of lava, it stretches them into hair-like strands,

01:07:40similar to the process of glass wire creation.

01:07:43These delicate strands can stretch as far as 6 feet!

01:07:47On rare occasions, it can rain without any clouds.

01:07:51But does it really?

01:07:53Let's look at the science behind this rare phenomenon.

01:07:56It's sometimes called a sun shower, just because it looks like the rain is falling

01:08:00straight from the sun.

01:08:02Let's be clear, though.

01:08:04There is no way rain can ever come down directly from a star.

01:08:08Rain clouds are at a bit of a distance from that specific location.

01:08:12With sun rays being angled, the clouds become out of sight.

01:08:16Add a little wind to blow the rain in your direction, and ta-da!

01:08:20You get sun showers!

01:08:23Located in Bolivia is a place called Salar de Uyuni.

01:08:27It's the largest salt flat in the world.

01:08:29It's also the home of half of the world's lithium, which is a crucial component for

01:08:34making batteries.

01:08:36What else is so special about this place?

01:08:38Well, whenever the rain season comes, it turns this piece of flat land into a perfectly reflective

01:08:44mirror lake.

01:08:46What comes to your mind when you hear about the Blood Falls?

01:08:49A horror movie?

01:08:51Well, they are merely a series of waterfalls located in one of the driest regions of Antarctica.

01:08:57They emerge from an underground lake filled with a special kind of bacteria.

01:09:02These little organisms use sulfates as fuel instead of sugars, which makes them very intriguing

01:09:07for scientists.

01:09:09The water contained in this lake is so full of iron that it basically just rusts when

01:09:14it meets the air.

01:09:15Hence, the reddish color of the waterfall, which also gives it its trademark name.

01:09:20Okay, we all know the song, but it's not really made up.

01:09:25There is actually such a thing called a desert rose.

01:09:28It's not a plant, though, but a unique form of the mineral gypsum.

01:09:32It develops in dry sandy places that can occasionally flood.

01:09:36This constant switching between a wet and dry environment lets the gypsum crystals emerge

01:09:41between grains of sand, trapping them and forming a rose-like shape.

01:09:47Ever heard of the Eye of Sahara?

01:09:49Scientists are still trying to figure out how it was formed.

01:09:53You can only see it if you fly above it, but it's basically a naturally formed dome that

01:09:58dates back to approximately 100 million years ago.

01:10:02And no, I wasn't around then.

01:10:04It has a rough diameter of 25 miles and consists of a bunch of concentric rings.

01:10:10The biggest one, or the central area, measures about 19 miles in diameter.

01:10:16Astronauts were some of the first people to notice it, and it's been studied ever since.

01:10:20In fact, even to this day, when landing in Florida, they know they're almost home when

01:10:26they see the Eye of Sahara.

01:10:29One of the most beautifully colored trees in the world is located in the Philippines

01:10:33and Indonesia.

01:10:34It's called the Rainbow Eucalyptus.

01:10:37It got its name because of its bark that switches colors and peels away as the tree ages.

01:10:43The bright green bark is the youngest as it contains a substance called chlorophyll, usually

01:10:48found in leaves.

01:10:50It then switches to purple and then to the color red, and finally, it turns brown as

01:10:55it grows and loses the chlorophyll.

01:10:58Now don't be tricked into thinking that's a whole forest.

01:11:02It's one single tree.

01:11:03And no, it's not some sort of optical illusion either.

01:11:07Let me explain.

01:11:09Underneath that soil, there is a complex network of roots that connects around 47,000 tree-like

01:11:15shapes you see above the ground.

01:11:18It's called the quaking aspen.

01:11:20Some of these trees are among the oldest and largest organisms in the world.

01:11:25Now here's a good destination for all travelers.

01:11:28Or maybe not so good, after all.

01:11:30The most lightning-stricken area in the world, according to recent data released by NASA,

01:11:36is Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela.

01:11:39Out of all the days in a year, 300 of them feature thunderstorms in this location.

01:11:44What makes this area so unique, though, that storms happen so often?

01:11:48Well, it's because where cool mountain air meets the warm moist breeze and generates

01:11:54electricity over the lake.

01:11:57The Eternal Flame Falls are located in upstate New York, near the Canadian border.

01:12:02In this region, there is a tiny waterfall with a big secret – a spark about 8 inches

01:12:08tall.

01:12:09Turns out there's a natural gas seep that provides fuel to the flame behind the waterfall.

01:12:14The waterfall provides enough coverage so that it stays lit pretty much every time.

01:12:20Hikers do enjoy to relight it if they see that it's been blown out.

01:12:24This phenomenon is actually quite common, but this one gained more popularity because

01:12:29it is younger than most.

01:12:31And it looks very good in pictures, let's be honest!

01:12:34I've heard of yellow sand, white sand, and even black sand here or there.

01:12:39But I've never heard of green beaches until now.

01:12:42Apicolia, also known as Green Sand Beach, is located in Hawaii and is one of the few

01:12:48beaches in the world that features green sand.

01:12:52The unique coloring comes from olivine rock that was formed when a nearby volcano erupted.

01:12:58Actually in Hawaii, all the volcanoes are nearby.

01:13:02Move over, green sands, because some of the other beaches around the world can even glow

01:13:06at night.

01:13:08Some it's completely natural, the culprit?

01:13:10A little thing called photoplankton, or microalgae as they're sometimes called.

01:13:16They're basically little plants that contain chlorophyll and need sunlight in order to

01:13:20live and grow.

01:13:23Most photoplankton kinds are able to float in the upper part of the ocean, where the

01:13:27sunlight can still reach them beneath the water.

01:13:30When the photoplankton gets agitated by the movement of waves and currents, they emit

01:13:35which looks like some glow during the night.

01:13:38These special microorganisms are found on beaches in a lot of places around the world,

01:13:43such as the Maldives, Puerto Rico, and the Everglades.

01:13:48At the base of a mountain located just outside of Afton, Wyoming, is a little river called

01:13:53the Intermittent Spring.

01:13:55There are only 3 of this kind in the whole world, but what makes this little string of

01:14:00water so mysterious?

01:14:02Well, the fact that it starts and stops every few minutes.

01:14:06Scientists have yet to pinpoint precisely why this happens.

01:14:09They speculate that it's basically just a siphon effect that happens deep within the

01:14:13ground that causes the river to just start and stop so often.

01:14:17Should you ever be interested in checking it out, be sure to do so in the late summer,

01:14:23as that's when the intermittent spring is most active.

01:14:26Do you see the irony here?

01:14:28You can only see the spring in the summer?

01:14:30Okay, I'm done.

01:15:00Lightning, streamers, and a steady glow in the sky.

01:15:04Soon after, a strong earthquake follows.

01:15:07Scientists can't explain why those lights appear, and they don't always do either.

01:15:12Some believe that's a reaction of underground gases released into the atmosphere.

01:15:17Sure enough, an earthquake begins, but lucky you, it's not as strong as you expected.

01:15:24The ground is shaking, but you even manage to keep your balance.

01:15:27It stops as abruptly as it began, and you walk home.

01:15:31On the way home, you see a flash and hear a whip crack.

01:15:35Lightning has struck a lone tree near where you just stood.

01:15:39It's caught on fire, and there's a column of flames rising to the sky.

01:15:44Still no rain, and the pillar becomes taller and taller.

01:15:48Have you heard of such a thing as a fire tornado?

01:15:51These phenomena occur when the wind is caught in a circle close to the ground because of

01:15:56the difference in air pressure.

01:15:58Such mini-tornadoes are usually easy to notice.

01:16:01Small rubble, dust, sand, and leaves rise into the air and start flying in rapid circles.

01:16:07But then, if there's a source of fire nearby, the funnel can catch it and blow it stronger

01:16:13like bellows.

01:16:14The flames go round and round, reaching ever higher and eventually creating a swirling,

01:16:20blazing tower.

01:16:21Luckily, fire tornadoes are short-lived and don't normally cause much damage.

01:16:26But don't try to hide from the storm under that tree.

01:16:29You can find this unusual plant in Florida and in some parts of the Caribbean coast.

01:16:34Externally, it doesn't look special at all.

01:16:37A gray trunk, green leaves, and fruit similar to small apples.

01:16:41What you must remember is never to pluck these apples and never stand next to the tree,

01:16:47especially if it's raining.

01:16:49This is the Manchineel tree, which is considered the most dangerous in the world.

01:16:54Its trunk, bark, branches, and fruit contain poisonous juice.

01:16:59One drop of this corrosive acidic liquid can harm your skin…a lot.

01:17:04The tree can secrete this juice, and if you accidentally touch it, you risk burning your

01:17:09hand.

01:17:10When it rains, water droplets fall on the tree and mix with the poison.

01:17:15Water can also bounce off the bark and get on your skin.

01:17:19That's why you shouldn't stand nearby either.

01:17:22There are almost no other shrubs or mushrooms growing around.

01:17:25Animals avoid these trees, and people don't chop them and don't pluck the fruit.

01:17:30You can't make a bonfire from their branches.

01:17:33Burning wood emits poisonous smoke that can damage your eyes.

01:17:37Locals know this tree well, but tourists and travelers might accidentally get harmed.

01:17:42That's why most Manchineel trees are marked with paint or have a warning sign.

01:17:48In western Venezuela, locals living close to the Catatumbo River aren't afraid of lightning

01:17:54because they see it almost every single night.

01:17:57It starts at around 7 o'clock and doesn't stop until dawn.

01:18:01The everlasting Catatumbo lightning did once stop for a few months, from January to March

01:18:072010.

01:18:08It was probably due to drought, or maybe the charge ran out.

01:18:12In 1991, a scientist suggested that the phenomenon happens because of cold and warm air currents

01:18:18meeting in the area.

01:18:20Another theory is that the lightning could be due to the presence of uranium in the bedrock.

01:18:26Not all lightning happens inside clouds.

01:18:29There's a rare phenomenon called a dirty thunderstorm.

01:18:32The lightning happens above a volcano.

01:18:35The most famous is in Japan.

01:18:37It erupts almost every day and spits black clouds high into the air.

01:18:41So, it's super scary volcano clouds plus lightning.

01:18:47Regular lightning happens during a storm, when ice crystals bump into each other.

01:18:51In a dirty thunderstorm, bits of volcanic ash collide, create friction, and spark up

01:18:57the sky.

01:18:58In the hottest and one of the driest places on Earth, Africa's Danakil Desert, temperatures

01:19:04often rise above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

01:19:07The out-of-this-world landscape has many active volcanoes and geysers that spit out

01:19:12toxic gases like chlorine and sulfur.

01:19:15The vibrantly green, electric blue, and yellow waters are all rain and seawater warmed up

01:19:21by magma.

01:19:22One wrong step here, and you'd be gone for good.

01:19:27This happened in June 2009.

01:19:29People in certain areas in Japan left their homes after a heavy downpour, only to find

01:19:35fish, frogs, and tadpoles everywhere.

01:19:38Fields, roads, lawns, and rooftops were littered with these aquatic creatures.

01:19:43One man was shocked to see 13 carp on and around his truck.

01:19:48Apparently, he stopped to count them.

01:19:50No one knows for sure where the bizarre rain came from, but the most popular theory claims

01:19:55that a powerful water spout picked up all these creatures.

01:19:58Then, it carried them through the upper atmosphere and dropped the animals on the unsuspecting

01:20:03people below.

01:20:05And now, welcome to Abraham Lake in Canada.

01:20:08It's completely frozen.

01:20:10You step onto the transparent ice and look down at what lies beneath.

01:20:14No fish, just some mysterious frozen bubbles.

01:20:17They look like small clouds frozen in ice, or jellyfish who forgot to pack a winter jacket.

01:20:23There are thousands of these little bubbles, made up of methane.

01:20:27But don't try to dig a hole in the ice to touch it.

01:20:30Methane is highly flammable.

01:20:32It's created by methane-producing bacteria that eats leaves, grass, insects, or any other

01:20:38organic stuff that gets into the lake.

01:20:40When the methane touches the frozen water, it turns into tens of thousands of frozen

01:20:45little balls.

01:20:46When the ice melts, they burst open and sizzle.

01:20:50Similar lakes can be found near some shores of the Arctic Ocean.

01:20:53There, the size of the bubbles can reach several times the size of hot air balloons.

01:20:58Beautiful for sure, but not exactly safe.

01:21:02The next shocking lake is in Indonesia, the island of Java.

01:21:06You come to a majestic volcano, overgrown with grass and trees.

01:21:11The volcano seems to be asleep, but smoke is pouring out of it.

01:21:16You climb to the summit.

01:21:17Exhausted, tired, sweaty, you're ready to cool off.

01:21:21Nice work, you made it to the top.

01:21:23You look into the mouth of the volcano.

01:21:26No boiling lava, just a beautiful, bright, turquoise lake down there.

01:21:31It looks like an oasis.

01:21:32Perfect time for a refreshing dip.

01:21:35You run down and get ready to jump in.

01:21:37But that's not water, that's acid!

01:21:40Sulfurous gases get into the lake from under the volcano.

01:21:44The lake itself is full of metals.

01:21:46When the gases touch them, they form that beautiful turquoise water.

01:21:50I mean, acid.

01:21:52Better head back to the nearest village, rest, and come back at night when it's cooler.

01:21:56In the dark, the lake seems to glow.

01:21:59Right above it, you see light-filled, exploding little clouds.

01:22:03The sulfurous gases rise out of the lake, combine with the air, and flash bright blue.

01:22:09Still, don't get too close.

01:22:12The sea turns sinister red, and no living being can survive in it.

01:22:17Must be some dark magic.

01:22:19In fact, it's tiny algae that spread uncontrollably,

01:22:23giving the water this specific tint called the red tide.

01:22:26They have toxins that destroy sea mammals, birds, and turtles,

01:22:30as well as creatures that feed on them.

01:22:33For humans, contact with it ends in breathing problems or seafood poisoning.

01:22:39Sometimes even huge ships sink in the open seas for no visible reason.

01:22:44That reason is often the pockets of bubbles

01:22:46that underwater volcanoes produce even while they're sleeping.

01:22:50Those productive magma factories are hidden under 8,500 feet of water.

01:22:54When they wake up, they act just like land volcanoes,

01:22:58and they can cause destructive tsunamis.

01:23:01This tree looks like a bottle.

01:23:03No wonder it's called the bottle tree.

01:23:05It grows in Namibia and attracts many tourists.

01:23:09But don't get too close to the tree because it's one of the most dangerous on Earth.

01:23:14Milky juice flows inside the trunk.

01:23:16It's highly toxic to the human body.

01:23:19On the bright side, though, the trees have beautiful pink-white leaves with a red core.

01:23:24There's a tree growing in Western Australia that was once used as a prison.

01:23:29A cell for criminals existed inside the Boab prison tree for a long time.

01:23:33People were usually kept there temporarily just for one night.

01:23:37After that, they were taken to their final destination.

01:23:40The prison was built more than 1,500 years ago

01:23:44and has been perfectly preserved to this day.

01:23:47Tourists visiting this place can sneak a peek inside.

01:23:50You're taking a stroll on a warm summer afternoon.

01:23:54The grass is green, the sun is in the sky,

01:23:56and suddenly, you feel yourself sinking.

01:23:59You begin to panic, but then immediately you bounce back up.

01:24:03You test your footing and jump slightly.

01:24:05The grass bounces with you like a trampoline.

01:24:08This phenomenon is caused by soil liquefaction.

01:24:11Excess water from heavy rain or floods becomes trapped in the soil,

01:24:15causing it to be waterlogged.

01:24:18This makes the ground temporarily act like a giant water bed.

01:24:22While it may be tempting to run and bounce on the springy grass,

01:24:26it's best to tread carefully.

01:24:27The grass could potentially break open,

01:24:29and if someone fell through,

01:24:31it would be incredibly tricky for them to get back out again.

01:24:35An erupting volcano is already a pretty terrifying sight.

01:24:39With clouds of dark smoke and flowing molten hot lava,

01:24:42what's even more terrifying is that they can produce lightning.

01:24:46Volcanic lightning is pretty hard to study,

01:24:48so scientists don't know exactly what causes it.

01:24:51A common theory is that during an eruption,

01:24:53the ash picks up so much friction

01:24:55that it creates a buildup of static electricity.

01:24:57This static electricity then triggers the volcanic lightning.

01:25:02A fire whirl or fire tornado is exactly what it sounds like.

01:25:06They occur when ground winds pick up flames

01:25:08and escalate the embers into a whirling force.

01:25:11These spinning columns of fire can reach up to 1,000 feet tall.

01:25:14But luckily, they only last for a couple of minutes.

01:25:18Fire tornadoes are pretty rare,

01:25:19but they can be extremely dangerous.

01:25:22In Tokyo in 1923,

01:25:24a large city-wide fire produced a gigantic fire tornado.

01:25:27The tornado lasted 15 minutes and devastated the city,

01:25:31causing significant damage and leaving 38,000 people injured.

01:25:37On a cold and cloudless winter night,

01:25:39you might have been lucky enough to witness

01:25:40colorful beams of blue and orange light

01:25:43reaching up towards the sky.

01:25:44These are called light pillars.

01:25:46They occur when light is reflected from tiny ice crystals

01:25:49that float about in the atmosphere.

01:25:51These pillars are more common in cold,

01:25:53northern countries like Canada or Russia.

01:25:57We've all seen the colorful rainbow arches

01:25:59that the sun produces.

01:26:00It's much rarer to see a rainbow light up in the sky

01:26:03produced by the moon.

01:26:05This is called a moonbow.

01:26:06It's bright and colorful like a rainbow

01:26:08and occurs when moonlight reflects off

01:26:10water droplets in the sky.

01:26:12Moonbows are incredibly rare

01:26:14and can only occur in specific conditions.

01:26:16The moon must be very low,

01:26:18the sky has to be dark,

01:26:19and rain must fall directly opposite from the moon

01:26:22to create this lunar rainbow.

01:26:25If you're taking a moonlit stroll along the beach at night,

01:26:29you might come across the strange phenomena

01:26:31of a bioluminescent beach.

01:26:33This occurs when a microorganism in the water called plankton

01:26:36are agitated by the movement of the waves

01:26:38and give off a bright blue color.

01:26:40These microorganisms tend to live in warmer waters,

01:26:43so you can find these luminescent beaches

01:26:45in places like the Maldives, Puerto Rico,

01:26:48and even Florida.

01:26:50In Antarctica, you'll find the famous Blood Falls.

01:26:53Blood-red colored water pours out of the Taylor Glacier

01:26:56from an underground lake.

01:26:58Scientists originally believed that the striking color

01:27:00was caused by a microorganism

01:27:02similar to the luminescent beach's glowing plankton.

01:27:05But after further studies,

01:27:07it was discovered that the water

01:27:08has abnormally high levels of iron that oxidize

01:27:11and turn to rust the second they hit fresh air.

01:27:15In colder climates where lakes are frozen all year round,

01:27:19if you look pretty closely beneath the icy waters,

01:27:21you'll notice frozen bubbles trapped in the ice.

01:27:24These are small pockets of methane gas.

01:27:26Bacteria in the water feast on other organisms

01:27:29and digest them to produce methane.

01:27:31The methane turns into floating bubbles in the frozen water,

01:27:34trapped beneath layers of ice.

01:27:37Asperatus clouds are one of the rarest events in nature.

01:27:40This cloud formation consists of incredibly dark

01:27:43and storm-like waves of clouds.

01:27:45Although these clouds appear ominous

01:27:47and look like they carry a heavy storm,

01:27:49they usually dissipate without ever affecting the weather.

01:27:52These clouds most commonly appear

01:27:54in the Great Plains of the United States,

01:27:56but they haven't been observed since 2009.

01:28:00Despite being a famously harsh climate,

01:28:02the desert can produce some beautiful things,

01:28:04like desert roses.

01:28:06These are intricate rose-like formations of crystal clusters.

01:28:10The intense switch between dry and wet conditions

01:28:13forms the crystals and traps grains of sand within them

01:28:16to give them their signature color.

01:28:19From afar, you could easily mistake a water spout

01:28:22as a large tornado traveling over a body of water.

01:28:25In reality, water spouts are a type of funnel-shaped cloud.

01:28:29They are rotating columns of cloud-filled wind,

01:28:32which often take on a darker color.

01:28:34Water spouts are much weaker and smaller than tornadoes,

01:28:37and they aren't strong enough to suck anything into them.

01:28:39This phenomenon typically occurs in tropical climates,

01:28:42and they usually dissipate before reaching land.

01:28:46Lenticular clouds are flat clouds that lay on top of the other,

01:28:50looking like stacks of pancakes in the sky.

01:28:53They typically form in high altitudes

01:28:55where geographic features like mountains

01:28:56or tall buildings interrupt the airflow.

01:28:59Because of their unique shape,

01:29:00lenticular clouds have been suggested

01:29:02as an explanation for some UFO sightings.

01:29:05As our climate changes, new natural phenomena develop.

01:29:09One of these is exploding permafrost.

01:29:11The increasing temperature in Arctic zones

01:29:13is causing the permafrost to melt.

01:29:15Just like in frozen lakes,

01:29:17bubbles of methane gas are trapped in the permafrost.

01:29:20As the permafrost begins to melt, the gas is released.

01:29:24This results in large explosions in the ground,

01:29:26which leave behind massive holes.

01:29:28The first case of this was reported in 2013,

01:29:31and several more have been reported since.

01:29:34When you think of icebergs,

01:29:36you usually think of a large chunk of pristine white ice.

01:29:39But in Antarctica, you find icebergs striped

01:29:42with colors of green, blue, yellow, and more.

01:29:44The different colors are caused

01:29:46due to the ice forming in special conditions.

01:29:48Green typically appears when water that is rich in algae freezes.

01:29:52Blue stripes are more often freshly frozen water.

01:29:55Other colors are typically caused by sediments of debris

01:29:58picked up by the water as it freezes.

01:30:00Nacreous clouds are some of the rarest clouds on the planet.

01:30:04They typically occur at high altitudes

01:30:06and are only visible within two hours after sunset.

01:30:08The clouds appear beautiful

01:30:10as they display light waves of various colors.

01:30:12But don't be fooled.

01:30:14These clouds are actually a pretty dangerous sight.

01:30:17Nacreous clouds are incredibly destructive to our atmosphere.

01:30:20Their presence encourages the chemical reaction

01:30:23that breaks down our ozone layer.

01:30:24The ozone layer is an essential shield

01:30:26protecting us from the cold.

01:30:28The last place you might expect to find a natural fire

01:30:31is in the middle of a waterfall.

01:30:33But it's more common than you think.

01:30:35In upstate New York, in the middle of a small running waterfall

01:30:38is an eternal flame around eight inches tall.

01:30:41Beneath the waterfall is a natural gas seep,

01:30:44a low pressure of gas that escapes from underground

01:30:46into the Earth's atmosphere.

01:30:48The small fire is a natural gas leak

01:30:50that can be seen in the middle of the waterfall.

01:30:52It's a natural gas leak that can be seen

01:30:55from underground into the Earth's atmosphere.

01:30:57The small fire is sheltered enough

01:30:59by rocks from the waterfall's spray to stay lit permanently.

01:31:04Typically, green sand isn't what you'd imagine

01:31:06when you think of tropical beaches.

01:31:08But in Hawaii and other volcanic islands around the globe,

01:31:11you'll find beaches covered with dark green sand.

01:31:14This remarkable color is due to the erosion of olivine,

01:31:18a type of rock formed by nearby volcanic eruptions.

01:31:21Over the years, the rock slowly withers into sand

01:31:24and washes onto the shore,

01:31:25resulting in these strange colored beaches.

01:31:29Penitentes are fields of ice spikes

01:31:32formed in high altitudes.

01:31:33These occur when sunlight beams directly onto ice,

01:31:36turning it into water vapor rather than melting them.

01:31:39The sun beams vaporize small dimples in the snow's surface,

01:31:43resulting in sharp crystal-like formations.

01:31:46The spike can grow as tall as 15 feet.

01:31:49Mammatus clouds are some of the most unusual

01:31:52and distinctive formations of clouds.

01:31:54The clouds can extend over hundreds of miles

01:31:56and appear like the sky has been blanketed with cotton balls.

01:32:00The clouds themselves are harmless,

01:32:01but they often signify that a dangerous storm is nearby.

01:32:05So if you see them, head inside.

01:32:08A green flash sunset is a rare phenomenon

01:32:11that occurs briefly at sunset or sunrise,

01:32:14when the sun is almost entirely out of the sky.

01:32:17In the right conditions,

01:32:18onlookers can witness a distinct green flash,

01:32:21making the sun appear bright green.

01:32:23This is caused by sunlight reflecting off the Earth's atmosphere,

01:32:26causing the light to refract into different colors.

01:32:29The sun appears green, but really,

01:32:31it's just an optical illusion.

01:32:3550 ships and 20 airplanes have gone missing.

01:32:39Many people have disappeared,

01:32:40and mysterious forces might have...

01:32:42Oh wait, the wrong script.

01:32:44This Bermuda Triangle is located in Transylvania.

01:32:48My bad.

01:32:49So, once upon a time in the heart of Transylvania,

01:32:52there was a mysterious place that people named

01:32:54the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania.

01:32:57Look at these twisted trees and their tangled undergrowth.

01:33:00It seems like some evil creature

01:33:02may appear from behind a tree at any moment.

01:33:05There might even be ghosts and mysterious creatures

01:33:08that came from space, as stories said.

01:33:11The forest became so popular in the 1960s

01:33:14when a man was chilling there on a warm August afternoon

01:33:16with his girlfriend and a couple of friends.

01:33:19Suddenly, his girlfriend pointed at something unusual in the sky.

01:33:23A man came closer to the spot where she was standing and,

01:33:26to his surprise, saw it too.

01:33:29It was a weird silver disc shining in the sky.

01:33:33He quickly pulled out his camera and took four photos

01:33:35before the creepy object bolted away.

01:33:38The object was there for a mere two minutes,

01:33:40but the man developed his film

01:33:42and the picture ended up being published in local papers.

01:33:46Many people were skeptical about this.

01:33:48They claimed that those were most likely some weather balloons

01:33:51that looked like a spaceship

01:33:53because they were photographed in odd lighting.

01:33:55But no weather balloons, blimps, or any other objects

01:33:59were in the sky above the forest on that day.

01:34:01Spooky, huh?

01:34:03That's not the only campfire legend from that area.

01:34:06Stories say that those who ventured too deep

01:34:09into the murky depths of this creepy place

01:34:11often did not return,

01:34:13which is how it got its nickname in the first place.

01:34:16There was a shepherd who entered the forest together

01:34:19with his 200 sheep.

01:34:20They were never found again.

01:34:22People have also been whispering stories

01:34:24about a five-year-old girl who disappeared one day.

01:34:27She re-emerged one day, five years later,

01:34:31wearing the same clothes as the day she went missing.

01:34:34Plus, she hadn't aged a day.

01:34:37There are people who entered the forest

01:34:39and did manage to return,

01:34:40but with severe burns, high fever,

01:34:43and some other health issues they didn't have before.

01:34:46Some were sure that happened

01:34:47because the subsoil had lots of natural uranium

01:34:50with a high level of radioactivity.

01:34:53And according to others,

01:34:54it's not unusual that you come to this forest

01:34:57and feel like someone's watching you

01:34:59or your electronic devices just switch off.

01:35:02And now, here's something that's not a legend.

01:35:05The forest has a rich history.

01:35:08Some sources say it was home

01:35:10to the oldest settlement in Romania.

01:35:12Dating all the way back to 6,500 BCE,

01:35:17trees themselves are pretty mysterious.

01:35:19They grow in creepy spirals

01:35:21or have some unexpected zigzag patterns.

01:35:24Even though some scientists have come there

01:35:26to explore this phenomenon,

01:35:28they couldn't find the answer to why they're like this.

01:35:31It seems as if trees are twisting their limbs

01:35:34so they can reach out and grab you when you're not looking.

01:35:37And that's what's interesting.

01:35:38Each of these twisted trees spirals in a clockwise direction.

01:35:43But legends say lots of inexplicable things

01:35:45have happened in a specific part of the forest

01:35:48where you can't find trees

01:35:49or any other types of vegetation.

01:35:52It's a perfect circle called the clearing.

01:35:55The perfect name for a horror movie

01:35:57inspired by all these stories.

01:36:00The soil in this area with no vegetation

01:36:02has been tested

01:36:04and no one has found any weird stuff

01:36:06or anomalies that could potentially stop plants

01:36:08from growing there.

01:36:09Some locals believe the forest has positive energy,

01:36:13which is why it's good to make a wish there.

01:36:15But many more people let their imagination run wild,

01:36:18telling stories about paranormal activities happening there,

01:36:22like mysterious spheres popping out

01:36:23in the middle of the forest

01:36:25or extraterrestrial lights.

01:36:28Either way, you and your castle can step aside, Dracula,

01:36:31because you're not the only scary story from Transylvania.

01:36:35Here's another reason you won't be able to sleep well tonight.

01:36:38The Isla de las Munecas,

01:36:40or the Island of the Dolls.

01:36:42In the middle of the eerie and murky waters

01:36:45of canals near Mexico City,

01:36:47there's a small island.

01:36:48It may look charming at first,

01:36:50until you realize it's home to hundreds of dolls

01:36:53hanging from the trees

01:36:55and scattered throughout the overgrown vegetation.

01:36:58These dolls are old and decaying.

01:37:00They've lost their color over time

01:37:02and their once cheerful faces

01:37:04are now twisted into expressions of despair and horror.

01:37:09There is a sad story behind this disturbing place.

01:37:12It says the island used to be home to a reclusive man

01:37:16who left his family more than 50 years ago

01:37:18to live alone on the island.

01:37:21He started obsessively collecting dolls

01:37:23that were lost in the canal.

01:37:25The story says he even traded products

01:37:28he grew to locals to get more dolls.

01:37:31The man didn't clean these dolls

01:37:32nor show any interest in fixing them.

01:37:35He would just decorate his island with them

01:37:37regardless of the state in which he found them.

01:37:40Even those that looked good ended up ruined

01:37:43due to winds and rain.

01:37:44They weren't just outside.

01:37:46His cabin was full of these scary dolls too.

01:37:50Many people were terrified of this place

01:37:52claiming it was cursed

01:37:54but others believed the dolls safeguarded the island.

01:37:57Moving to the suburbs of North London

01:37:59where you can find the mysterious Highgate Cemetery.

01:38:03It's definitely not a typical resting place

01:38:06for the dearly departed.

01:38:07This cemetery has so many peculiar graves

01:38:10including those of Karl Marx and Douglas Adams

01:38:13but that's not what draws visitors to its gates.

01:38:16People come there because of the legends

01:38:18claiming that this place is haunted

01:38:20by all sorts of spooky creatures

01:38:23including vampires.

01:38:24Yup, stories about shadowy figures

01:38:27hovering over graves with glowing red eyes

01:38:29and sharp fangs never get boring.

01:38:32But this place wasn't always this creepy.

01:38:35It was established in the middle of the 19th century

01:38:38once neglected and overgrown

01:38:39with crumbling monuments and vegetation

01:38:41that seemed to swallow up graves.

01:38:44But these legends became popular

01:38:46along with the place itself in the 1970s

01:38:49after the cemetery had appeared in several horror movies.

01:38:52Some visitors there

01:38:53are even self-proclaimed vampire hunters.

01:38:57There's this peaceful and charming village

01:38:59called Pluckley

01:39:00just a short drive away from London.

01:39:02At least that's what it seems at first sight.

01:39:05People whisper Pluckley could be

01:39:07the most haunted village in England.

01:39:09As you go through its winding streets

01:39:11you'll come across many spots

01:39:13legends say are haunted.

01:39:16Many of them are connected to the Daring family

01:39:18which held the title of Lords of the Manor

01:39:21for over four centuries.

01:39:23What gives the sense of old times

01:39:25is the round-topped windows on many buildings.

01:39:28Legend has it, hundreds of years ago

01:39:30Lord Daring escaped when his enemies captured him.

01:39:34He jumped through one of these windows headfirst.

01:39:37In commemoration of this pretty daring act

01:39:39every window in the manor house and the village

01:39:42was made in the same style.

01:39:44Even though the manor house burned down in 1951

01:39:47the legacy of Lord Daring's escape

01:39:50lives on in the charming village of Pluckley.

01:39:53Some say Pluckley is surrounded by the so-called

01:39:56Screaming Wood.

01:39:57There are many legends about paranormal events

01:39:59that have occurred there.

01:40:01There are nice walking trails in this wood

01:40:03but to be honest

01:40:04I'd only be brave enough to hit them during the day.

01:40:07And how about the Crooked Forest?

01:40:09It's in Poland and it consists of 400 pine trees

01:40:13whose trunks take a sharp 90 degree turn

01:40:16and then become weirdly curved like the letter J.

01:40:20Someone planted them in the early 1930s

01:40:23but it's still not completely clear

01:40:24how all these trees got the same curve.

01:40:27One scientist said this looked like a typical response

01:40:30to gravity.

01:40:31Plants have a special mechanism

01:40:33that allows them to reorient themselves

01:40:35when the stem is horizontal to gravity.

01:40:38So these trees may have been grown this way

01:40:40for making boats or furniture.

01:40:43Of course, human imagination goes way beyond science

01:40:46so many tried to explain the existence of these trees

01:40:49with stories of spirits that possess these trees

01:40:52or mysterious creatures from space

01:40:54that made them this way.

01:40:56Okay, I'm on.

01:40:57Let me just grab my popcorn.

01:41:01Feels like you're standing on top of a large mirror

01:41:03but it's actually a salt flat of more than 4,000 square miles.

01:41:07It's located in Bolivia,

01:41:09South America's highest elevated country.

01:41:11This natural mirror is a remnant of prehistoric lakes

01:41:14that had evaporated a long time ago.

01:41:17Even though it may look flat,

01:41:18GPS technology proved that some of the landscape

01:41:21has some little defaults

01:41:23that are all less than an inch small.

01:41:25The place is so bogged

01:41:27that it has around 10 billion tons of salt.

01:41:29If you get there at the right time,

01:41:31some of the nearby lakes overflow

01:41:33with a small layer of water,

01:41:35which acts as the mirror of the sky.

01:41:37Many locals extract salt and lithium from here.

01:41:39Don't forget to pass by the world's first salt hotel

01:41:43when you visit.

01:41:45You can find a real rainbow mountain in Peru.

01:41:48Scientists still can't explain it.

01:41:50The colorful peak is hard to reach,

01:41:52but seeing the blue, red, green, yellow,

01:41:54and pink colors in nature is something to remember.

01:42:00Baratara Gorge Waterfall

01:42:02has three natural bridges for anyone to walk across,

01:42:05take awesome pictures, and even have picnics.

01:42:07The waterfall is a result of limestone erosion

01:42:10that's been going on for millions of years,

01:42:12even though it looks like someone

01:42:14punched a hole right in the middle.

01:42:16It's located in the village of Tanurin,

01:42:18which is just two hours away from the capital, Beirut.

01:42:24The Dead Sea has a high concentration of salt and minerals

01:42:27compared to other seas,

01:42:28even though it's technically a lake.

01:42:31Swimming is almost impossible,

01:42:32but people go there for the natural chemicals for the body.

01:42:36Floating on the surface is a great way to relax.

01:42:38This ancient body of water got its name

01:42:41because no macroscopic organisms can live there

01:42:44since it's 9.6 times saltier than oceans.

01:42:47Only a few bacteria and fungi can be found enjoying the salt.

01:42:51It's also Earth's lowest elevation on land

01:42:54at 1,400 feet below sea level.

01:42:57All the way in Saudi Arabia is a rock

01:43:01sliced perfectly in the middle

01:43:02with two pieces sitting parallel.

01:43:04What makes al-Nasla so unique

01:43:07is that it wasn't artificially done

01:43:09but is a result of nature's work over the years.

01:43:14This glacier may look like someone

01:43:15dropped tons of red paint in the middle of Antarctica,

01:43:18but it's actually the natural color.

01:43:20Blood falls is a result of extreme salted water

01:43:24mixed with iron oxide,

01:43:25giving out this eerie vibe in the middle of nowhere.

01:43:30In Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam,

01:43:33you can enjoy your coffee just a few feet away

01:43:35from an actual moving train.

01:43:37The locals who live in this neighborhood

01:43:39have to make sure no one is on the tracks

01:43:41when the train drives by twice a day.

01:43:44On a crowded day,

01:43:45you would have to stick yourself on a wall behind you

01:43:47or head inside the many coffee shops nearby.

01:43:51Frozen bubbles are a common thing in Abraham Lake, Canada.

01:43:55They look like some jelly-like substance,

01:43:57but they're just methane gas produced by bacteria

01:44:00when they eat the organisms that sink to the bottom.

01:44:03During the process, methane bubbles are released,

01:44:05but since it's below freezing temperatures,

01:44:08these bubbles become frozen in place.

01:44:12Australia is home to a unique horizontal waterfall

01:44:15on the coast of the Kimberley region.

01:44:17It's really just a fast tidal flow

01:44:19moving through two narrow allied rocks.

01:44:22The tides can rise 30 feet.

01:44:24The falls reverse whenever the tide changes.

01:44:27Also down under is the biggest single rock in the world.

01:44:30It's so big that it even looks like a large hill.

01:44:33It has a circumference of 6 miles and is 1,100 feet high.

01:44:38The edges are eroded since the rock has been around forever.

01:44:43Antelope Canyon in Arizona,

01:44:45also known as the place where water runs through rock,

01:44:48has two sections of slotted canyons.

01:44:51Throughout the years,

01:44:52the water running through sandstone

01:44:54has created picturesque formations like no other.

01:44:59In the Philippines,

01:45:00you can swim in some of the most crystal-clear waters

01:45:03and discover an underwater world below you

01:45:05in the province of Palawan.

01:45:07The municipality of Coron has white sandy beaches

01:45:11with many small boats

01:45:12riding through the many amazing sceneries.

01:45:17Tristan de Cunha is a small volcanic archipelago

01:45:20in the Atlantic

01:45:21with the only neighboring cities of Buenos Aires,

01:45:23Argentina, and Cape Town, South Africa.

01:45:26It takes 7 days by ship to get to this unique place.

01:45:30If you want to escape from the rest of the world,

01:45:32staying with the 280 locals

01:45:34will make you feel like you're away from everything.

01:45:38An island even more isolated than Tristan de Cunha

01:45:41is Pitcairn Island.

01:45:431,350 miles off of Tahiti,

01:45:46this place is a mixture of British, Polynesian,

01:45:48and other Pacific Islanders

01:45:50living remotely with the volcanic soil used for crops.

01:45:53The population is around 50 people.

01:45:56The little island is considered to be

01:45:58the second-largest marine protected area.

01:46:00If you plan on visiting,

01:46:02be ready for a long sea voyage on a supply ship

01:46:04that hosts 12 passengers.

01:46:08This abandoned fantasy-like railway tunnel in Ukraine

01:46:11is one of the most romantic places you could visit.

01:46:14Walking through leaves and lush green plants

01:46:16feels like you're in a fairy tale.

01:46:19Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park

01:46:23is a major tourist attraction and a World Heritage Site

01:46:26with many unique animals and plants teeming around.

01:46:29It looks like an epic movie set

01:46:31with infinite waterfalls flowing from every direction

01:46:34and the clear lakes all around.

01:46:38Lake Baikal, Siberia, is the oldest lake in the world

01:46:41and contains 20% of unfrozen fresh water on Earth.

01:46:45It's also the deepest lake in the world

01:46:47with a maximum depth of 5,400 feet.

01:46:50It's one of the most diverse places for organisms

01:46:53due to its age and isolation.

01:46:55More than 1,300 species of animals and 570 plants live here.

01:47:02An underground crystal cave exists in Mexico

01:47:05and it looks like some interstellar world.

01:47:08It's roughly 1,000 feet beneath the surface

01:47:10with each spike measuring up to 35 feet in length

01:47:13and weighing up to 55 tons.

01:47:16These are some of the largest crystals in the world.

01:47:20Red sand is what makes this beach unique

01:47:23and why tourists flock to Tianjin, China.

01:47:26A red-colored plant called the Suida Salsa

01:47:28dwells in the saltwater.

01:47:30The whole beach is covered in red

01:47:32with only the top layer of the sea visible.

01:47:36Also in China are the Tianzi Mountains

01:47:39which inspired a famous Hollywood movie.

01:47:41These unique mountains spread across 20 square miles

01:47:44located in the Wuling Yuan area.

01:47:47Millions of years of rock erosion

01:47:48created this amazing beauty.

01:47:53All the way over in sunny California

01:47:55is Sequoia National Park, home to the giant forest.

01:47:59It's been around for thousands of years.

01:48:01More than 8,000 of these colossal trees rule the land

01:48:05including 10 of the largest living plants in the world.

01:48:08The General Sherman Sequoia is estimated to be up to 2,700 years old

01:48:13and is recognized as the world's largest known living tree by volume.

01:48:20Japan's Cat Island has a population of less than 10 people

01:48:24and over 120 cats.

01:48:26The island is located in a remote region

01:48:28and the locals love it.

01:48:30If you're visiting this place,

01:48:31make sure to bring someone who loves cats.

01:48:35Yemen is home to the oldest skyscrapers in the world

01:48:38and the oldest metropolis.

01:48:40The ancient city of Shebam is considered to be the Manhattan of the desert

01:48:45due to the collection of mud buildings popping out of the desert floor.

01:48:48It was used as a caravan stop during ancient times.

01:48:52These mud brick buildings are 7 stories high

01:48:55and were built out of fertile soil, hay, and water

01:48:57that were made into bricks and left to bake under the sun for days.

01:49:01The ground floors were used for keeping livestock and grains,

01:49:05and the upper levels were places for socializing and catching good views.

01:49:09The chemical composition of the ancient hot springs in Pamukkale, Turkey

01:49:16makes the water pouring over the edge look magical.

01:49:19They're not only good for cleansing your body, but the mind too.

01:49:23The shape and formation of these rocks aren't a result of some human's work.

01:49:27They were created by intense volcanic eruptions.

01:49:30Scientists are still confused why the Giant's Causeway in Ireland

01:49:34is shaped in such a weird way.

01:49:36Sukhutra is an alien-like island off the coast of Yemen in the Indian Ocean

01:49:41with one of the most unique trees ever seen.

01:49:44It's called the Dragon Tree, and it can only be found on this amazing island.

01:49:49In 2008, it was labeled as a World Heritage Site.

01:49:53Black Falls in Iceland gets its name from the dark lava columns surrounding it.

01:49:58The base of the waterfall has sharp rocks.

01:50:00The entire structure was the inspiration for Icelandic architecture

01:50:04seen in some of their famous buildings.

01:50:18North Yungas Road in Bolivia is one of the most picturesque

01:50:23and most hazardous roads in the world.

01:50:26Just imagine biking along a cliff trail at a mind-numbing height

01:50:31overlooking the lush Bolivian jungle and misty mountains at a distance.

01:50:36What a view!

01:50:37But as soon as you realize you're riding on a 10-foot-wide stretch of road,

01:50:41some of which isn't even paved, you might get skin crawls.

01:50:44And for good reason.

01:50:46Over 200 folks tumble to their demise each year on this devious mountain climb.

01:50:52And the absence of any guardrail doesn't help at all.

01:50:55Now, if you're more into walking, consider the Hussaini Bridge in Pakistan.

01:51:01It's officially the most dangerous hanging bridge in the world,

01:51:05but hardly the only one in the country.

01:51:07It's a long and nerve-wracking traverse over Lake Borut,

01:51:10with many planks of the bridge missing and the whole construction creaking ominously in the wind.

01:51:17Still, the place has become a major tourist attraction,

01:51:20although the old and broken bridge visible nearby

01:51:23only adds to the impression that you're inevitably going to fall to a screaming end.

01:51:30Well, at least you can be thankful that the lake beneath is not Lake Natron in Tanzania.

01:51:36If you fall into water, you still have a chance of survival.

01:51:39If you fall into the waters of Natron, not so much.

01:51:43The pH levels here are skin-melting 10.5.

01:51:47What passes for water is more like an alkaline soup.

01:51:50No wonder this place is so peaceful. Pretty much nothing wants to live here.

01:51:55And yet, flocks of flamingos come to Lake Natron to breed every few seasons,

01:52:00and it becomes a white-pink paradise for the period.

01:52:03Positively.

01:52:06Which can't be said about the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia.

01:52:10Despite its beautiful, otherworldly landscape, it's perhaps the loneliest place on Earth.

01:52:17Yellow, orange, and green mounds are made of salt, sulfur, and iron,

01:52:21creating views like nowhere else on the planet.

01:52:24Yet the combination of temperature and toxic minerals makes this place absolutely unlivable.

01:52:30Researchers coming here haven't found even microscopic life in this valley.

01:52:35Really, like another planet. Beautiful and desolate.

01:52:39On the other hand, there's an island that's bubbling with life,

01:52:43yet still, you don't want to be there. It's called Snake Island,

01:52:47and the name says it all. It's chock-full of snakes.

01:52:51In fact, there are so many of them, especially the venomous varieties,

01:52:55that Brazil has forbidden access to the island to any and all visitors.

01:53:00But even if it wasn't closed off, not many would be brave enough to go to a place

01:53:05where a single step offshore could land you a venomous bite.

01:53:10Now, I'll bet that Fly Geyser in the middle of the Nevada Desert

01:53:14was created partly because humans became jealous of that.

01:53:17This place had been just another bit of desert until 1916. People came here to drill a water well.

01:53:24They quickly saw the error of their ways, though.

01:53:27The water came out boiling hot and unfit for drinking.

01:53:3150 years later, there was another attempt, but the same thing happened. We don't learn, do we?

01:53:37Anyway, hot water never stops spewing from under the ground,

01:53:41and today we have a massive geyser cluster colored in shades of red, orange, and yellow.

01:53:48Now I say let's take a break from things that could bite, burn, or crush you,

01:53:52and take a walk in a serene forest. We're in Japan, and it's Sagano Bamboo Forest,

01:53:59a marvelous natural park where you can't help but hush your voice and just look.

01:54:04And listen, too. Because the sound of the wind in the bamboo trees

01:54:08is the first ever officially recognized soundscape. All the more surprising to find

01:54:14such a place just half an hour's ride from Kyoto, one of the busiest cities in the country.

01:54:21Take a deep breath of fresh air now, you're gonna need it. We're going underwater!

01:54:26Behold the Great Blue Hole! Apparently named by Captain Obvious,

01:54:31it's one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Located off the coast of Belize,

01:54:36this giant sinkhole is a massive tourist attraction, especially popular among divers.

01:54:42It's actually a whole cave system, and they say it gets weirder and more picturesque

01:54:47the deeper you dive. Beware though, it's popular among sharks too,

01:54:52and both bull sharks and hammerheads have been spotted here more than once.

01:54:57Here, have a towel and prepare for some barbecue. The Darvasa Gas Crater is waiting. A huge hole

01:55:03again, this time in the ground and burning. Over 50 years ago, geologists found this spot

01:55:09in Turkmenia, Central Asia, and were quite a bit alarmed. There was an enormous deposit of methane,

01:55:16a highly flammable gas, underground. They set it on fire to prevent the gas from spreading,

01:55:22and since then, the hole's kept burning. It's over 200 feet across and 100 feet deep,

01:55:29and no one knows when it'll finally run out of fuel.

01:55:33Is it too hot again? Well, let's have a little swim with jellyfish then. Jellyfish Lake on one

01:55:39of the rock islands in Palau is perfectly described by its name. In 2005, there were

01:55:45about 30 million of these creatures here. Although today only 700,000 of them remain,

01:55:51their number is growing, and tourists can actually swim with them. Until they get stung,

01:55:55that is. Okay, kidding, these jellyfish don't have stingers, so it's safe. Until they decide

01:56:01to grow stingers, of course. From the depths, we're going even deeper. The Gomentong Caves

01:56:08are our next stop. The cave system on the island of Borneo could've been Batman's hideout,

01:56:14given how many bats live there. At night, these nocturnal animals fly out of the cave in the

01:56:19thousands, making you wonder why you're still there watching it. But if you're brave enough

01:56:24to go inside the cave, you can truly marvel at the variety given to us by nature. Because there,

01:56:31on the floor and walls of the cave, lie tons of bat droppings, giving food and home to millions

01:56:37of cockroaches, parasites, and giant centipedes. Wondrous. Okay, I'm outta here.

01:56:44Now, if you're as easy to get away as I am, here's a place to go.

01:56:47Mediti National Park in Bolivia. It's one of the largest protected areas in South America,

01:56:53and is home to an immense variety of animals, birds, and insects. I could do without the

01:56:59mosquitoes, but it's still among the few places where you could see wild macaws, monkeys,

01:57:04capybaras, and dozens of other creatures. Still, it's better to be careful because wild animals

01:57:10aren't always happy to see you, and there are known cases of attacks on tourists.

01:57:16Ever wanted to feel like Frodo Baggins in Middle-earth? Here's your chance! In Iceland,

01:57:22there's a slumbering volcano named Þrýgúkageygurð that welcomes guests to a tea party.

01:57:28Now, don't confuse this with another infamous Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull. Yeah,

01:57:34it's easy to mix them up, they sound so similar. Here, tourists are actually ushered down into the

01:57:40volcano and spend close to an hour inside, looking at the magmatic landscape. They say

01:57:46Þrýgúkageygurð can't wake up all of a sudden, but who knows? Don't forget to bring the ring of

01:57:52power just in case! From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, and here we are at Mount Hua

01:57:59in China. It's called the most dangerous hike in the world for a reason. It's high, it's crazy

01:58:05scary, and it's a hike. At the height of 7,000 ft, which already makes me reconsider, there are

01:58:12several wooden planks nailed to the sheer wall of the mountain. When you get to the start of the

01:58:17hike, you put on safety gear and realize there's no turning back. You have to walk all the way,

01:58:24and then back. But if you're lucky, you'll see a crowd of hundreds of tourists and decide not to

01:58:30spend hours waiting for your turn. Finally, to really creep you out, I'm taking

01:58:36you to Pripryat in Ukraine. If you watched the TV show Chernobyl, you probably know what happened

01:58:43in this area. If you didn't see it, don't have a meltdown. Much of the town is still off-limits

01:58:48for visitors, but there are already guided tours around the place. As haunting as it is,

01:58:54the landscape has some magnetic force. The silence makes you keep as quiet as you can.

01:59:00Also, you can see with your own eyes what happens when people abandon a whole city.

01:59:06Nature takes back what once belonged to it. Creeping vines along the walls and lampposts,

01:59:12trees and bushes sprouting from under concrete. And the main attraction in this desolate place

01:59:19is the rusty old Ferris wheel. That sure shivers my timbers!

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