# 11 strange Pacific Ocean finds, formations, and phenomena

> NOAA Ocean Exploration identified the much-discussed golden orb found near Alaska in 2026 as the basal remnant of the giant anemone Relicanthus daphneae. That answer captures the appeal of Pacific exploration. The ocean holds discoveries from sunlit coastal water to the deepest...

Canonical URL: https://www.argo.net/11-strange-pacific-ocean-finds-formations-and-phenomena/
Byline: ARGO.net Editorial Team
Published: 2026-07-22T14:16:44+00:00
Categories: Explainer, Oceans

![Advhena magnifica glass sponge on the deep Pacific seafloor](https://www.argo.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/advhena_magnifica_noaa.jpg)

[NOAA Ocean Exploration](https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/multimedia/mysterious-golden-orb-identified/) identified the much-discussed golden orb found near Alaska in 2026 as the basal remnant of the giant anemone **Relicanthus daphneae**. That answer captures the appeal of Pacific exploration. The ocean holds discoveries from sunlit coastal water to the deepest trench. They include wrecks, weather events, animal behavior and legends that deserve careful sorting.

## 1. The golden orb identified near Alaska

A remotely operated vehicle found the smooth gold-colored object during the 2023 **Seascape Alaska 5** expedition. It sat on a rock about 3,300 meters below the Gulf of Alaska. The specimen was roughly 10 centimeters across and had a small opening. Early images made it look like a tiny dome attached to the seafloor.

Scientists collected the object and examined its tissues after the expedition. NOAA's 2026 identification connected it to the base of a giant anemone. The result shows why a photograph alone can rarely settle a deep-water mystery. Samples, microscopy and comparison with known animals provide the evidence that turns an odd sight into an identification.

## 2. Wartime wrecks in Chuuk Lagoon

**Chuuk Lagoon** in Micronesia holds a large collection of Japanese ships and aircraft sunk during Operation Hailstone in February 1944. The lagoon served as a major Japanese naval base during World War II. Wrecks now lie in relatively accessible water, where corals grow over hulls and artifacts remain part of a painful wartime landscape.

For historians, the site preserves evidence of a single military operation beneath the water. For divers, it calls for restraint and respect because many vessels are connected to lives lost in the conflict. Salt water, corrosion, storms and tourism all affect the condition of the wrecks. Documentation helps preserve what remains while recording their history.

## 3. The MV Derbyshire wreck

The British bulk carrier **MV Derbyshire** sank off Japan during Typhoon Orchid in September 1980. It was found in 1994 at a depth of about 4,000 meters. The loss prompted a detailed investigation because the ship disappeared without a distress call during severe weather.

The official UK record describes a loss of 44 lives, including crew members and family members on board. A [UK marine guidance note](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/282275/mgn210.pdf) summarizes the investigation's finding that the sinking sequence happened rapidly. The wreck investigation helped improve understanding of how water could enter and overwhelm a large ore carrier in powerful seas.

## 4. Earhart's sonar target was a rock formation

Deep Sea Vision released a sonar image in January 2024 that looked like an aircraft on the seafloor near Howland Island. The image revived interest in the disappearance of Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan during their 1937 flight. Sonar can outline shapes over wide areas, which makes it useful for searching difficult terrain.

In November 2024, the company said its target was a natural rock formation after an eleven-month review. The [Amelia Earhart Museum](https://www.ameliaearhartmuseum.org/single-post/update-have-they-found-amelia-s-plane) reported the update. Earhart's aircraft has not been located and the disappearance remains unresolved. The episode illustrates why visual resemblance in sonar data needs follow-up images and physical evidence.

## 5. The Dragon's Triangle legend

The **Dragon's Triangle** is a popular name for waters south of Japan that are associated with tales of missing vessels and unusual forces. The area includes active volcanoes, earthquakes, storms and strong currents. Those natural conditions can make navigation dangerous and can also feed lasting stories about the sea.

The legend has no fixed scientific boundary or accepted record of mysterious disappearances. Researchers can study actual risks through weather observations, charts, volcanic activity and accident reports. Such evidence gives a clearer picture of hazards facing ships. The story itself remains a reminder that dramatic events often gather extra meaning as they are retold.

## 6. Pufferfish sand circles

Near Japan's Amami Oshima Island, male pufferfish create intricate circles in fine sand on the seafloor. The structures can stretch about two meters across. Each one has ridges, grooves and a smoother center. Divers once saw the patterns as a mystery because their maker was hard to observe.

Video observations revealed the builder: a small male pufferfish working with its fins. The fish's movements shape the circle during courtship. Females lay eggs in the central area, where the nest can help shelter them. These **pufferfish sand circles** show that an animal's mating behavior can produce a structure visible on a scale far larger than the animal itself.

## 7. Yonaguni's stepped sandstone

Off Yonaguni Island in southwestern Japan, divers can visit a large sandstone formation with flat surfaces, sharp edges and broad step-like features. The **Yonaguni Monument** became famous because some sections resemble terraces or walls. It sits in shallow coastal water, where waves and currents continue to shape the surrounding rock.

Debate over the formation has continued for decades. Several geologists have linked its geometry to natural fractures in sandstone and erosion along those planes. Other observers argue that some features suggest human modification. The available evidence has kept the discussion alive, while the site remains a striking example of how geology can resemble built architecture.

## 8. The Blob marine heatwave

Beginning in late 2013, a vast patch of unusually warm water developed in the Northeast Pacific. It became known as **the Blob**. The event lasted for an extended period and affected waters from the Gulf of Alaska toward the U.S. West Coast. It was a surface and upper-ocean phenomenon, far from a discovery on the deep seafloor.

Warm water can alter the mixing that brings nutrients toward the surface. That change can influence plankton, fish, seabirds and marine mammals through the food web. Scientists study the Blob as a major marine heatwave and a useful case for understanding ocean warming. Its effects showed how an ocean event can spread through connected ecosystems.

## 9. The Sur Pockmark Field

Off Big Sur, California, the [Sur Pockmark Field](https://www.usgs.gov/programs/cmhrp/science/sur-pockmark-field) contains thousands of round depressions on the seafloor. Many are hundreds of feet across. From maps, they look like a giant field of dimples. Their size and regular appearance made them one of the Pacific margin's most puzzling landscapes.

Research by the U.S. Geological Survey and collaborators points to sediment gravity flows as a key process that shapes and maintains the pockmarks. These underwater flows move sediment down slopes much like avalanches move material on land. Seafloor maps and sediment studies help researchers distinguish between possible causes and understand how long these forms can persist.

## 10. The magnificent alien sponge

The tall glass sponge **Advhena magnifica** is sometimes called the magnificent alien because of its unusual outline. Researchers reported the species from the North Pacific and the South Atlantic in a [2020 PeerJ paper](https://peerj.com/articles/9431/). Its stalk rises from the bottom, while its body creates a shape that stands out in deep-sea images.

![Image of the ET Sponge along the ocean floor of the Pacific Ocean. By Castello-Branco C, Collins AG, Hajdu E. 2020. A collection of hexactinellids (Porifera) from the deep South Atlantic and North Pacific: new genus, new species and new records. PeerJ 8:e9431 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9431 - https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9431, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons .](https://www.argo.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/11_strange_things_found_deep_in_the_Pacific_Ocean.jpg)

Glass sponges build their skeletons from silica, the material found in sand and glass. They filter tiny food particles from water and often live in cold, deep habitats. The paper placed this species in a new genus and described details needed for future comparisons. Such taxonomy helps expeditions recognize biodiversity that cameras alone may leave unnamed.

## 11. Plastic in the Mariana Trench

The **Mariana Trench** contains the deepest known point in the ocean, nearly 11 kilometers below sea level. Deep dives have recorded human-made debris there, including a plastic bag. The observation brought a familiar everyday object into one of Earth's hardest places to reach.

Plastic can drift with currents, become heavier as organisms grow on it and move downhill with sediment. Deep-diving vehicles reveal where some of this debris ends up, although surveys cover only a small share of the seafloor. The trench record connects a remote deep-ocean habitat to waste released much closer to the surface.