An Australian film crew has captured footage of one of the ocean’s strangest phenomena: a perfectly repeating, 130-foot-tall wave vortex that acts like a “glitch” in the sea. Surf cinematographers Chris White and Ben Allen documented the bizarre event at a secret coastal location, where water spirals inward before erupting upward in a towering, lethal pillar—a pattern that defies conventional wave science by occurring again and again.
What Does This “Ocean Glitch” Wave Look Like?
The phenomenon occurs in a specific coastal sweet spot. According to the crew’s footage, water first coalesces into a vortex, spiraling inward to create a circular void at sea level. The waves continue to swirl inside this circle before erupting vertically in a dramatic, 130-foot (approximately 40-meter) column of saltwater. “I think if you go down, it’s certain death,” Chris White told Stab Mag, emphasizing the wave’s lethal power. Describing the mechanics, White noted, “The rock shelf is stationary… so how does it break on all sides at once, like a plunger?”
Also Read: Winter Session: Parliament Passes VB-G RAM G Bill, Replacing MGNREGA in Midnight Vote
Why Are Scientists Baffled by This Wave?
The crew contacted experts to understand the mechanics, but the repeating nature of the event left them stumped. A wave engineer consulted by the team reportedly “had no clue how it works.” Arnold Van Rooijen, an expert in wave dynamics at the University of Western Australia, analyzed the footage. He acknowledged that strange waves happen, but typically only as one-off “rogue” events. He attributed this specific formation to “a pretty unique combination of the geomorphology of the reefs and the symmetry of the water depths.” However, Van Rooijen was skeptical it could repeat identically—a skepticism the film crew disproved by capturing it multiple times.
How Was This Repeating Wave Discovered?
Chris White first witnessed the wave nearly a decade ago, and the memory stayed with him. He recently returned to the undisclosed location while shooting the 11th installment of the Tension series, a film franchise focused on boogie-boarding. To his shock, the phenomenon recurred in the exact same pattern, allowing him and Ben Allen to document it thoroughly. Allen stated that despite Van Rooijen’s doubt it could happen again, they “captured it happening over and over and over again.”
Key Facts About the Discovery:
Height: The wave vortex erupts to approximately 130 feet (40 meters).
Behavior: Water spirals inward like a vortex before shooting upward, resembling a “plunger.”
Location: Undisclosed by the crew for safety and preservation reasons.
Repetition: Unlike most freak waves, this phenomenon repeats in an identical pattern.
Expert Analysis: Wave scientists confirm its uniqueness but are puzzled by its repeatability.
The footage provides a rare case study for oceanographers and wave dynamicists, presenting a natural anomaly that challenges existing models. In order to avoid risky attempts by thrill-seekers to engage with the deadly phenomenon, the crew decided to keep the site a secret. Even in an era of sophisticated scientific modeling, the discovery highlights how much is still unknown about severe ocean dynamics.
Also Read: ‘I Made a Bad Decision’: Ex-Astronomer HR Exec Breaks Silence on Coldplay Kiss Cam Scandal
