the Bloop

underwater sound, Pacific Ocean

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

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"The Bloop" was a mysterious underwater sound detected in 1997 near Point Nemo in the Pacific Ocean. Initially, its origin was unknown, leading to speculation. However, in 2005, scientists identified the sound as an icequake, caused by the movement of glaciers and icebergs in Antarctica. The term "bloop" itself is a back-formation from "blooper" and was first used in 1941.12

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Location and geography
An ultralow-frequency sound nicknamed “the Bloop” can be heard underwater at Point Nemo. It was first detected in 1997 by scientists from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who had placed hydrophones across the Pacific Ocean to record underwater volcanic activity. Multiple theories about the Bloop abounded,…
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An ultralow-frequency sound nicknamed “the Bloop” can be heard underwater at Point Nemo. It was first detected in 1997 by scientists from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who had placed hydrophones across the Pacific Ocean to record underwater volcanic activity. Multiple theories about the Bloop abounded,…
Read More