Two weeks ago we covered 1-5 of The Greatest Mysteries of All Time.  It ranged from ancient alien encounters to a mysterious pit on an island off the coast of Canada which has claimed the money and lives of would-be treasure hunters.  Today we tackle the final mysterious 5.  Strange sounds, murder and mass animal deaths abound as we delve into the world of the unknown and unsolved.  Let’s get our spooky on, shall we?
 
 

6) The Bloop

In 1997 a strange sound was recorded by U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration off the southwestern tip of South America.  The sound has been named “the bloop.”  What was so strange about this noise?  Well while its signature is similar to other underwater creatures, it is not an exact match to any known species.  It was loud…very loud.  It was so loud it was recorded over 3000 miles away.  That’s like standing in New York yelling “Hello” at the top of your lungs to your friend in LA and having not only your friend in LA hear you but a man in a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean hear you too.  Yeah.  Can you imagine how big an animal would have to be to create a sound that loud?  Let us all hold hands and say “Holy Crap” together.  Thank you, Bloop, for giving me another reason to not want to swim in large bodies of dark, open water.

7) The Sailing Stones of Death Valley

Rocks in Death Valley move without any assistance from animal or man leaving long trails behind them in the dirt.  Sitting still for years at a time, the stones leave unusual trails that are far from uniform in direction or length.  Some are straight while some zigzag.  Some are long while others are short.  Some run parallel to each other and others go off at wild angles.  First noted in 1948 the sailing rocks have left scientists scratching their heads for decades.  The current popular theory involves ice (it gets mighty cold out there), water and wind but it cannot be confirmed since no one has ever witnessed the rocks move.  Until someone is able to document the actual movement of the sailing stones of Death Valley it will remain a mystery.
 
 

8) The Mass Animal Deaths of 2011

Possibly the most terrifying of all the mysteries listed, this is the stuff nightmares and horror novels are made of.  It all began on New Year’s day in 2011 in a small town in Arkansas.  People awoke to thousands of dead red winged black birds littering the yards and streets leaving scientists grasping at straws to explain the die off.  That was followed by more in Louisiana.  Then it was hundreds of thousands of barrel fish, once again in Arkansas.  The list of the dead quickly began to grow.  But it wasn’t isolated to Arkansas or even North America.  It was spanning the globe…

Turtle doves in Italy…more birds in Texas…fish in New Zealand, Brazil and Florida…millions of fish in Maryland…crabs in the UK…alligators in South America…buffalo in Vietnam…cows in Wisconsin…

This was not an isolated event.  Millions upon millions of animal died all over the globe within a few short weeks.  Some point to environmental factors as the cause even though no solid evidence has been found to support the claim.  Others fear it is the beginning of the end – a sign of the apocalypse.  Scientists still have not discovered the cause.

9) Roswell

If you haven’t heard of Roswell  & the conspiracies surrounding it then I have to wonder if you grew up in a cult where you weren’t allowed to watch TV, read books or talk to any other living person on the planet.  Considered by many to be not only the greatest government cover-up of all time but the greatest UFO story ever, The Roswell Crash still creates controversy, even after 60 years and numerous official statements by the United States Military regarding the nature of the event.

The Facts

On July 8, 1947 public information officer Walter Haut of the United States Air Force issued a press release stating that a “flying disc” which had crashed on a ranch outside Roswell, New Mexico, had been recovered.  Within 24 hours the military recanted and claimed the debris was actually from a radar-tracking balloon.

There are many who believe the initial report was accurate & that the second statement was the beginning of very large and elaborate cover-up by the United States government to hide the existence of extra-terrestrial life visiting Earth…and over the years both civilian and military eye witnesses have come forward to substantiate the claims that the recovered object was, in fact, of alien origin.  There are even claims that alien bodies were recovered from the crash site and transported, along with the wreckage, to other air force bases.

There have been so many stories told on the subject, so many accounts and so much “documentation” that  being able to discern what truly happened in Roswell has essentially become an impossibility.  There are hundreds of books and documentaries on the subject should you decide to delve further into the conspiracy.

My personal views? I do believe an alien craft was recovered in Roswell but I am not onboard with many of the more elaborate conspiracy theories (such as the Majestic 12 & the “leaked” documents which I believe to be a hoax).  I doubt we will ever truly know what happened in Roswell that summer.  The only people who know the truth are long dead and still aren’t talking.  The event will remain a mystery.

10) The Zodiac Killer

Serial killers are seriously creepy & screwed up in a major way, no doubt about it, but of all the serial killers out there when it comes to creepy & weird behavior the Zodiac Killer takes the prize. He terrorized Northern California during the 1960’s and 1970’s, taking the lives of 7 people.

What made him different?

He loved attention…media attention.  He would regularly send taunting letters (several written in cipher nonetheless) to the press.  In these letters he claims a total of 37 victims and while 7 is the official count there are some who believe his boasts might have been closer to the truth citing murders that occurred before and after his “active” period.

He also engaged in some very odd behavior, even by serial killer standards.  The Lake Berryessa attacks are a perfect example.  In September of 1969 a young couple were enjoying a nice picnic at Lake Berryessa.  The Zodiac, dressed in an executioner’s hood, clip-on sunglasses, and a bib with a large cross hair on it, proceeded to make his presence known by playing an odd game of one man hide and seek in some nearby trees.  He eventually approached the couple brandishing a gun.  He gave a lengthy story about being an escaped convict in need of their car and money.  I won’t go into detail about the attack but when he was finished he took the time to vandalize the victims’ car with the same cross hair on his bib as well as an unusual message for the police.  Immediately after the attack The Zodiac stopped to call the police from a payphone to notify them of what he’d done.  When the police arrived at the payphone few minutes later he was nowhere to be found.

Although there were several suspects The Zodiac Killer was never caught.  Vallejo Police Department is still looking for leads which can be submitted via their website and the case remains open in both Riverside and Napa County.

***

What mysteries get your mind whirling and twirling with questions? 

Which ones would you add to the list?

Kisses & Chaos,

Alli Woods Frederick

images:  |  scary-ass monster via io9  |  sailing stone via UCSB  |  redwing black birds via the ny times  |  fish via interact blogs |  map via fox news insider  |   roswell newspaper via aim press  |  roswell crash site via x-files wiki  |  wanted poster via zodiac Killer |  zodiac via the mind of a serial killer  |