By: AB G

On July 23rd, scientists working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found strange holes on the bottom of the ocean of Portugal. These holes went for almost two miles, and recently, about two weeks later, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found another set of holes. These holes were 300 miles apart from the ones on the coast of Portugal. These holes were located one mile deep into the ocean almost a mile shallower than the other set of holes. Theses holes were medium sized, being 5-6 feet long, about the same as the ones on the coast of Portugal.

These strange holes in the bottom of the ocean have the scientists questioning what made them. “The origin of the holes has scientists stumped,” NOAA’s Ocean Exploration project tweeted. They have found some lebensspuren, the scientific name for “life traces”. Scientists found lebensspuren near the holes deep down in the sea. “The holes look human made, but the little piles of sediment around them suggest they were excavated by … something.”

Strangely this has happened in the past as well, about two decades ago. Scientists still can figure out who or what made these odd holes. This expedition was unusually close to the coast of Portugal, about 27 miles away. Scientists now see a pattern, many of the holes that they have discovered are within a couple hundred miles of each other.

From May to September, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is holding an expedition called “Voyage to the Ridge 2022”. They are exploring the Atlantic Ocean more, studying places that nobody has seen before. They are using remotely operated vehicles in deep water to get information about unexplored terrains and ecosystems. They are getting more information about these mysterious holes while exploring the deep water.