underwater buildings. Underwater structures of yonaguni. Strange structure in a Canadian lake

In 1985, in Okinawa Prefecture in Japan, near the southern coast of Yonaguni Island, local diver Kihashiro Aratake, concerned about the development of tourism in these places, made familiarization dives into the crystal clear waters of the ocean and suddenly stumbled upon underwater pyramid a little more than 24 m high. With a flat top, it towered 91 cm above the water. Impressed by the find, Kihashiro called it "a place of ruins." The news of the discovery quickly spread among enthusiastic divers and, despite the strong current and the large population of hammerhead sharks, the underwater world around the island began to be actively explored.
The bulk of those who personally examined the underwater structures have no doubt that they were made by human hands. However, as always, there were skeptical archaeologists who did not bother with personal observations, but limited themselves to stories and amateur photographs. They considered the finds to be an unusual natural formation. Professional geologists do not share this confidence.

A well-known Japanese geologist, Professor Masaaki Kimura gathered a group of students and organized a professional survey of underwater structures. Since 1992, continuous research has been carried out. In 2000, measurements were made using a laser, multibeam echo sounders, airplanes, and sonars. As a result, scientists came to the conclusion about the artificial nature of underwater monuments. The publication of the facts and their detailed justification convinced many skeptics.
American geologist Robert Schoch flew to Japan in 1997 to personally inspect the find. After a series of dives, he expressed his opinion that in essence the Yonaguni monument is a natural structure, but processed and modified by people. This construction practice is generally typical for residents of the East Asian region, when some changes are made to the natural environment, for example, Zen gardens, ritual Japanese
landscapes, Chinese feng shui. The practice of terraforming is designed to create a harmonious relationship between people and the environment.

Dr. Schoch admitted the possibility of human influence on the monument, but did not believe in it. Whereas Kimura believed that the results of many years of research indicate the artificial origin of the underwater complex.
One of the most convincing evidence can be considered ancient hand tools found on the island and under water. In the Ryukyu Islands, which includes Yonaguni, they are called kusabi. The peculiarity of these objects is that they are made of igneous rock, but it is not found on Yonaguni. Accordingly, the material must be imported from somewhere in order to make tools from it for processing soft sandstone.
At the same time, traces of processing were found on its surfaces, possibly left by kusabi.
Sharks abound on the coast of Yonaguni, a small Japanese island.
No one knows why they gather in such numbers right there, near this island. What draws these predators here remains a mystery.
On top of some stones there are drilled holes spaced 200 mm apart, as if they were marked on a ruler. Mollusks could not do this, because the best of sea diggers - the sea urchin - is not suitable for them in shape.
Master mason Kotara Maja explained why these holes were needed. When he saw them, he immediately recognized the method used to date for breaking off stone blocks. First, holes are drilled into them from the edge, then large sticks are inserted into them and strongly pushed back and forth, pouring water until the rock cracks in a straight line and separates the building block of the required size. Another well-known stonemason Koutaro Shinza from Okinawa confirmed the findings of a colleague. In this regard, there is a version that the underwater monuments of Yonaguni were once a quarry.
Another evidence of the artificial origin of the structures are small rectangles on the stones, found where there are no strong eroding currents. These 7.5 cm long openings could not have formed naturally. The presence of recesses also seems to indicate a quarry, but there could also be unfinished construction, interrupted by rising ocean levels.
The lower parts of the block structures look finished. For the most part, they do not have these holes, but there are architectural elements, for example, the "ring road" - something like an artificial path, laid around the base of the structure and connected to its top by a drainage channel. The surface of the trail is smooth, as if lined with stone blocks.
Professor Kimura investigated a structure resembling a staircase. On some sides, it has obvious traces of human processing. One part of it can be recognized as a real staircase. At the bottom of the monument there are peculiar massive stone heaps. The connections formed by the blocks are even on each of the vertical "pillars".
Underwater structures have many details that are very problematic to explain from the standpoint of geology. For example, a large in-depth image of an hourglass carved into the surface of a stone. Next to it is a long straight channel ending in a short flight of seven steps. Below is a narrow tunnel, characterized by high-quality masonry blocks and even connections. If you swim further along the tunnel, you can find yourself in front of a kind of "double towers". These are vertical granite slabs, similar to 2 books, 580 cm. They are separated by an opening 7.5 cm wide. Most likely, the sun could be observed through this gap at a certain time. Probably, these "double towers" are initially astronomically oriented, since they are tilted to each other at the same angle.
The most convincing evidence of the artificial origin of the monuments can be considered 17 hieroglyphs carved on them, and one full-fledged inscription. Four characters are duplicated several times. Obviously, they are carved by a human hand.
It is not possible to read them. The same symbols are found on the monumental structures of Nan Madol.
Not far from the key underwater structure of Yonaguni, there is a huge “stage”, which is a perfect square of monolithic rock, rising above the bottom by at least 550 cm.
The sides of the square are the same and equal to 21.3 m, so they give the impression of an artificial structure.
But that is not all. This platform has an amazing history. In 2000, diver Thomas Holden filmed an underwater story for cable television. With his video camera, he snatched out an image of a huge human face on the "stage". Even earlier, professional underwater photographer Cecile Hagrand noticed this feature when carved into the stone, the ghostly outlines of a helmet or wings, possibly a winged helmet above a human head. Japanese researchers decided to measure the portrait. During the work, despite thousands of years of erosion, the image could distinguish the features that the sculptor sought to give to the face: the configuration and proportionality of the eyes are noticeable. According to Professor Kimura, "the pupil of the right eye is elongated in the meridional direction." The geologist gave the name moai to the find, using the native word of the inhabitants of Easter Island, with which they designated their famous statues. He didn't just do it. The eyes of 2 found persons (2 were also found on the "stage") were directed towards this island. In the Okinawan dialect, any ancient sacred structure is called a moai. Therefore, some connection of the monuments near Yonaguni is very likely, not only with Nan Madol, but also with Easter Island.
Despite the fact that the underwater structures of Yonaguni are similar to each other, elements of various types can coexist in a small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe same monument: a sharp edge with rounded holes, a stepped descent with a perfectly straight narrow trench. It is rather difficult to imagine that natural factors could take part in this, since if water erosion took place, then the same forms would be on the entire surface of the monument.
Although Dr. Shoh doubted the artificial origin of the underwater structures, he could not avoid comparison with similar structures found in Okinawa, especially in the vicinity of Naha, the capital of the prefecture. Another similar structure is called Naku Gusuku Castle. It was built for military purposes about 500 years ago and has since undergone numerous reconstructions. However, its foundation dates back to the 1st-2nd centuries. Once there was a ceremonial center and an aristocratic cemetery. It can be said with great certainty that this place has been surrounded by special reverence since ancient times. Carved into the rocks nearby are what look like gigantic steps and wide platforms of the underwater monument of Yonaguni. The tombs have not received much attention from archaeologists. They couldn't
determine neither the age nor the origin of the culture that created them. Nevertheless, it can be argued that the structures underwater and on land testify to a continuously evolving architectural style that is unique to this part of the world.
Using the radiocarbon method, Professor Kimura tried to find out the age of underwater structures. Radiocarbon dating of coral "twigs" from the monument showed values ​​within 4000 BC. e. However, this is the time of the beginning of the growth of corals, but not the time of the construction and submersion of ancient structures under water. Based on the known rate of coral growth, the scientist suggested that the flooding occurred about 12,000 years ago. Then the sea level was 30.5-35.5 m lower than now. That is, until the end of the Pleistocene era, the base of the monument was on land, and it is not known how long it stood before the catastrophe.
There is a definite connection between the various centers of ancient cultures throughout the Pacific region. In addition to Nan Madol, Easter Island and some other archaeological finds in China, Japan, this includes a ritual center on the opposite side of the Pacific Ocean - along the coast of South America. To the south of the current capital of Peru, the city of Lima, are the gloomy ruins of Pachacamac, the religious capital of ancient Peru. Erected long before the rise of the Incas, it features wide tiers and huge steps leading up to spacious plazas. There is an impression that the Yonaguni monument was transferred from under the water to the land.
Near the coastal town of Trujillo there is an ancient structure that resembles the same underwater monument.
The Temple of the Sun, made in the pre-Inca era from unbaked clay bricks, has a latitudinal solar orientation similar to the location of the sunken monument. And they are almost the same size.
After the discovery of an underwater complex near the island of Yonaguni, the researchers decided to expand the search area in the hope of stumbling upon new monuments of an ancient civilization and were not disappointed. Approximately 9.5 km southwest of the island of Aka, also part of the Ryukyu Islands, diver Mitsutoshi Taniguchi at a depth of about 23.5 m discovered stone circles and rectangular structures similar to the foundations of buildings, as well as a ring of standing stones with a diameter of 18 ,2 m and more than 1.8 m high. A similar ring was found further to the northeast. True, it turned out to be smaller in diameter. The largest concentric structure of small rounded stones has a diameter of 146.6 m. Thus, throughout the Pacific region there are structures suggestive of one ancient civilization that created them.

The history of the creation of underwater structures goes back to ancient times. Since time immemorial, man has been building berths, dams, artificial islands to carry lighthouses, defensive and utility structures into the open sea. Today, such hydrotechnical facilities remain the most impressive in terms of complexity and volume of work performed. This includes the dams of modern hydroelectric power plants, and the latest artificial harbors, and sea transport tunnels hidden in the water column, giant water intakes and water outlets.

Although, until recently, such structures were erected mainly in shallow water, their creation acquired that vast experience in underwater technical work, without which the qualitative leap in underwater technology that is taking place before our eyes would not have been possible. Perhaps the following is especially significant here: if earlier offshore structures were erected from the coast or near it, now they have moved hundreds of kilometers away from the coast, and they began to be erected in the conditions of the open sea * . This is mainly about the offshore construction of oil and gas fields.

* (Corresponds to the English term "off-shore" - remote from the coast.)

Initially, such structures were built according to the traditional "coastal" scheme. This is how pile cities appeared in the offshore fields of the Caspian Sea, in the Mexican and Persian Gulfs. Such designs proved to be suitable only for relatively shallow water areas. At depths of about 100 m, they were replaced by production and production platforms installed at a considerable distance from each other. It is they who are now considered the most profitable both in terms of construction and maintenance, as they allow drilling and production in the open sea.

Stationary offshore platforms are high-rise structures, most of them are submerged in the water column. Only the working platform, raised high above sea level, remains open for observation. It houses drilling equipment, power plants, living quarters, material depots, lifting equipment, helipads - everything that is needed for uninterrupted operation during several months of bad weather.

There are two types of platforms: pile and gravity. The former are constructed primarily of steel and are anchored to the seabed with piles driven deep into the ground. The second, for the construction of which both steel structures and reinforced concrete are used, are held in the desired position by gravity. The choice of the type of fixed platform is dictated by a combination of various factors. The main ones are depth, seismic activity of the bottom, weather conditions, economics.

Steel piled structures are preferred when the sea depth does not exceed 90 m and when it is possible to transport produced oil and gas through pipes. These structures are also considered more reliable in seismically hazardous areas. In this case, they are installed at much greater depths. An example is the Hondo-type platform installed by Exxon at a depth of 225 m in a seismically active area near California. Such a depth, at least twice, exceeded those at which similar structures were installed earlier. The design of the platforms is made waterproof (Fig. 1.8), its weight is 12 thousand tons, its height is 259.5 m. The size of the platform at the base is 51x70.5 m, in the upper part - 13.5x51 m. .2 cm and tubular guides at the base with a diameter of 160 cm, designed for driving piles with a diameter of 122-137.2 cm to a depth of more than 100 m. The design of the platform is a spatial truss of pipes. 4000 tons of sheet steel with a thickness of 1.91 cm at the top to 4.13 cm at the base were used for its main supports. 5000 tons of steel were used for transverse and tubular rods. The material is selected with a moderate yield strength and sufficient plasticity so that the structure can withstand the combined loads caused by the action of wind, waves, currents and earthquakes (the latter in the installation area create accelerations of up to 0.5 g).

Rice. 1.8. Steel pile platform type "Hondo"

Platforms of the "Hondo" type are made in the form of several sections, which are connected and sealed afloat at the installation site. To facilitate this operation, conical guides are provided on the detachable parts. Parts of the supports are first connected using flanges with insulating gaskets, and then they are welded from the inside, for which special access hatches and lifting mechanisms are provided to provide welders with access to the joints. After connecting afloat, the lower compartments of the supports are flooded with water, the platform is transferred to a vertical position and installed in a given place on the bottom. The ends of the supports enter the ground to the calculated depth, and piles are driven into it through the guide pipes, which are then cemented or welded in a submerged position. The designers suggest that such structures can be installed at great depths of the sea. Exxon plans, for example, to install a similar platform at a depth of 312 meters in the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The platform, the mass of which will be 45 thousand tons, will rise above sea level by 54 m.

The installation of platforms on piles in the open sea is associated with very great difficulties. The main one is to give the base design stability in the shortest possible time. In the conditions of the North Sea, where such work can be carried out four or five months a year, the final commissioning of the platform is sometimes stretched for one or two years. There are also operational difficulties, in particular - the provision of permanent electrochemical protection of such a grandiose structure, constant monitoring of the condition of the supports and the power set.

It is very important to correctly determine the resource of such structures by the fatigue strength of the materials of structural elements and strictly observe the modes of their operation. The accidents that occurred in 1980 in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, associated with the destruction of the bearing supports of two pile platforms during storms, are a tragic retribution for the violation of these regimes.

The advantages of gravity-type platforms are a significant reduction in installation time (instead of months - several days), greater safety of towing these massive structures with good stability, simplification of commissioning operations due to the fact that almost all equipment can be installed on the working deck before towing. Technological advantages are also important, such as the properties of concrete to acquire strength over time, its corrosion resistance. If a significant part of the cost of creating a pile structure falls on pile driving, then the cost of installing a gravity platform is only 10% of the total cost, and most of it goes to towing. Another advantage of gravity platforms is the ability to create containers for storing production products at their base at no additional cost, which makes such structures more versatile than piled ones, allows them to be installed in areas far from the coast, as well as where pipelines are laid along some or reasons difficult. The advantages are the low cost and availability of such a building material as concrete.

Unfortunately, these platforms are not without drawbacks. These include the need for careful leveling of the seabed prior to platform installation, sensitivity to seismic loads and possible buildup of hydrostatic pressure in cavities during installation, and shock loading when the platform is installed on the seabed. The disadvantages include a large draft during towing (however, the same draft increases stability and makes it possible to continue transportation in the event of a storm). However, the advantages of reinforced concrete gravity platforms still exceed their shortcomings, otherwise, how to explain the fact that in 1976 - 1977. during the construction of oil fields in the North Sea, the demand for them was twice as high as for steel platforms. The most common type of gravity platform is a structure, the base of which is a cellular container. Supports that support the working deck pass through it and are attached to the foundation slab. Tank cells, combined into several groups, can serve as a storage of liquid and gaseous products. In the process of construction, towing and installation, the cells play the role of variable buoyancy pontoons.

The first platform of this type (Fig. 1.9) "Doris" was built and installed in 1973 in the North Sea at a depth of 70 m. The height of the platform is 90 m, dimensions in terms of 50x50 m, 80,000 m 3 of concrete went into its manufacture. A wave-damping wall is installed around the platform, absorbing up to 70% of the wave energy.

Rice. 1.9. Gravity platform "Doris" type

One of the characteristic structures of gravity concrete platforms is the platform developed by the designers of the Akergroup concern and called Condeep. Its foundation consists of 19 cylindrical oil storage sections, on conical concrete columns protruding from the water rests a working steel platform with an area of ​​4000 m 2, raised to a height of 30 m above sea level (Fig. 1.10).

Rice. 1.10. Gravity platform "Kondip" type

The construction of such a platform begins in a dry dock or in a pit on the shore. First of all, a steel formwork and a reinforced concrete base are mounted and the height of the walls of the reinforced concrete sections is increased to 6-10 m. Then the work is carried out afloat, adjusting the draft with the help of ballast. The next stage of construction - the completion of the lower block and the beginning of the concreting of the columns - is carried out in shallow water, and work is completed in the deep water section. Here, a working deck and equipment are installed on the columns, the mass of which can reach several tens of thousands of tons. The sequence of work on the construction of the gravity base is illustrated in Fig. 1.11.

Several types of gravity platforms have been developed that combine the advantages of a reinforced concrete underwater storage facility with the advantages of a steel truss. These are the so-called hybrid platforms. Their distinguishing feature is the possibility of simultaneous construction of three main elements of the platform at different plants and the absence of difficulties associated with towing in shallow water areas, since these elements are a bottom block containing approximately 160 thousand tons of oil, a steel truss and a working deck mounted directly in sea, - transported separately. The steel truss can be made in the form of one monoblock or several columns.

All-metal gravity platforms have also been developed. One of them, designed by Teknomare (Italy), is designed for drilling 32 wells at a depth of up to 250 m (Figure 1.12). The platform is a steel truss supported on the bottom by three tanks located at the corners of a triangular base. The structure is assembled ashore and transported to the installation site afloat in a vertical position. Several modifications of such a platform have been created for various areas of operation.

Rice. 1.12. All-metal gravity platform type "Teknomare"

One of the world's largest concrete offshore platforms is being constructed for the Brent field, 160 km northeast of Shetland. Its mass is 300,000 tons, of which 259,000 tons are special-purpose concrete, 15,000 tons are reinforcing steel, and about 3,000 tons are working decks. The sea depth in the installation area is 138 m, the working deck rises 30 m above the water surface. At the base of the platform there is a 54 m high tank, divided into sections with an area of ​​28 m 2 . The area of ​​the base plate is about 11 thousand m 2 .

Drilling and operational equipment weighing 6000 tons is located on the steel working deck. A platform for helicopters is installed above it. The platform is designed for drilling 36 wells, and its tanks can hold about 160,000 tons of oil.

The structures described above resist the effects of waves and surface currents. Meanwhile, with increasing depths, the dimensions of the platforms increase, the natural frequencies of oscillations decrease, and in order to ensure strength, it is necessary to resort to more and more material-intensive structures. In this regard, the developers came up with the idea of ​​creating platforms that could deviate from the vertical position under the influence of adverse meteorological conditions on the sea surface. Thus, the engineers of the Chicago Bridge and Iron company proposed a project for a tower-type deep-sea installation equipped with a universal joint near the base and four floating tanks in the upper part. In appearance, the platform should be a four-sided metal truss, attached to the seabed with forty piles driven through the legs of the tower, which somewhat do not reach the foundation slab. The latter is made in the form of a torus with an outer diameter of 45 m and an inner diameter of 36 m. Pipes 9.1 m long and an inner diameter of 1.37 m pass through the body of the torus (piles will be driven through these pipes). The space between the piles and the guide pipes (pile diameter 1.22 m) is filled with concrete.

The platform is designed to drill 40 wells at depths up to 412 m. It is completely assembled onshore in a dry dock and towed to the installation site in a horizontal position. To transfer the platform to a vertical position, it is enough to fill its ballast tank. In the future, it is planned to create platforms designed to operate at depths up to 600 m.

With an increase in the depth of the sea in the production area, the construction of stationary platforms becomes more and more labor- and material-intensive. Experts believe that 300 m is the limit beyond which pure subsea drilling and operation systems become profitable. This is especially true of stormy and freezing seas. About a hundred subsea installations have already been tested and partially used in the world. Basically, these are experimental systems located at a depth of 50-100 m. There is experience in installing wellhead equipment at a depth of 120 m to operate the well together with the Kondip-type platform in the Beril field (North Sea). Systems for working at depths up to 900 m are under development.

The construction of such structures includes installation at the bottom of a massive base with a working chamber containing a set of drilling equipment, a supply of pipes and tools. Drilling in the chamber is carried out at normal pressure, shift personnel are delivered from a special support vessel using a normobaric chamber. In another embodiment, the subsea base is equipped with a device for introducing the drill from the surface and a remotely controlled valve (preventer) that prevents the release of oil or gas. Upon completion of drilling, the well is connected to a common distribution system (manifold), which is controlled from the production base.

In addition to foundations and platforms, mention should be made of underwater storage facilities located at the bottom and in the water column. They are designed for the accumulation of oil and gas, including liquefied gas, and various products of oil refining. Such storages can be placed in the most convenient place in terms of operation. With sufficient depth in them, without special costs, it is possible to maintain a constant temperature - an important factor that reduces storage losses. These storages are often provided with special floating berths (Figure 1.13) from which giant tankers can be loaded without danger of damaging the storages. In some cases, it is also necessary to equip operational bases with storage facilities with floating berths.

Oil and gas production is impossible without the construction of underwater pipelines, which should connect underwater wells and storage facilities, storage facilities with processing plants and moorings, etc. We need not only pipelines laid along the bottom, but also placed in the water column. They are designed to connect both floating and bottom and floating structures. They can also be technological pipelines that provide a continuous process of production, liquefaction and storage of natural gas. In addition to gas and oil pipelines, water conduits, deep-sea outlets, and various auxiliary pipelines are being built.

Pipeline laying is one of the important elements of modern subsea technology. Suffice it to say that at present there are at least 20,000 km of underwater pipelines in operation in the world. Progress in the field of underwater pipe-laying is noticeable: 15 years ago there were no technical means for laying pipes at depths of 50 m, and already in 1974 a pipeline was laid connecting about. Sicily with the mainland at a depth of 360 m. Pipe-laying experiments are being carried out at greater depths. It is very important to learn how to do this, since the increase in offshore oil and gas production is associated with the development of new depths. If the depths of the developed areas of the North Sea, which lies completely in the shelf zone, do not exceed 140 m, then the area of ​​the Arctic archipelago is already depths of the order of 180 m, and the Canadian Arctic deposits discovered in 1976 are hidden by a 300-meter water column. The deep-water regions of the Gulf of Mexico are also promising, where production is already proceeding from a depth of about 200 m. The main increase in Baku oil production is also expected from great depths. Probably the most cost-effective way to transport oil and gas from the shelf of our northern seas will also be pipeline.

In addition to the construction of pipelines, underwater oil and gas production requires various power devices, pumping stations and control of the parameters of the transported raw materials. But underwater construction is not limited to these tasks. Oil and gas is a prospect for the coming decades: if their development continues at the same high pace, these reserves will inevitably be depleted and humanity will switch to other sources of energy. It is likely that one of them will be the kinetic energy stored in ocean currents, in waves, as well as thermal energy. In any case, this will be associated with the construction of underwater structures and various installations. Perhaps, over time, it will be economically justified to develop minerals in the thickness of the ocean floor, and not only their extraction, but also processing, and, therefore, in the future, it will be necessary to build deep-water plants, entire industrial complexes.

Life underwater is something people know about through futuristic descriptions in science fiction, movies and computer games. Being able to see the beauty of the oceans surrounded by amazing marine life is something that may seem impossible to most of us, but the truth is that there are underwater structures all over the world that offer the opportunity to live, dine or even study underwater.

Over the past century, advances in engineering and advanced technology have resulted in architecture being more complex and stunning than at any time in history. This means that designers and architects can come up with extraordinary ideas and bring them to life. This is something that was virtually impossible until recently. Another consequence of these advances is that today we are able to build the largest buildings and impressive structures in places that were previously considered completely uninhabitable for humans, such as underwater buildings.

Of course, underwater structures are not easy to build and engineers face specific challenges. Engineers and architects have to think of ways to deal with problems such as possible leaks or damage that can happen due to accidents or natural disasters. They also need to come up with intricate ways to provide these structures with electricity and other amenities, as well as solve the problems of building something that can withstand the pressure of the surrounding water. However, successful buildings are all the more impressive because of the knowledge that must be learned or acquired in the construction of such buildings. In this article, we will look at buildings and structures that have managed to overcome all these obstacles. They proved to be true and incredible feats of engineering and construction.

10. House of H2O (H2OME)

"US Submarine Structures" is a company that specializes in the creation of underwater structures and buildings, which are usually built for large companies. However, for now, they offer a special service that will allow anyone with enough money to live in an extravagant underwater home. Known as the H2O House, this building is a surface decompression house that sits on the sea floor at a depth of almost 18 meters. The house consists of two floors and its area reaches 28 square meters. It includes two bedrooms, a recreation room, a dining room and even special marine animal feeding mechanisms, thanks to which representatives of the marine fauna will swim up to the structure, providing a beautiful view from the windows. Unfortunately, such a beautiful house costs 10 million dollars.

9. Red Sea Star Restaurant / Nymphas Show Bar Striptease Club


The Red Sea Star, built in the city of Eilat, Israel, was an old restaurant, bar, and observatory built entirely underwater. Those who wanted to visit this unique building simply had to cross a small bridge and go down the stairs to have lunch and enjoy a drink surrounded by stunning views of the ocean floor. However, at some point, the institution closed and became a strip club equipped with poles for dancers, however, the club also did not last too long, as the building was discovered in 2013 by marine biologist Gil Koplovitz (Gil Koplovitz) and was. It is still not clear exactly when this business closed and why the underwater strip club did not become successful.

8. Jules’ Undersea Lodge


This underwater hotel is the only one of its kind in the US. The building, built in the 1970s, originally served as an underwater marine laboratory called La Chalupa and was owned by Ian Koblick. The building includes two bedrooms, a bathroom and some living space, providing a unique opportunity to experience life underwater. Since this building is completely underwater, those wishing to stay at the lodge must obtain a license from the Professional Association of Underwater Instructors (PADI) due to the fact that they will have to scuba dive to enter the building. In addition, the 24-hour service provides a wide range of services, including dishes prepared by a chef who scuba dives down to the building to prepare a dish, or a surprise delivery of flowers and chocolates. The hotel also helps protect the marine life in the area by acting as an artificial reef, providing habitat and oxygen for the surrounding marine life.

7 Poseidon Undersea Resort


The Poseidon Underwater Resort is another project developed by US Underwater Buildings. The building was originally intended to be a fully submerged hotel, including a restaurant, bar, library, conference rooms, as well as a spa, swimming pool and even a wedding chapel. Despite the fact that more than 150,000 people have expressed their desire to visit this hotel and book rooms, and that the hotel was supposed to open in 2008, this hotel off the coast of Fiji is still not ready for operation. Despite almost a decade of planning and construction, US Underwater Buildings has yet to even come close to opening the resort's doors, although reports have shown that almost every section of the hotel has been completed.

6Ithaa Undersea Restaurant


Ithaa Underwater Restaurant located in the Maldives is one of the very few underwater restaurants in the world. The construction of Ithaa was completely completed in 2005. The restaurant was built as an extension section of a nearby hotel and was designed and built by M. J. Murphy". In the restaurant you can just have a bite to eat, or you can have a full dinner. It can also be rented as a function space, however the restaurant's main attraction is the all-glass tunnel that provides a 270-degree panoramic view of the surrounding marine life. A spiral staircase connected to the jetty provides easy access to the restaurant. Unfortunately, according to the calculations, the building is designed for exactly 20 years, which means that by 2025 it will most likely be closed.

5. Aquarius Reef Base


The Aquarius Reef Base is an underwater laboratory located at the bottom of the ocean, at a depth of approximately 19 meters, off the coast of Florida. The base, filled with research equipment and computers, was built in 1986 and is designed so that marine biologists and other scientists can explore the coral reef and study the flora and fauna living in the reef area. The Aquarius Reef Base is special because it allows researchers to use a special diving technique known as SCBA diving. This means that they can stay underwater for long periods of time without having to return to the surface. This not only allows scientists to carry out research they would otherwise not be able to do, but also reduces the risk of developing decompression sickness by reducing the number of dives required to complete the work.

4. Cancun Underwater Museum


The Underwater Museum in Cancun, the brainchild of Marine Park director Jaime Gonzalez Canto and sculptor Jason de Caires Taylor, is a collection of more than 400 sculptures resting on the bottom seas. The artworks, which depict a range of different themes, are lowered to the seabed by a specially designed elevator. While the attraction certainly provides scuba diving enthusiasts with great views, the main goal of the museum is to raise awareness and protect the coral reefs off the coast of Mexico. Since the statues are built with PH-neutral cement, plants and corals can grow on them, which helps the artificial reefs develop and provides ideal conditions for the return of marine life to the area.

3. Restaurant "Sea. Fire. Salt. Sky." (Sea.Fire.Salt.Sky.Restaurant)


Another incredible underwater structure in the Maldives is the famous Sea.Fire.Salt.Sky restaurant, which consists of four different floors. Each floor has a distinctive theme and atmosphere, which is reflected in the name of the restaurant. For example, the Sky floor is on a roof while the Sea floor is underwater. With an elegant design and glass walls that offer views of the marine life, the restaurant can cater for a large number of people. It even has its own underwater wine cellar, which houses a collection of high quality wines.

2. Shanghai Oceanarium (Shanghai Ocean Aquarium)


Shanghai Aquarium, located in one of the largest and most popular cities in China, was designed and built by Advanced Aquarium Technologies. It includes fish and other marine animals from all major continents and also contains several rare animals that are unique to China. The different areas are separated from each other so that each of them has its own distinctive atmosphere. The highlight and main part of the aquarium is the viewing tunnel, which stretches almost 122 meters, being completely under water. Visitors can visit various habitats such as shark bay, kelp cave and coral reefs.

1. Underwater laboratory "MarineLab"


MarineLab is essentially a huge underwater facility that serves as a research center for scientists as well as a classroom for students and teachers. It has been in operation since 1984, making it the oldest underwater facility. It is located near the Undersea Lodge. The facility is in near-continuous use due to the fact that it can accommodate a small number of people for an extended period of time, and due to its varied range of useful spaces such as a shower room, viewing area and laboratory. This makes the facility, at a depth of 9 meters, ideal for research and teaching purposes, which has been used in the past by organizations such as NASA.

Rock Lake is located 40 km east of Madison, Wisconsin. On cloudy days, the water in it looks cloudy and the bottom cannot be seen. But one day in April 1936, in clear weather, a certain Dr. Morgan, flying over a pond in his sports plane, accidentally looked down - and saw the outlines of three large objects under the water surface. Morgan descended - and his eyes appeared distinct silhouettes of pyramids with truncated tops!

After this incident was reported in the newspapers, researchers became interested in Rock Lake. Soon a team of scuba divers descended to the bottom of the lake. The young biologist W. Kennedy was able to examine the stone wall of a certain structure under water. Going around it, the scientist was convinced that the building really has a pyramidal shape. He took with him a trophy - a broken piece of masonry. However, when Kennedy tried to return to the pyramid with his comrades, they failed to find it. A few years later, another group of enthusiasts arrived at Rock Lake, taking their equipment with them. Underwater archaeologists examined the entire body of water in squares - and found the first pyramid!

The construction was of the correct form and had a rectangular base measuring 9x10 m. It, of course, was a creation of human hands. Later, researchers found another building, slightly different parameters from the first. In 1985, off the coast of the Japanese island of Yonaguni, diving instructor Kihachiro Aratake accidentally stumbled upon a strange object consisting of stone platforms covered with geometric patterns and stepped terraces. The entire structure was surrounded by a deep trench. In appearance, it resembled the pyramids of the ancient Sumerians. A group of archaeologists who arrived at the site discovered a sculpture depicting a human head in an Indian feather headdress near the building.

It turned out that the underwater structure of unknown origin is similar to the high-altitude sanctuary of Machu Picchu, built by the Incas in South America. In both cases, L-shaped blocks were used for construction, providing a "seamless" connection. In addition, both here and there, the craftsmen used a unique processing technology that protects buildings from the effects of natural elements. But how did an Inca temple off the coast of Japan come about? After all, we are talking about a culture that originated on another continent! Or do we still not know much about the history of civilizations?

Not so long ago, another pyramid was found at the bottom of the Chinese lake Fuxian (southwestern province of Yunnan). Its height is 19 m, the length of the side of the base is 90 m. The structure is built of stone slabs and has a stepped structure. At the bottom of the lake there are about a dozen more similar objects and about 30 structures of other types ... The area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe entire architectural complex is about 2.5 square meters. km. But, if the previous finds date back to quite old periods of time, then who will explain the mystery of the so-called Bermuda pyramids? For the first time this phenomenon was announced in the summer of 1991 at a press conference in Freeport by the famous oceanographer Dr. Verlag Meyer. He claimed that when examining the bottom in the area of ​​the famous "Bermuda Triangle" at a depth of 600 m, the equipment discovered two giant pyramids. In size, they even exceeded the pyramid of Cheops in Egypt.

According to the scientist, both structures were built using an unknown technology, from a material similar to thick glass. But the most interesting thing is that they were built only about half a century ago!

Thanks to the ancient ancient manuscripts, we know that people have always believed that new lands rise from the depths of the oceans, and the old ones can sink under the water, destroying entire civilizations.

The most famous underwater lands are the island of Atlantis, which Plato wrote about 2.5 thousand years ago. Maritime archeology has only become academic in the last 50 years, with the advent of technology for research. Now more than 500 places with the remains of man-made structures have been discovered under water, many of which are from 3 to 10 thousand years old ... Recently, with the development of technologies and special techniques, including sonar, it was possible to come across very curious underwater anomalies.

Some strange objects, such as the Bimini Road, for example, cause a lot of controversy. Some of the anomalous places are not so close to the surface, but are hidden at great depths.

1. Mysterious structure in the Sea of ​​Galilee (Israel)

In 2003, scientists were surprised when they discovered a massive stone circular structure underwater at a depth of 9 meters in the Sea of ​​Galilee (Israel). This structure is composed of basaltic rocks, is cone-shaped and twice the diameter of Stonehenge in the UK.

Only recently were the results of studies of this strange design published. Archaeologists say that it has very similar features to the ancient communal burial grounds that are found all over the world. Researchers believe that it can date back to more than 4,000 years ago.

According to them, it was definitely artificial and was probably built on land and then sank when the level of the Sea of ​​Galilee rose.

2. Mysterious Underwater Structures on Google Maps

Strange circular structures can be seen in images from space off the coast of Florida, North Carolina and Belize. They were noticed by archaeologists and researchers of strange places in Google Earth images. Although similar anomalies have been seen in many other parts of the world, researchers do not yet know exactly what they are. Some believe that once these round structures could be burial mounds.

3. A strange structure in a Canadian lake

Divers discovered traces of the past of the ancient inhabitants of western Canada while participating in a unique underwater project in 2005. They found a very curious stone structure at a depth of about 12 meters in Lake McDonald, Ontario, Canada.

This structure consists of an elongated piece of stone weighing about 450 kilograms with an almost flat surface, which rests on 7 stones the size of baseballs, which, in turn, stand on a slab weighing about a ton.

At first it was assumed that this is a natural structure, until geologists and archaeologists studied pictures of the structure in more detail. It has been proven that this object was man-made. Such objects are well known to scientists, they are called seids and are objects of worship of the northern peoples. There are especially many of them in the Russian North, which will be discussed below.

Secrets of Seydozero (Russia)

The sacred Saami Seydozero, located in the very center of the Kola Peninsula, at the very end of the 20th century, became the focus of attention of many researchers. It was here that the remains of the oldest civilization in the history of mankind were discovered.

Ancient artifacts discovered back in 1997 in the Lovozero tundra mountain range surrounding Seydozero were identified as the remains of ancient fortifications, landscape-type sanctuaries, religious and navigation (perhaps even astronomical) objects.

Dense silt fills the bottom pit of the lake to a depth of 20 meters. It is almost impossible to see or find anything under such a "veil". However, scientists decided to "comb" the lake with the help of an echo sounder and georadar. The instruments showed that a fairly even bottom in shallow water suddenly broke off and went to a depth of 20 or even 30 meters. In the lagoon, over which Mount Ninchurt hangs, first an echo sounder, and then a radar, recorded two deep wells. According to the readings of the instruments, one of the underwater manholes led somewhere under the Ninchurt mountain, merging, perhaps, with some of its internal voids.

Impressive stone slabs rise to the surface right in the middle of the lake. Where did they come from? The georadar recorded voids under the slabs, as if they were hiding some unknown underwater tunnel.

Near Seydozero, directly under the ancient glade, there is a vast underground void. Or maybe a cave? It started at a depth of 9 meters and went beyond the 30-meter mark - this was the limit for the instrument readings. The total length of the georadar profile of Seydozero is two kilometers, and it leads from the relict glade, where the Sami camp was once located, to the foot of Mount Ninchurt. No one can yet explain from the standpoint of geology how a real underground passage leading towards the mountain was formed in the local rocks (where there should not be caves). The vast void under the clearing may be a karst ravine, but under the bottom of the lake we clearly saw not a ravine, but a real dungeon with a stone floor and vault.

But so far, both the caves and the underground passages are inaccessible for visual exploration, since they are below the lake level and are filled with sand, pebbles, peat and water.

Pyramids of Rock Lake (USA)

According to experts, they were built no earlier than the last ice age - at least 12,000 years ago. Naturally, the question arises as to which civilization created them. The lake is located 40 km east of Madison, Wisconsin, USA. The length of the reservoir reaches 8 km, and the width is 4 km. In 1836, Nathaniel Heyer discovered a small stone pyramid in the lake. She, like the South American pyramids, had a flat top. He named her Atzalan.

Record-breaking deep-sea diver Max Jean Knowle also became interested in the mystery of Lake Rock. In 1937, he crossed the lake in different places in a small boat and dragged a metal blank along the bottom on a strong cable. With the help of such a homemade "device", Knowle located underwater objects and made many dives to examine the stones that his "device" stumbled upon. Knowle, according to him, found one pyramid approximately in the middle of the lake. He made an entry in his diary:

“The building has the shape of a truncated pyramid. At the top there is a small square platform with a side of 1.4 m. The side of the square base is 5.43 m, and the height of the pyramid is 8.83 m. The structure apparently consists of smooth stones connected by a building compound. The stones are covered with a thick greenish coating, which is easily scraped off, and then a smooth gray surface of the stones is revealed.

In subsequent years, scuba divers dived to the bottom of the lake several times, confirming this find. The scuba diving magazine Skin Diver wrote in the January 1970 issue of the Rock Lake mystery: "These pyramids are absolutely incredible, impossible - they are too old and in a place where no one could build them. From the point of view of logic, they cannot exist, but history rarely obeys the correct logic."

What was found in the waters of Lake Rock - stone pyramids with cut tops - until that time was found only in Mexico and Guatemala. The next question is the time of the construction of the lake pyramids. The logical conclusion suggests itself: before the lake appeared on this place. But, as follows from the conclusions of geologists, Rock Lake was formed 10 thousand years ago! What kind of civilization existed here at that time? After all, earlier there was an opinion that ten thousand years ago there were only small tribes with a very primitive way of life in this territory. It is impossible even to admit that they were able to build such structures. So, in those distant times, not these (or not only these) tribes lived in these places, but some other, more developed people? No information about him, however, has been preserved.

"Stonehenge" of Lake Michigan

Although Stonehenge in the UK is one of the most famous ancient stone monuments in the world, it is far from the only one. Similar stone structures have been found around the world.

In 2007, while exploring the bottom of Lake Michigan using sonar, a team of underwater archaeologists discovered a series of rocks arranged in a circle at a depth of 12 meters. An engraved drawing was found on one of the stones.

The image is similar in shape to a mastodon, an animal that died out about 10 thousand years ago. The version of the ancient Stonehenge is quite plausible, because scientists have already found similar structures in the area.

Crimean megaliths at the bottom of the Black Sea

According to the theory of the Black Sea Flood, put forward in 1996 by geologists William Ryan and Walter Pitman from Columbia University in the USA, on the site of the Black Sea in the sixth millennium BC. e. there was a freshwater lake, on the shore of which the settlements of the ancient inhabitants of the Northern Black Sea region could theoretically be located. Around 5600 B.C. e. (according to some sources, in 3800 BC) the Dardane Flood disaster occurred, due to which the level of this lake rose by 100–150 meters and flooded vast territories. Scientists suggest that it was this catastrophe that became the source of the legends about the Flood.

However, there was no evidence that there were once antediluvian settlements on the shores of a freshwater lake. And only in 2007, Sevastopol divers for the first time announced that they had stumbled upon some artificial caves with windows and steps not far from the village of Shtormovoye, Saki region. It was then that there was talk that a sunken cave city was found off the coast of Crimea. Moreover, at a depth of 10 to 14 meters, which fundamentally contradicted the statements of historians. Moreover, scientists date the earliest Crimean cave cities as far back as the Middle Ages, and since then no large-scale disasters have occurred.

An underwater expedition, two miles from the coast in the Shtormovoy area, really discovered some artificial structures that outwardly very much resemble megalithic temples - massive columns and walls supporting multi-ton stone roofs. But the history of the construction of the Taurus megaliths really goes back thousands of years. Few people know that in the Crimea on land and now there are dolmens similar to those in the Caucasus, the so-called "Crimean boxes". And it is quite possible that a certain part of them ended up on the seabed after the sea disaster.

However, scientists are still skeptical about the discovery. Although it is no longer ruled out that people could once live in this area.

Underwater city off the island of Cuba

A series of underwater structures was discovered off the coast of the island of Cuba in 2001. These structures have attracted a lot of interest from archaeologists, historians and Atlantis hunters from all over the world. Sonar images taken by a team of seafloor researchers showed symmetrical and geometrically regular structures that span an area of ​​about 2 square kilometers at a depth of 600 to 750 meters.

Skeptics believe that these structures are too deep to be the work of man. According to estimates, for the structures to sink to such a depth, at least 50 thousand years must pass.

If conclusive evidence is found that the structures are man-made, they could add much to our knowledge of ancient civilizations whose cities sank into the depths of the ocean.

Japanese Yonaguni Monument

Since the "Yonaguni Monument" was discovered in 1987 off the coast of Japan, it has been the subject of controversy between archaeologists and researchers of underwater mysteries. Many argue that the area's natural landscapes have been altered by human hand, as in the case of the Sacsayhuaman complex in Peru.

If these assumptions are true, then man changed the area around the 10th millennium BC. Skeptics, on the other hand, believe that the entire structure is natural, and the drawings and stone carvings are just natural scratches. However, looking at the photo, it is hard to believe that these structures are just natural formations.

Bimini Structures

During the 2006 and 2007 expeditions, side-scan sonar and seismoacoustic profiling mapped the landscapes of the interior to the west of the Bimini Islands.

A series of rectangular structures called "Bimini Road" was discovered at a depth of about 30 meters. All these structures were lined up in the same direction in parallel lines. The researchers reported that the structures closely resemble those found off the coast of Cuba.

Later, the mysterious structures were examined in more detail. Judging by the depth at which these structures are located, they must be at least 10 thousand years old.

Discoveries in the Gulf of Cambay (India)

In May 2001, the discovery of the ruins of an ancient city in the Gulf of Cambay was announced. This discovery was made using sonar. The ancient city was located on a flat area, living quarters lined up in even rows, drainage systems, baths, barns and a fortress were discovered. The city belonged to a previously unknown ancient civilization of Hindustan.

Detailed studies of these places followed, artifacts were discovered. Among them are wood dating back to about the 7th millennium BC, stones that looked like tools, fossilized bones, fragments of dishes and even a tooth.

This city may have existed since 9500 BC. If it really existed then, it is thousands of years older than the most ancient city of India - Varanasi.

Nan Madol

On the Pacific island of Ponape, one of the islands of Micronesia, there are the ruins of an ancient city in the water, which the locals call Nan Madol, which means "On the lips of the High Leader."

The ruins of the city of Nan Madol are visible today in the form of small artificial islands, the number of which is about 82. At the base of these islands, the remains of rectangular buildings are visible, the walls of which are partially preserved in fairly good condition. Some of the walls reach a height of 9 meters from the base. In general, chaos reigns in the ruins - giant "sticks" are scattered throughout the complex, which leaves the impression of destruction as a result of a powerful natural disaster.

In some places you can see how the walls go deep into the sea water. In recent years, the universities of Ohio State, Oregon State (USA) and the Pacific Institute (Honolulu) have undertaken scuba diving expeditions to the ocean depths near Nan Madol. They discovered various elements of gigantic structures, such as huge stone columns, a system of tunnels, streets paved with huge rectangular blocks. Swimming among the sharks along the underwater streets of the sunken cyclopean city, they found giant columns, 20 to 30 meters high, whose bases rest at a depth of about 60 meters. Drawings were also found on underwater plates - geometric shapes such as circles and rectangles.

Archaeologists, who examined these pillars a few years ago, got to their core and confirmed that they were also made of basalt and installed here by someone in unknown times and for an unknown purpose. If you give free rein to your imagination, then you can compare them with the remains of some huge gates. Or with two steles on the sides of the entrance to the ancient city of Nan Madol in those days when it was still entirely located above sea level.

Structures at the bottom of Lake Titicaca (Bolivia)

On its banks, many ancient structures have been preserved, in particular, the impressive ruins of the mysterious "city of the gods" Tiahuanaco. Its established age is at least 15,000 years.

Now the city is located at an altitude of almost 4000 meters, that is, at an altitude with very sparse vegetation and unsuitable for human habitation. However, the remains of a large port, sea shells, images of flying fish and skeletons of fossil marine animals indicate that this city was once located on the seashore.

Geologists attribute the rise of the Andes to a period of 60-70 million years ago, that is, to a time when a person should not have existed on Earth yet. When researchers recently descended to the bottom of the lake, they found the remains of buildings there, walls made of huge boulders. These walls, running along a paved pavement, parallel to each other, stretched for more than a kilometer.

Of course, some of these ancient cities were washed away by floods, but others ended up at the bottom of the seas or oceans under the influence of tectonic shifts in the earth's crust. And, of course, initially these structures were built on land. But the Earth may have been geographically different from what we see it now.

So is our humanity today really the pinnacle of evolution, or is it just one of the same numerous peaks, in an endless series of cycles that originate in the distant, distant past?

Updated on 01/09/13 22:51:

Rama Bridge

These images from space were taken by the NASA shuttle in 2000. Now they hang in Buddhist temples - in India and Sri Lanka. The monks revere them as sacred relics - because they confirm the veracity of the legends. According to some - a million years ago, others, 20 thousand - between India and Sri Lanka, an army led by the legendary King Rama built a bridge 50 km long.

According to old English, Portuguese and Arabic sea charts, the bridge was pedestrian until the end of the 15th century AD, but was destroyed by an earthquake.

Heinrich Schliemann found Troy using only the text of an ancient poem, and he confirmed that behind the epic is not only fiction, but sometimes historical truth. It is generally accepted that today there is not a single artifact proving that the events described in the Ramayana actually happened ... But the bridge itself, 50 km long, is not a needle at all, it is a gigantic artifact in itself, and it is described in the Ramayana exactly where we are rediscovering it now ...