BLACK SEA - 8 Amazing Facts about the Black Sea

AUGUST 29, 2011 BY SMITA


Black Sea is one of the major water bodies and a famous inland sea of the world. It has been famous for a long time, mainly because of the name that denotes rather inhospitable nature of this sea. For a long time, the lack of hospitability of this sea was attributed to difficulty in its navigation.

However, with time its image as one of the most difficult water bodies changed but the name remained. But still, there are a lot of interesting Black Sea facts that must be known. We enumerate 10 of the most important facts..

1.       Surrounded by Six Countries : Geography and location

The most interesting thing about this sea is its map. The map of Black Sea flaunts its 159,600 sq mi sea lying between South East Europe and Asia. This sea is connected with the Mediterranean Sea through Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles. It is an amazing feature on the map of Black Sea that it is surrounded by six different countries.

Sharing its shores with boundaries of Turkey, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Russia and Georgia, this sea is the connecting link between all these six different countries.

2.       Mystery Surrounding the Origin of the name – Black Sea

One of the best and little known Black Sea facts is the origin of its name. There are various theories as to how this sea got to be called by this particular name. Of the many prevalent theories, there is one that says that the Black sea was called ‘the Sea’  for a long time before being called as the ‘inhospitable Sea’ before the Greeks took over its shore lines. Once Greeks made navigation through this sea very easy, the name changed from the inhospitable to the hospitable sea.

However, this sea has been given many names over the centuries by different people but this particular name happens to be the most famous one, believed to be given by the Turkish in medieval times.

3.       Anoxic water

One of the most intriguing facts about the Black Sea is its anoxic water. Black Sea happens to be the largest water body with a meromictic basin. This means the movement of water between the lower and upper layers of water in this sea is the least found anywhere in the world.

This makes a considerable temperature difference between these layers along with making the lower layers absolute free of oxygen and hence, inactive.

4.       Believed to be the Landing Point of the Noah’s Ark : Maritime History

Another very interesting fact or perhaps rumor about the Black Sea is that the Mt. Ararat standing in the eastern Turkey along the coastline of the Black Sea is considered to be the landing point for Noah’s Ark.

Since there is no concrete way of verifying this rumor, black Sea happens to be one the most famous ways for people to check out the rumored mountain for themselves.

5.       Has Exotic Smaller islands

 The black sea is a house to many smaller islands all along its inland. These islands are about ten in number and are amazing store of fauna and flora that make this sea even more unique that it already is. These islands cover an expanse of three different countries, making each one a unique experience of its own.

6.       Creepy Rumors: The dead lies beneath the water

 What seems like an intriguing and almost scary fact is that the dead are believed to persist in waters of the Black Sea. Remains of ships and humans and other decomposable materials like ropes, wood etc can still be found at the bed of this sea, hundreds of years after their entry into the waters of the Black Sea. As thrilling as this fact sounds, the scientific explanation for it is that due to anoxic nature of the lower water layers of this sea, the process of decomposition is negligibly slow, hence, the persistence of remains of the dead inside the sea’s water.

7.       The Water Level Always Remains the Same 

Another one of the interesting Black Sea facts is that the water level in this sea always remains the same. Due to absence of any high or low tides, there is no fluctuation in the water level, making it a calm, quiet and serene sea on the surface.

8.       Thriving tourists spot choice and favorite destination for cruises

In spite of all the mystery surrounding the Black Sea, the fact remains that it happens to be a very famous choice for tourists’ vacations all the year round. With its amazing destinations that include six countries, tour of the Mediterranean sea, intermediate sea, tourists spots etc, it remains one of the most famous picks for people wishing to enjoy some quality time on a relaxed laid back traveling experience.

Because of its popularity as a tourist choice and amazing scope of cruising, there are a number of cruises that offer a chance to explore the secrets of this sea. You can choose your destination from any of the six countries this sea borders along with the smaller islands that fall on the way, along with the Mediterranean Sea as a bonus.

These are just a few of all the amazing Black sea facts. But to know more about them, it is best to visit this sea and let it do the talking.

Source: http://www.marineinsight.com/