Whenever we imagine a sea or ocean, the first pictures that come to our mind are sandy shores, crashing waves and beautiful beaches. Every small and big sea in the world definitely touches the border of some country or land. But do you know that on this very earth there exists a unique ocean which has no shore? Yes, it may sound like a film story or a fantasy, but it is completely true.
The name of this mysterious sea is ‘Sargasso Sea’. This is the only sea in the world which has no land border or coastline. This sea situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is a wonder of nature in itself, which surprises everyone from scientists to travelers. Let us know the whole truth about this shoreless sea and the interesting secrets to it.
The Sargasso Sea is located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Geographically, it is surrounded only by water instead of land. Gulf Stream is present in its west, North Atlantic Current in the north, Canary Current in the east and North Atlantic Equatorial Current in the south. This calm sea remains in its place amid the maze of these ocean currents.
Usually the boundaries of any sea are determined by the land boundaries of continents or islands, but this is not the case with the Sargasso Sea. The boundaries of this sea are determined not by land, but by the four strong ocean currents flowing around it. These currents together form a huge cyclonic circle, which in the language of science is called ‘Gyre’. The calm water in the middle of this sea maze is called ‘Sargasso Sea’.
This unique sea was named by Portuguese sailors. In fact, a huge stock of dark yellow and brown sea grass floats on the surface of the calm waters of this sea. This special type of floating grass (Algae) is called ‘Sargassum’ in Portuguese. Due to the abundant presence of this grass, this entire sea area was named ‘Sargasso Sea’. This grass grows and spreads above water without roots.
Throughout history, the Sargasso Sea has been considered a very scary and dangerous area for sailors and ships. There are two main reasons for this – firstly, despite the strong currents all around, the water inside it remains very calm and stable, and the winds here also blow very slowly. The second reason is the heavy ‘Sargasam’ grass floating here. In ancient times, when ships moved with the help of wind and sails, they used to get trapped in this web of calm water and grass, due to which the ships could not move ahead for months.
It may have been a challenge for human ships, but this ocean is no less than a boon for wildlife and marine ecosystems. The floating Sargassum grass here is home to millions of marine creatures. Endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtles spend the first years of their lives hiding among this grass. Apart from this, this sea is also a favorite breeding ground for American and European eels, which come here after traveling thousands of miles to lay eggs.
Another major feature of the Sargasso Sea is its extremely clean and transparent water. The water of this sea is so deep blue and clear that things up to several meters deep under the water can be seen clearly. However, in recent years, due to plastic pollution and climate change, this unique ecosystem is also under threat, efforts are being made at the global level to save it.
This unique part of the Earth reminds us that our nature still has many such mysteries, which challenge even the understanding of science. This shoreless sea is truly a unique and magical work of nature.
