Tsunami Deep Sea Creatures Email
Summary:Email with a number of attached photographs of strange deep sea creatures claims that the creatures were washed up as a result of the Southeast Asian Tsunami (
Full commentary below).
Status:False information, real Photographs
Example:(Submitted via email, January, 2005)
SUBJECT: Phuket Deep Sea Creatures - Found At Seaside After TSUNAMI
As everyone knows, the tsunami in Southeast Asia was devastating both in the loss of life and economically to the region. However now that the clean up is underway in the region, deep sea creatures that live too deep to be studied are being found scattered throughout the wreckage. These creatures were washed up on shore when the waves hit.
Amazing what lives so far below the surface isn't it? It is ironic how terrible human tragedy and natural disaster can lead to unprecedented expansion of scientific knowledge.
The theory is the tsunami created enough vertical currents to sweep these deep living creatures to the surface quickly. The gases in their blood expanded rapidly causing death (like divers ascending too quickly).
The email above claims that the strange deep sea creatures featured in the accompanying photographs were brought to the surface as a result of Southeast Asia's devastating tsunami of December 2004. However, a short amount of time spent searching the Internet reveals that the pictures were circulating online long before the tsunami struck. Among others, the ConceptArt Forums
hosted a thread featuring the very same pictures back in March, 2004.
The creatures depicted in the photographs are real. The pictures were taken during the
NORFANZ scientific research voyage undertaken during May and June, 2003. NORFANZ was a
"joint Australian- New Zealand research voyage carrying leading Australian, New Zealand and other international scientists to explore deep sea habitats and biodiversity in the Tasman Sea"
The photographs can be viewed in their original context by visiting the
NORFANZ Creature Feature pages.
Another abridged example that carried the same pictures:
Hey Guys,
The sea has so much to explore and this time the tsunami came forth
to reveal its wealth and its destruction...
I guess all of us never have seen 80% of the fish in the ocean
Write-up by Brett M. Christensen
