Solved or unsolved mysteries have always been interesting to listen to and read. Unsolved mysteries always end at a thrilling note, whereas solved mysteries carry a sense of satisfaction towards the conclusion – and that’s not to mention the surprising, sometimes unexpected journey they follow until the end. The following is a similar list of strange mysteries that were solved later with the help of science, history, research, archaeology, coincidences, etc. Read on these 10 strange mysteries that were solved later.

1 “The Bloop” is an underwater mystery that took nearly 10 years to solve. In 1997, an ultra-low frequency, weird but loud noise was detected, and it startled everyone. It was assumed that The Bloop was the voice of some sea creature, but in 2012, it became clear that the sound was produced when an iceberg either broke or rubbed against the seabed.

“The Bloop” is among the loudest underwater sounds ever recorded. The sound was recorded by scientists in June 1997 amidst their underwater volcano search off the coast of South America. They described it as a strange and exceptionally loud noise.

The source was unknown and they called it “The Bloop.” The sound was not audible to human ears because of its ultra-low frequency, but it traveled nearly 3,000 miles in the ocean.

Several theories emerged as an attempt to define the source of the sound that mostly claimed that it was a call of an undiscovered sea creature, perhaps an aquatic dinosaur or megalodon. 

Between 2005 and 2010, NOAA discovered that the area near where The Bloop originated was constantly bombarded with the ice sheets breaking. The sound profile of The Bloop resembled the patterns made by polar ice sheets after they break apart. 

This became the most reasonable hypothesis, and NOAA concluded the strange sound was actually the result of ice quakes that happen when huge icebergs cracked and fractured. (1, 2, 3)

2 On a remote peninsula in the Arctic Circle, huge wounds or exploding craters were appearing in the permafrost. They were like holes violently bursting out from underground. This mystery of these Siberian exploding craters worried scientists for a long time until they found out the reason. It happened when methane was released due to the melting of permafrost that sometimes ignited resulting in the large cavities on the surface of the ice.

The cavities on the ground of ice appeared suddenly, explosively, and out of nowhere in Western Siberia, in the central part of Yamal Peninsula. The surface around the crater’s edge was found highly torn. One of the craters found was 50 meters deep and 20 meters in diameter.

The first hole was discovered in July 2014, and the riddle was completely solved only between 2018 and 2020. The scientists who closely studied the phenomenon claimed that this was an entirely new feature of permafrost. 

Russian scientists explained that the formation of the holes started with the accumulation of gas. Then the pressure rose and developed gas-dynamic processes, violently exploding into the craters. 

The craters and other such new features are directly indicative of rapid warming and potentially carry severe global consequences. (1, 2, 3)

3 On Franklin’s expedition in 1848, two ships, H.M.S Erebus and H.M.S Terror, disappeared with all their crew while searching for the Northwest Passage. Numerous theories were proposed and expeditions were carried out to solve the mystery, but it wasn’t until 2014 when a Canadian mission with all the latest marine archaeological equipment found Erebus, and then Terror was also discovered two years later.

The expedition started in May 1845 from the River Thames carrying 128 men led by Sir John Franklin. Their primary objective was to locate and transit the unknown Northwest Passage. The crew consisted of some highly accomplished mariners across Europe. 

The twin ships were last spotted in the Baffin Bay after the two months sail to North America, and then the ships simply disappeared.

Later, a number of rescue expeditions were sponsored to find the cues to the lost ships, which they finally did. In September, Erebus was found just 11 meters below the water, and two years later, the Terror was also found by another team. Archaeological research started in 2017 by Adventure Canada, a chartered ship. 

However, the findings deepened the mystery because the locations of the two wrecked ships were unexpected. Terror was 60 miles south of what the last note said about the abandonment and Erebus at a distance of 30 miles south. An underwater archaeologist explains that empty ships were carried from one place to another by the ice that entombed them. (1, 2)

4 The “Solway Spaceman” was a figure seen in a photograph of a girl, taken by her father who was a fireman, Jim Templeton. The photographer claimed that the background figure is wearing a spacesuit, and he swears he didn’t see anyone present when the picture was taken. The photo got widespread publicity leading to the spaceman theory. It turns out the figure was actually Jim’s wife facing opposite to the camera, and her blue dress appears white due to overexposure. 

The picture was clicked on a summer day in 1964 in the village Burgh by Sand in England. Jim took his daughter’s photograph and after going through it back at home, he noticed a strange figure that looked like a spaceman in the background.

Police and Kodak Company didn’t believe his claim, but a media frenzy soon ensued. The case got worldwide media attention and sparked debates for decades over the strange figure. 

Few people believed it to be a spirit; others said it was the young girl’s psychic powers; it just got weirder and weirder. 

Jim first claimed his wife, Annie, was standing behind him when he clicked the photo. Later, he mentioned that there is a possibility that she might have walked into the shot without him noticing because of the particular build of the camera, which only allowed 70% of the view via the viewfinder. 

Every theory, belief, claim, and supposition over 30 years was shattered when it was confirmed that it was actually his wife. The only result was people became more cynical about such pictures. (1, 2)

5 The dream of El Dorado, a lost city of gold, led many conquistadors on an effortful trek to the mountains and rainforests of South America. Archaeological research and history confirm that it was all wishful thinking and the “golden one” was actually a person, not a place.

It was a European myth that told of a lost city of gold, El Dorado, waiting for an adventurer to come and discover the treasure that resides there.

The South American myth said that it was never a place but a ruler who covered himself in gold from head to toe every morning and washed it off into a sacred lake in the evening. 

The real story had been woven together over years with the help of early historical texts and archaeological research. 

The story is of a rite-of-passage ceremony employed by the Musica people that lived in Columbia from 800 CE until today.

Different Spanish invaders who arrived in the early 16th century began recording their interpretations of the ceremony. The best one is from Juan Freyle who wrote that the “golden one” was actually the new successor or the leader of the community.

The ceremony, El Dorado, was carried out near Lake Guatavita. The new heir was covered with gold dust and then the gold with jewels was left into the lake to appease the gods. (1, 2, 3)