Sep 21, 2026 · 10 min · 10 segments
This week I talk about one of the mysteries I can't get enough of; a mysterious sound heard in 1997 called The Bloop! All episodes are researched, written, read, and audio engineered by me, Daisy…
Daisy FioreHost
In 1997, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, usually known by the acronym NOAA, had deployed an array of hydrophones around the Pacific Ocean.
These hydrophones were out to listen for volcanic activity and ice noise, or so they said.
However, underwater hydrophone arrays started a decade earlier to listen for Soviet submarines.
The use by NOAA was sort of secondary as the need to listen for submarines declined.
So these hydrophones had been listening to things underwater for a while when the Bloop was detected.
The Bloop was heard in 1997 and originated off the southern coast of South America.
It was an ultra low frequency, high amplitude sound, and it was loud, like really loud.
The official NOAA page says that a similar sound has been heard multiple times, but just to be clear, similar is not identical.
In 1997, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, usually known by the acronym NOAA, had deployed an array of hydrophones around the Pacific Ocean.
These hydrophones were out to listen for volcanic activity and ice noise, or so they said.
However, underwater hydrophone arrays started a decade earlier to listen for Soviet submarines.
The use by NOAA was sort of secondary as the need to listen for submarines declined.
So these hydrophones had been listening to things underwater for a while when the Bloop was detected.
The Bloop was heard in 1997 and originated off the southern coast of South America.
It was an ultra low frequency, high amplitude sound, and it was loud, like really loud.
The official NOAA page says that a similar sound has been heard multiple times, but just to be clear, similar is not identical.
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