Whirlpools can suddenly appear on rivers or seas, posing a threat to pull people, animals, or small boats down to the depths.
Whirlpools occur when fast-flowing water interacts with ocean currents or other obstacles. When faced with resistance, the water begins to spiral downward, forming a whirlpool that can suck in nearby animals or objects. Some whirlpools are relatively small and exist for a short time, while others can be gigantic and driven by continuous ocean currents. The most dangerous type of whirlpool is the strong whirlpool found in the sea or rivers (maelstroms).
Whirlpools in the sea are the most dangerous type. (Image: iStock).
The movement of opposing ocean currents can pull small objects, people, and even boats into its mouth, where victims are drawn down by the water’s vortex. Once submerged, the situation can be very perilous as the movement can disorient individuals, leaving them trapped without air supply.
“When I realized I was trapped in a whirlpool, my instinctive first action was to try to swim out, but it was futile,” shared Stuart Foulstone, who once fell into a whirlpool, with The Guardian. “Later I reviewed the footage from the GoPro camera attached to my helmet. The footage showed that I was underwater for nearly 3.5 minutes. I was definitely pulled down close to the riverbed, where the pull of the whirlpool lessened and eventually disappeared. A kayaker spotted me face down in the water and pulled me up.”
The depth to which a whirlpool can pull a person down depends on its size and strength, but not everyone can escape. The body tends to sink when someone drowns but then rises to the surface due to the decomposition process releasing gases into the tissues.
Whirlpools can form in several ways, but most often, they are the result of collisions between opposing ocean currents swirling around each other or when a current meets an obstacle. Another way is through the sudden formation of sinkholes created by collapsing caves. This process causes water to flood the entire hollow structure, creating a whirlpool similar to when you pull the plug from a full sink. Due to the various ways they can form, whirlpools sometimes appear unexpectedly, while many famous locations are known for whirlpools caused by currents flowing through the area.