Across the globe, there are famous seas with peculiar names such as the Black Sea, Red Sea, and Dead Sea. While many have heard of these names, not everyone knows the deeper reasons behind them. Sometimes, it is precisely because of their unusual names that these seas become even more renowned.
Black Sea
The sea here has a deep blue color.
The Black Sea, or Hắc Hải, is an inland sea located between Southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. It connects to the Mediterranean Sea through the Bosporus Strait and the Sea of Marmara. It spans an area of approximately 422,000 km2, with a maximum depth of 2,210 meters.
The origin of the name Black Sea remains a topic of debate. One scientific explanation is related to the color of the water. Although it is still blue, the Black Sea has a darker shade than usual. This coloration is due to the presence of various dark algae living on the water’s surface, as the salinity of the sea is relatively low.
Another argument posits that the name was given by the Greeks and Mesopotamians in ancient times. They often used colors to indicate directions; for example, yellow represented the East, red for the South, black for the North, and blue for the West. The Black Sea lies to the north of Greece, hence its name.
Additionally, the Black Sea may truly carry the meaning of “darkness.” In ancient times, many ships sank here due to severe and dangerous weather conditions. Consequently, locals referred to it as the Black Sea as a warning.
Dead Sea
The landscape is beautiful, but the Dead Sea is truly deadly.
The Dead Sea, also known as the Tử Hải, is not a sea. In essence, it is a saltwater lake located at the border between the West Bank, Israel, and Jordan, specifically in the Jordan Valley. The lake covers an area of 810 km2 with a maximum depth of 330 meters.
The eerie and fear-inducing name of the Dead Sea truly stems from its danger. Due to the extremely high salinity, no fish or large aquatic organisms can survive here. The only organisms that exist in the Dead Sea are very small bacteria and fungi. Any fish or organisms from the Jordan River that swim into this sea will meet a swift demise.
However, not all river organisms that reach the Dead Sea cannot survive. In winter, when it rains heavily, the salt concentration in the lake decreases by about 30%. At this time, certain algae can thrive here.
Red Sea
The Red Sea sometimes has a pink hue due to a type of sea algae.
Less famous than the Black Sea or the Dead Sea, the Red Sea, or Hồng Hải, is a small gulf of the Indian Ocean located between Africa and Asia. It connects to the ocean in the south through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. The Red Sea covers an area of about 450,000 km2 with its deepest point reaching 2,500 meters.
Similar to its sibling, the Black Sea, the Red Sea does not actually have a true red color but does exhibit a hint of red. The reddish tint in the water is due to a large amount of red algae called Trichodesmium erythraeum that lives on the surface. However, this phenomenon only occurs during a specific period each year. Some suggest that the red hue may also come from the mineral-rich mountains nearby.
