The natural phenomena you can only see by yacht

St Elmo’s Fire
St. Elmo's Fire is a weather phenomenon, often seen as a blue or violet electrical sparkle around masts or antennas.
Casual observers might mistake it for fire or lightning, but it is neither: while lightning is an electrical discharge between clouds and the ground, St. Elmo's Fire occurs when the electric field around a conductor rips electrons from air molecules, creating a plasma which glows.
Sailors historically saw St. Elmo’s Fire as a sign of divine protection during storms - it was named after St. Erasmus of Formia, the patron saint of sailors.

@BBCNews

Fata Morgana
This mirage, when a city or ship appears to hover above the horizon, is caused by light rays bending as they pass through different temperature air layers.
“Fata Morgana” comes from Morgan le Fay, the sorceress of Arthurian legend. Sailors believed these strange visions were her magical illusions.

@sciencechannel

Green Flash
When the air is stable and clear just after sunrise or sunset, the earth’s atmosphere can cause sunlight to refract into different frequencies.
This creates a green light on the horizon which colours the surrounding water emerald.
Green flashes are often associated with folklore: some say that once you’ve seen a green flash, you’ll “never again go wrong in matters of the heart.” This phenomenon can be seen anywhere in the world.

@juguerra86

FREAKS OF NATURE

Frost flowers and ice eggs
A rare occurrence, frost flowers are tiny clusters of ice around four centimetres in diameter that take the shape of a flower.
They are usually found on young sea ice, where very little wind blows. Ice eggs can accumulate on beaches in freezing weather, caused by wind and currents rolling over small pieces of ice and creating rounded pieces, rather like pebbles.

@BinduBhatiaOfficial

Square waves
Dubbed the “world’s most dangerous waves” , square waves occur when waves from different weather systems meet each other at a certain angle.
While they look like a marvel of nature, experts warn they are far more powerful and dangerous than rip currents or the strongest surf waves as they can pull a swimmer in multiple directions at once.

@AbhiBrosthesailor

Scientific explanation by @Bright Side

Total eclipses
Total lunar and solar eclipses are a once-in-a-lifetime experience you’ll never forget - creating a stunning light show in the sky or plunging the world into an eerie twilight and birds stop singing.
One of the best things about being on a yacht is that you are mobile so you can position yourself in areas where you can observe them at their best, without light pollution or buildings to obscure your view.
The next two total lunar eclipses will be best seen in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia on September 7-8, 2025 and in Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands and Americas on March 3, 2026.
When it comes to total solar eclipses, head to Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Russia next summer, August 12 2026.

@Dylan_Anderson

Scientific explanation by @Scienceabc

Singing ice bergs
As slow-moving icebergs and glaciers break off and ‘calve’ or bump and scrape the ocean floor, they roar and clang.
As they melt, they emit eerie snap, crackle, and pop noises - caused by billions of compressed air bubbles trapped inside.
As the ice thaws, these bubbles burst, creating sounds that researchers say can resemble tiny gunshots.
Some of these noises are beyond the range of human hearing which scientists have likened to the calls of whales or the haunting 'songs' of icebergs.

@GuardianNews

Explanation by @jonnajinton

WILDLIFE WONDERS


South Africa sardine run
Each year between May and July, massive shoals of sardines migrate north along the coasts of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, creating one of the ocean’s most spectacular events.
This underwater phenomenon draws a frenzy of predators - including dolphins, humpback whales, minke whales, and Bryde’s whales - all converging for a dramatic feeding spectacle.
Divers and snorkelers often witness tightly packed bait balls swirling below the surface, while boat tours offer front-row seats to the breathtaking chaos above.