From Whale Strandings in New Zealand to a 400 Million Won Banknote, Mysteries Shaking the World

Bizarre phenomena that cannot be clearly explained scientifically are being reported all over the world, raising questions. From mass whale strandings in New Zealand to unidentified low-frequency noise and a lake where remains of different races were discovered, mysterious incidents have been highlighted one after another.

Whale Strandings at New Zealand's Farewell Spit and Unidentified Low-Frequency Noise

Farewell Spit, located at the northern tip of the South Island of New Zealand, is called a 'death trap' where whales strand in groups, contrary to its beautiful scenery. On February 22, an incident occurred where about 50 Bryde's whales stranded here. Local experts and volunteers were deployed and made rescue efforts, such as spraying water on the whales, but about half of the whales lost their lives due to dehydration and burns. Mass strandings in this area are recurring, with precedents such as 198 whales stranding in 2015 and 700 whales in 2017.

Experts are speculating various causes. A research team led by Professor Ian Boyd of the University of St Andrews in the United Kingdom raised the possibility that sonar from naval vessels may have caused stress to the whales, causing them to lose their sense of direction. Additionally, there is an analysis that due to the topographical characteristics of the Spit, whales lose their way and become trapped in the sand.

Meanwhile, in several regions including Wellington, New Zealand, unidentified noise phenomena occurred where residents complained of sleep disorders and nosebleeds. It is analyzed that low-frequency sounds below 100 Hz cause direct vibrations to the body, inducing headaches and vomiting. This noise has occurred simultaneously not only in New Zealand but also in the United States, Canada, and Russia, leading to various speculations such as the Sonic Boom hypothesis or conspiracy theories, but its true identity has not been revealed.

A 20-Dollar Banknote with the Del Monte Logo Sold for 400 Million Won

In the United States, a peculiar banknote that appears to be an error in the printing process was traded at a record price. In 2003, a 20-dollar bill withdrawn from an ATM by a university student in Ohio, United States, was found to have the logo of the juice brand 'Del Monte'. It appears that the banknote was circulated with a logo sticker attached during the printing process.

This banknote attracted great interest among currency collectors, and its price soared. This banknote, which was traded for approximately 11.1 million won in 2003, passed through approximately 27 million won in 2006, and was sold for a whopping 430 million won at an auction this year. This banknote, manufactured at the United States Department of the Treasury Mint in 1996, remains a mystery as it passed the approval process of the Treasury because the sticker did not peel off during the manufacturing process and was printed as is.

India's Skull Lake, Remains of Different Races with a 1,000-Year Gap

Roopkund Lake, located at an altitude of 5,000m in the Himalayas of India, is called 'Skull Lake' because about 800 sets of skeletal remains are buried there. In the past, it was speculated that these remains were of an Indian king and his subjects who died in a blizzard 870 years ago.

However, new facts were revealed through DNA and radiocarbon dating conducted by a multinational research team in 2019. While many of the discovered remains had South Asian genes from the 7th to 10th centuries, some remains were identified as individuals from the 17th to 20th centuries, and even Greek and Southeast Asian genes were detected. This suggests that the remains were not from a single event but were buried here for a long period of about 1,000 years for different reasons. The research team confirmed that the remains were in a healthy state without traces of disease or war, and they are raising the possibility that those walking the ancient Hindu pilgrimage routes may have died there.