Unusual phenomenon on the shore of the Baltic Sea

An unusual situation has occurred on the Polish coast! Near Jastarnia, the shore of the Baltic Sea was covered in ice balls. This interesting natural phenomenon is caused by the exceptionally cold weather we are experiencing and by the specific properties of our sea. Tourists strolling along the shore of Puck Bay had the opportunity

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: January 30, 2014 - 20:21

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 02:54

Unusual phenomenon on the shore of the Baltic Sea

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Tourists strolling along the shore of Puck Bay had the opportunity to admire an unusual sight. The waves throwing up huge ice balls made many people rub their eyes in astonishment.

The whole situation is caused by low temperatures, frigid winds and the low salinity of the Baltic Sea. All this combined causes the ice to clump together, which, as a result of the waves and rubbing against each other, is “ground” out of its shapeless mass and turns into ice balls.

The same situation occurred earlier this month in the US. The ice balls seen in the video below were formed in the waters of Lake Michigan. The locals were probably not as surprised as the inhabitants of Jastarnia, as they could already see this phenomenon last year.

The size of the balls depends on the temperature of the water from which they form. Under the right conditions, they can reach truly enormous sizes. Spheres weighing 50-75kg have already been observed around Lake Michigan!

Photo of the Baltic ice floes

About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.