An algal bloom? A mine? A UFO? No one knows.
But it is clear that Swedish treasure hunters found a giant circle on the Baltic seabed. The bay was a mirror in the morning on June 19. Six of the nine crew members aboard the fishing vessel lake was still asleep in their bunks.Barely awake sat remaining three, staring at the screen that shows what is hidden on the seabed.
The group called Ocean Explorers and call themselves treasure hunters. Their mission is to comb the Baltic Sea wrecks containing alcohol which can then be sold at auction.1997 found leader Peter Lindberg wreck Jonkoping in the Åland archipelago. On board were champagne that has subsequently been sold for millions of dollars.
But this morning they found something quite different.
"Something solid down there"
At 87 meters, between Sweden and Finland, they saw a large circle, about 60 feet in diameter.
- You see a lot of weird stuff in this profession, but during my 17-18 years as a professional vrakletare I have never seen anything like this. Shape, completely round the circle, makes this unique, said Peter Lindberg.
Next to the circle is a 300 meter long slide track - as if the circle has traveled across the seabed before it has settled.
- Germans have been there, the Russians have been there, dumped a huge, yes, it is not inconceivable, said Dennis Åsberg one involved in the expedition.
What would it have been?
- I have no idea. All I know is that I've seen anything down there that is solid - stone, concrete or steel - and that is completely round.
Too early to determine
They rule out theories that there is a depth bomb or mine from the First World War - or a symmetrical blooms.
- It does me completely. This is not soft, says Peter Lindberg.
Andreas Olsson, marine archaeologist at the National Maritime Museums, will see pictures of the circle and say it is too early to determine what it is:
- The most likely scenario is still that there is a natural ground formation.
