Thrilling footage shows snowstorm erupting in the middle of the rolling Bering Sea waves

While the underwater world of Bering Sea skulks with Pacific Sleeper sharks and shimmery gold-bearing ash, the world above its surface is a haunting melody reverberating with a tune of fierce currents and fluctuating weather. Luke (@mr.fishen), who is a Bering Sea fisherman was crabbing in the sea in the winter of 2020 when a wild snowstorm hit the water causing his boat to wobble above the roaring waves. He captured the scene from his boat’s window and posted it on social media. The footage has over 12 million views on TikTok and 108,000 on Instagram and was recently shared on X by Wonder Of Science (@wonderofscience).

The Bering Sea is famous for crab fishing, serving two crab seasons a year, one for king crabs and one for snow crabs. Located between Russia’s Far East and Alaska in the northernmost part of the Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea is known as the most treacherous fishing spot on the planet. The video in question shows a boat’s front sailing above the crashing and rolling waves, as flakes of snow shower from the sky, creating a sighting that is equally eerie and beautiful. Snowstorms pouring down and foamy water clouds spouting upwards make it look like an ethereal seascape. But in reality, it is far from ethereal.

According to NOAA, this kind of snowstorm, that occurs in the oceans or seas, is sometimes also called “marine snow.” Marine snow refers to the showers of biological debris that fall into the lower water columns. Just as autumn leaves fall onto a forest floor, the plants and animals on the ocean’s surface decay and die, and start falling towards the seafloor. In addition to dead animals and plants, marine snow includes fecal matter, sand, soot, and other inorganic dust. Some snowflakes take weeks to reach the ocean floor. This rain of snow ends up supplying food for many deep-sea creatures. As for the material that is not consumed by any creature, it becomes a muddy “ooze” that coats and smudges the ocean’s floor and is eventually decomposed by biological activity. About three-quarters of an ocean’s floor is covered in this gooey ooze.

On X, Luke’s video left some people terrified while others found it breathtaking. @omsc_w3 commented, “Beautiful and terrifying at the same time. A part of me wants to experience something like that and the other is like ‘Hell No!’” @truecrimenft thought it was a “video game,” whereas @poseidonblind thought it was a movie scene.

As on X, u/whatupwasabi on Reddit also felt that the video gave “game vibes.” u/lost_all_my_mirth called the scene “hauntingly beautiful,” whereas u/spacecowbymax said it looked like an “eerie landscape.” u/albanlusitanae said it was “Lovecraftian” referring to American fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft.

Other people found the clip slightly unsettling. For example, u/craign_em said, “Just looking at this gives me the chills.” u/bonersimpsons66 noted, “That's terrifying it looks like the end of days.”