Dangerous Waters: The World’s Most Perilous Seas

The ocean is one of the most dangerous places on earth. Because of its vastness and high risk of danger, it’s mostly unexplored, but some parts that have been explored would have been better off never being discovered.

There are five oceans, seven major seas, 50 smaller seas, and hundreds of passages that make up 75% of the surface of our planet. Most of these waters are safe to travel, but there are some that even the most experienced sailors steer clear of.

1. Drake Passage, Antarctica

If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you’ve definitely heard about the Drake Passage. It’s the section of ocean between the tip of South America and Antarctica, and it is extremely dangerous.

It’s estimated that about 800 shipwrecks have happened here, and more than 20,000 sailors have lost their lives trying to sail through these impossible waters.

The most recent accident was in 2022 on a Viking Cruise Ship. One window of the cruise ship exploded because of the massive 40-foot waves it was facing, killing one passenger. Many others on board were injured because of the rocking of the boat and things on the boat falling on passengers.

The worst part is that you must go through the Drake Passage to return to the mainland, which means passing through it twice! A cruise to Antarctica might sound like a fun adventure, but remember that it could be the last thing you ever do.

2. Bermuda Triangle, Caribbean

Here’s one that we’ve all known about since we were kids. The Bermuda Triangle is the ocean section between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda. Planes and ships have disappeared in this triangle, never to be seen again. About 20 disappearances have occurred in the Bermuda Triangle that science cannot explain, which makes many people turn to paranormal reasons.

The USS Cyclops is one of the most well-known sea disappearances where 306 crew members vanished at sea. It happened in 1918 and was the largest loss of life in the history of the US Navy not related to combat. The boat and the passengers aboard were never seen or heard from again.

In terms of air accidents, Flight 19 is the most famous disappearance. A US Air Force plane of 14 crew members was training when they suddenly lost contact and were never seen again. The Navy called for a search and rescue flight of 13 crew members to be deployed, which also disappeared as soon as it entered the Bermuda Triangle.

3. North Sea

The North Sea is another viral TikTok trend (I don’t know why all of these seas went viral on TikTok). It’s the section of the ocean between the UK and Norway, known for its huge storms and even tsunamis. It’s one of the most dangerous seas in the world because of its foggy winters, shallow waters, and strong currents.

Just from 2012 to 2020, there were 23 deaths and 1,654 injuries that happened in the North Sea just on oil rigs alone! In total, it’s estimated that there have been about half a million deaths from the North Sea, the biggest being a storm tide in 1228 that killed more than 100,000 people. That number continues to grow each year, with the average number of deaths per year being about 30.

4. Bering Sea

Now, we head to the opposite side of the world, to the Bering Sea. This body of water lies between Russia and North America. It is known for its freezing temperatures, extreme weather, and rogue waves. The Bering Sea is also considered one of the most dangerous places in the world to work.

Maybe you’ve heard of the hit show “Deadliest Catch”? This show from the early 2000s documents workers’ lives on crabbing boats in the Bering Sea. The work conditions are terrible, with constant rain, huge waves, and intense manual labor. Luckily, work only lasts about 3 months of the year, but during these three months, you have about a 0.3% chance of dying.

5. The Gulf of Aden

The Gulf of Aden is the gulf between Somalia and Yemen. Unlike the first four waters on the list, this one is dangerous, not because of storms and harsh conditions. This gulf is dangerous because of pirates. Somali pirates are some of the most well-known pirates in the world.

Ships that pass through these waters prepare with armed guards, turning off all of their lights and wrapping the decks with barbed wire to prevent pirates from coming aboard.

The most famous movie that most people have seen is “Captain Phillips” starring the legend Tom Hanks. The movie is based on a true story in the Guardafui Channel just outside the Gulf of Aden. Captain Philips was taken hostage and held for 5 days until the US Navy Seals came in and put an end to the situation. In just a year, 2011 had the highest number of recorded attacks, with 160! If you are a yacht, you are more likely to be attacked by pirates in these waters, so stay clear!

6. Devil’s Sea, Japan

The Devil’s Sea is basically the Bermuda Triangle of Japan. The area of water of the Devil’s Sea goes from Japan to the Philippines to Guam to form a triangle. One of the most famous disappearances here was in 1945 when a Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane sent out a distress call saying, “…something is happening in the sky…the sky is opening up.” This was the last that was heard from this plane.

There were also nine ship disappearances over the course of just five years here, all in perfect weather. Then, when the Japanese coast guard sent in ships to find them, they would also disappear (sound familiar?) The Devil’s Sea is also called the Bermuda Triangle of the Pacific because of the similarities between these terrifying places.

7. South China Sea

The South China Sea has a section called “Dangerous Ground.” This water area has many low islands, cays, and sunken reefs, which are impossibly hard to navigate and cause wrecks yearly. The ocean’s depth can change from 3,000 feet to zero feet in minutes, meaning if you’re not watching for land, you’ll be too late.

There are also attacks on Philippine, Japanese, and American aircraft and ships by the Chinese in the South China Sea. It was happening so frequently that the presidents of these countries had to come together and warn China that if they continued to attack planes and boats, they would be forced to take drastic measures.

8. Dahab’s Blue Hole, Egypt

Hundreds of divers have died at the Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt. From scuba divers to free divers to snorkelers, the number of deaths continues to grow each year. One specific part of the Blue Hole that is especially dangerous is the Arch. It’s 180 feet deep and about 85 feet long, but many inexperienced divers and even very experienced divers get stuck on the arch’s roof and cannot escape.

There was a Netflix documentary about this arch that was incredible and devastating at the same time. It’s called “The Deepest Breath,” and it is about free divers who break records and swim to depths of up to 700 feet with nothing but a single breath hold (this is deeper than you could swim scuba diving).

The movie ends with one diver trying to be the first woman to swim the arch. I won’t spoil the ending, but it does a great job of showing how dangerous this hole can truly be.

9. Shark Alley, South Africa

This might be the worst place in the world to be shipwrecked. Shark Alley is the water between Dyer Island and Geyser Rock in South Africa. It has about 1,000 great white sharks, more than tripling the number of great whites off the coast of California.

There are so many great whites here because of the large number of seals in the area. The seals swim between the island and the rock, not knowing the fate that will soon face them.

This is one of the best spots in the world to go cage diving with great whites, and it has been on my bucket list for a long time. Yes, there have been shark attacks on the people cage diving here, but in my opinion, the reward of swimming with the most incredible animal in the world is worth the risk.

10. Hanakapiai Beach, Hawaii

This is one of the most dangerous beaches in the world because of its strong riptides, huge shore breakers, and deep water. It’s right on the Napali Coast, which means many tourists who have no idea how to swim in the ocean (let alone deal with rip tides) come to this little beach without knowing what they’re getting into.

It’s about a two-mile hike to get to the beach, so many people are tempted to hop in the water once they get to the beach to celebrate a successful hike on a hot Hawaiian day.

When they run into the water and start swimming around, they realize they need to swim out past the shore breakers, and by the time they do this, the riptide has control of them, and they’re literally being ripped out to sea. About 83 people have died here since the 1970s, both at the beach and on the sketchy hike to the beach.

11. Northern Australian Ocean

Do you know what the most dangerous sea creature in the world is? It’s not a shark, or a stingray, or any fish, for that matter. It’s a box jellyfish. They will kill you in as little as three minutes after being stung and are found in the waters of Northern Australia.

The average size of a box jellyfish is half an inch to 12 inches, meaning that you’ll most likely feel its sting before you see it. Also, their bell (top of the jellyfish) is translucent, so you probably wouldn’t be able to see it even if you had goggles on. So, whatever you do, don’t let the beauty of these beaches distract you from the horrors that lie under the water.

12. The Gulf of Guinea

Here is another place off the coast of Africa that’s infested with pirates. However, pirates aren’t the only things here. There are also drug traffickers, oil bunkering, illegal fishing, and even kidnapping.

Over 80% of the kidnapping cases from boats in Africa are from the Gulf of Guinea, and the number is not decreasing any time soon. There’s a lack of security in this water, meaning pirates can do anything they want without repercussions.

Basically, this body of water and the Gulf of Aden are the two most dangerous places in the world regarding pirates, one on the East coast and the other on the West coast of Africa, and they’re at almost the same longitude!

13. Red Sea

The Red Sea is dangerous for many reasons. The first is the wildlife. Sea creatures like moray eels, tiger sharks, stingrays, poisonous snakes, and many more make this place their home.

Another reason the Red Sea is so dangerous is the political climate of the countries surrounding it. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel are places that not a lot of people want to be right now. Planes are being shot down over the Red Sea, and even boats are being targeted by these countries.

14. Singapore Strait

The Singapore Strait is dangerous because of its overcrowding. On any given day, more than 2,000 container ships are in the water here, making travel extremely dangerous for those on board these ships. The strait is only 70 miles long and 12 miles wide, making it a traffic nightmare.

There are about 20 accidents that happen in this strait per year, which is actually not that high if you think about it. The ships’ captains must be stressed out of their minds trying to pass through this little strip of water.

The number of boats here also makes it the perfect place for pirates. In 2022, the Singapore Strait was the location of 65% of piracy in Asia.