# Mysterious whirlpool develops of Sydney coast **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 14, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842 "2007-03-14T03:13:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/21 "2007-03-14T15:57:43Z")
I does say it’s a known ocurrance, just the exact cause is not known. It’s an interesting occurance for me though. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/22 "2007-03-14T16:11:51Z")
Australians would be well advised to keep a barrel or other cylindrical object handy, just in case. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/23 "2007-03-14T16:35:28Z")
Didn’t an Australian PM go missing one day while swimming in the ocean? How do we know what happened to him? And Who (or What) will come storming ashore? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/24 "2007-03-14T16:46:50Z")
It has to be from us Americans flushing our toilets too much, causing these whirlpools in the southern hemispheres. Al Gore is on his private jet burning more fuel than I will in my lifetime, to hold a press conference on the matter. Americans, you wasteful bastards, stop all your flushing. If you weren’t getting hard, bumpy rides from all those Hummer trucks, your damn bladders wouldn’t need to be relieved every 11 seconds! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/25 "2007-03-14T21:10:06Z")
Ah…my Evil Plan proceeds apace…_yyyeeeeessssssss!_ ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/26 "2007-03-14T21:49:34Z")
…help me help me oh god help me help me oh my god help help help help me oh jeez oh god help oh og oh god help me grab my hand now! Now! Grab it! damn, missed, oh god oh god help me help me help oh jeez oh god help why me oh why oh god oh no, not again… ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/27 "2007-03-14T22:15:36Z")
Wait, why did they report the size of it in Km, but reported the depth in meters? 1000 m is one Km, right? Do they do it just because 1000m sounds more impressive than 1Km? ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/28 "2007-03-14T22:20:43Z")
Holy crap, **GargoyleWB** , that post is cracking me up. You don’t even have to read the words and it’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/29 "2007-03-14T22:26:22Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] Australians would be well advised to keep a barrel or other cylindrical object handy, just in case. [/QUOTE] A small barrel though. Large objects are, as a general rule, sucked in more rapidly. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/30 "2007-03-14T22:33:51Z")
[QUOTE=Epimetheus] Wait, why did they report the size of it in Km, but reported the depth in meters? 1000 m is one Km, right? Do they do it just because 1000m sounds more impressive than 1Km? [/QUOTE] Conventions for measuring horizontal distances vs. ocean depths\*. “107 nautical miles across and 547 fathoms deep.” Edit: \*Unless we’re talking about the Mariana Trench… but let’s not go there. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/31 "2007-03-15T01:11:19Z")
Yes! Step 1 of my master plan is working! Step 3: Profit! ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/32 "2007-03-15T01:28:03Z")
> [@](#): > > cold-water eddies regularly appeared off Sydney, scientists knew very little about what causes them or the influence they have in the Tasman Sea ecosystem Must be Taz down there doing a little snorkeling. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/33 "2007-03-15T03:22:16Z")
[QUOTE=NinetyWt] Must be Taz down there doing a little snorkeling. [/QUOTE] It’s lucky that Tasman wasn’t named something like Poon. It’s a real name. You would have the Poon Sea, and Poon Devils, from Poonia Excerpt about Pool who died and Tasman replaced for Van Dieman. Pool, Poon it’s close. Please note the location name Pieter Nuytz Land. > [@](#): > > Pool was to sail south along this coast to discover its nature. It was possible that the expedition would sail into Pieter Nuyts Land (identified and named, during the cruise of the Gulden Zeepaert in 1627), then on to Houtman’s Abrolhos. Pool was then to sail along the coast where Pelsaert had marooned his mutineers and collect them, if found. Additionally, Pool should locate Trial Rocks and better define them, before returning to Batavia. All the while, reports of watering and refreshing locations should be made. [Article for quoted excerpt.](http://www.muffley.net/pacific/dutch/tasman.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/34 "2007-03-15T03:34:19Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] Didn’t an Australian PM go missing one day while swimming in the ocean? How do we know what happened to him? And Who (or What) will come storming ashore? [/QUOTE] Yes, perhaps it is [Harold Holt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Holt). If so, I’d like to know where he’s been since 1967. > [@Epimetheus](#): > > Wait, why did they report the size of it in Km, but reported the depth in meters? 1000 m is one Km, right? Do they do it just because 1000m sounds more impressive than 1Km? Convention perhaps? Distances are usually given in kms, while depths are usually given in metres. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/35 "2007-03-15T03:40:04Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Conventions for measuring horizontal distances vs. ocean depths\*. “107 nautical miles across and 547 fathoms deep.” Edit: \*Unless we’re talking about the Mariana Trench… but let’s not go there. [/QUOTE] Not even for 20 minutes? _runs_ ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/36 "2007-03-15T03:54:36Z")
Hmm… my boss is on a photo shoot near Sydney right now. When he gets back I’ll have to ask if he was in danger of getting sucked off when he went to the beach. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/37 "2007-03-15T04:22:47Z")
[QUOTE=Sublight] I’ll have to ask if he was in danger of getting sucked off [/QUOTE] Wow, kind of a personal question to ask your boss… ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/38 "2007-03-15T04:33:26Z")
[QUOTE=lisacurl] The kraken stirs. And ten billion sushi dinners cry out for vengeance. [/QUOTE] I read a line very like that once in an issue of _F&SF_. Is that line much older than 5 years? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/39 "2007-03-15T04:47:36Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] I read a line very like that once in an issue of _F&SF_. Is that line much older than 5 years? [/QUOTE] It’s lifted from _[Good Omens](http://www.lspace.org/books/pqf/good-omens.html)_ by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, copyright 1990. So, about 17 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842/40 "2007-03-15T06:03:21Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Wow, kind of a personal question to ask your boss… [/QUOTE] Believe me, if the answer were yes, he’d call a meeting to tell everyone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-whirlpool-develops-of-sydney-coast/395842.md?page=3)