What Causes 'Spirits' in the Sea?

Imagine the sea as a giant, living room. When it's calm and still, everything is quiet. But when waves come in, like kids jumping on a trampoline, they can make funny shapes that look like people or animals floating up from the water. These are sometimes called 'spirits' because they seem magical.

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Examples

A calm lake can suddenly appear to have a dancing figure when waves ripple across it.
Children playing on the beach might see a fish-shaped wave and think it's a sea monster.
A sailor sees two ghostly figures floating on the water and believes they're spirits from a shipwreck.

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Categories: Culture · mythology,oceanography,folklore