Nature is so stunning. It’s ability to transform is so incredible that it never fails to amaze us.
One of nature’s wonders, which we are mesmerized by, is the unusual phenomenon known as cross-seas or waves that form watery grids.
These grids are created when two sets of wave systems blend at different angles greater than 45 degrees, or when the wind pushes waves in one direction and a swell pushes them in another. However, no matter how beautiful they look to the eye, these grids can be very dangerous for swimmers and ships.
What lurks beneath the breathtaking sight are currents that can wreck ships and pose a threat to people in the water because the water where these chessboard-like patterns occur is extremely difficult to navigate. Scientists believe crossing the seas is the reason for many boating accidents and shipwrecks.
“The conditions are quite common in the ocean and occur when a windsea and a swell, or two swell systems, coexist,” the European Space Agency said in 2010.
It pointed to a 2004 study that showed “a large percentage of ship accidents occurred in crossing sea states.”
This phenomenon is very common along the western coast of France, on the Isle of Rhe. However, as it is extremely dangerous to enter the water when it occurs, tourists get to witness the water grids from a lighthouse on the western part of the island.
