12 WEIRD Wonders of Nature

Sailing Stones -- Here’s a phenomenon that has occurred in various locations around the world … but most notably at Racetrack Playa in California’s Death Valley National Park. Huge rocks, some weighing up to 700 pounds, seem to move all by themselves, with no apparent intervention from humans or animals … often leaving trails over 300 feet long. Some trails were curved, while others travel in a straight line, then abruptly shift to the right or left. What’s behind the mystery? Some theories suggest the big stones move as a result of water and ice forming in Death Valley under certain winter conditions. A breeze could then “float” the rocks across the muddy bottom of the valley floor … leaving trails in the mud as the stones moved. Research conducted in 2015 suggested that sailing stones found in Spain’s Manchego (man-chay-go) Lagoon moved as a result of microbacteria living on the lagoon floor. The microorganisms created slippery conditions allowing the stones to move during the rainy season when wind and water currents were at their strongest. No theory has been been definitively proven.