Underwater Earthquake

[Mar Scuba]

We were diving yesterday in Atami at the point Bitagane. Water temp was 22 degrees, air temp about the same, sunny in the morning turning into cloudy conditions in the afternoon.

In the middle of the dive, we heard a loud noise, it seemed to be an explosion. My dive buddy and I looked toward the surface, waiting for a ship to come down on our heads or to see sticks of dynamite being tossed into the water (i.e. like in the Philippines)...

We surmised that it was either an earthquake or perhaps some sort of explosion on Hatsushima Island, the possibility of earthquake much higher than explosion.

Anyone else experience such a phenomena?

 

[justleesa]

Here are a couple of reports:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=163300
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=152625

 

[pakman]

I think that was just the North Korean spy sub running aground...

I've had that feeling when we were diving near a little volcanic island on the way out to Komodo from Bali. I've heard dynamite fishing u/w before and this explosion had a distinctively deeper sound. the DM and I exchanged looks and I immediately wrote "volcano???" on my slate. Anyways, we finished the dive and were disappointed not to see chunks of volcanic rocks and lava falling into the sea.

It's amazing how far sound will carry underwater...

 

[Mar Scuba]

Just got some "unofficial" news that there was actually a live fire submarine exercise about a 150 km. offshore.

My dive buddy states that he heard some pings before the actual explosion, was it real or imagined?

Since the US Navy does not officially confirm nor deny such activities, who is to know whether it was fact or fiction...

Cheers,