Our planet is full of mysteries that, even to this day, cannot be explained. There are numerous discoveries all over our Earth that even experts don't quite understand. These unbelievable places, objects, and things create curiosity and make us wonder how they got there, who built them, and what their purpose was.Bizarre stones, mystical forests, and otherworldly flora have been discovered, but peculiar animals are also roaming the Earth. The sight of these extraordinary and unusual creatures can be shocking. Take a look at these twenty-five unique and rare finds on our planet that make us question the past and think about what else could be hidden on Earth.Updated by Alexandra Madaj on November 9th, 2021: People are uncovering oddities on the planet every day, so we felt it only made sense to include some additional finds to give readers more to ponder. We've also gone back to include a few extra facts that make these bizarre discoveries even more impressive.
White Peacocks
People are familiar with the blue and green peacocks known for their brilliant, iridescent tails, but not all birds are built the same. People who encounter white peacocks often believe the birds are albino, but this isn't the case. Albinism causes a complete lack of color and red or pink eyes, and the white peacock has eyes that are a beautiful shade of blue.
Chicks are born yellow, but as they mature, these birds become white. The white peacock is found in the grasslands of Australia and India and has a genetic mutation known as Leucism, which causes the lack of pigments. The result is the white, pale, or patchy coloration of their feathers. Leucism affects animals aside from the peacock, including other birds, reptiles, and even some mammals.
Bismuth Crystals
Bismuth is one of the prettiest crystals on our planet and is known for its rainbow colors and complex geometric form. Originally discovered in ancient times, Bismuth is a brittle metal that's often confused with lead and tin. Aside from being beautiful, Bismuth is used for healing purposes, with crystal healing experts stating the crystal is a stone of "transformation and change, helping to adapt to change with calm assurance." These stunning crystals are found in Australia, Bolivia, and China, with a broad spectrum of colors rarely seen in other popular crystals.
Rainbow Eucalyptus
These colorful trees look as though someone painted them. However, they are naturally like this, with peeling bark revealing these unique colors. The Rainbow Eucalyptus is indigenous to the northern hemisphere, growing in the Philippines, New Guinea, and Indonesia. Thanks to the tropical forests that receive a lot of rain, the trees thrive and grow up to 250 feet tall.
Of course, the most extraordinary thing about these trees is their bark. The previous season's bark peels off in strips, revealing brightly colored new bark beneath it. The peeling results in vertical streaks of red, orange, green, and blue and is a sight to see. The rainbow eucalyptus flourishes in full sun and moist soil, so if you live in an area that receives plenty of rain and no frost, you can actually grow your own rainbow eucalyptus tree!
Dragon's Blood Tree
Speaking of trees, the Dracaena cinnabari, also known as the dragon's blood tree, is a sight on its own. The branches grow close together, with green leaves sprouting off to create a strange umbrella shape. However, the most curious characteristic hides inside the trunk. A thick, blood-colored sap gave the trees their unique name. The liquid is used as a natural dye, and some believe it contains healing properties. While many trees like the oak and maple are found all over the world, the dragon's blood tree only grows on the Socotra archipelago in Yemen.
Very Distinct Waterfall
Located in Antarctica, Blood Falls is a five-story waterfall that pours out of the Taylor Glacier in the continent's McMurdo Dry Valleys. Its bright red color is alarming yet stunning. Although it was discovered in 1911, it wasn't until 2017 that scientists figured out why the waters were red. According to research by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the coloring is due to oxidized iron in brine salt water, the same process that gives iron a dark red color when it rusts. This is truly one of the eeriest waterfalls on Earth, especially juxtaposed against Antarctica's harsh, white tundra.
Corpse Flower
The corpse flower, or titan arum, is one of the largest and rarest flowers on Earth and is known for its unpleasant odor. In fact, the smell is so bad it's often compared to rotting meat or a decaying corpse, hence the name. The plant can grow over ten feet tall, and despite the stench, people wait for years to witness this flower bloom. The corpse flower generally requires seven to ten years of vegetative growth before blooming. After its first flowering, some do not bloom again for another seven to ten years. The rotten smell of this plant is actually used to lure flies and beetles to its blossom.
Diquis Spheres
There is a mystery surrounding these stone spheres in Costa Rica, located on the Diquis Delta on Isla del Cano. Over three hundred petro spheres are scattered along the country and are still considered a great unsolved archaeological mystery. Since the 1930s, hundreds of differently sized, perfectly shaped spheres have been discovered, with the heaviest weighing several tons. According to world-mysteries.com, the spheres are monolithic sculptures made by human hands. Unlike the stone balls found in Jalisco, Mexico, these objects are not natural in origin, with almost all of them made of granodiorite.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is one of the most well-known mysteries found on our planet. Located in Wiltshire, England, Stonehenge consists of a ring of standing stones, with each approximately thirteen feet tall, seven feet wide, and weighing 25 tons. The prehistoric monument was built about 5,000 years ago, with many scholars now agreeing that it was constructed as a burial ground. However, these experts have yet to determine what other purposes they served and how a civilization with no modern technology or the wheel could create this ancient monument.
Purple Carrots
We grew up eating orange carrots, but did you know that carrots of different shades of purple were once the norm? According to Popular Science, carrots were first domesticated in Afghanistan and spread to the eastern Mediterranean about 1,000 years ago. By the early 1500s, orange carrots spread to parts of Europe, but the purple, yellow, red, and white varieties continued to grow in Asia and the Middle East.
No one is sure how orange carrots came about, but purple carrots might have become less popular because they tend to leach a dark pigment onto whatever they are cooked with and are more challenging to grow. Purple carrots have gained popularity recently, popping up at grocery stores and farmers' markets. The oddly-hued veggie is said to have an intensely sweet, sometimes peppery flavor.
Buddha's Hand
While the purple carrot is known for its strange color, the Buddha's Hand fruit is recognized for its bizarre shape. Native to East Asia, the fruit's finger-like growths can remain clenched or open up. It's said to give off a delightful, lemony odor and has popped up in Asian markets in recent years, much to the delight of exotic fruit lovers. The fruit is edible and often used by chefs crafting exotic desserts, but Buddha's Hand also makes an ideal natural air freshener.
Koroit Opal
Koroit Opals are known for their strong, deep ironstone marked by beautiful patterns and colors. The Koroit Opal Field in Queensland, Australia, was first discovered in 1897 by Lawrence Rostron. He later formed a group of eight and, after many years, created the Glasgow syndicate, also known as the Scottish and Australian Opal Mines. Koroit Opals have become famous for making jewelry and pendants thanks to their unique patterns and stunning colors. These gemstones aren't pricey and are very popular among opal fans because of their originality, variety of colors, and clean face.
Nazca Lines
A collection of giant geoglyphs known as the Nazca Lines are found in the Peruvian coastal plain, approximately 250 miles south of Lima. They are pretty bizarre, depicting various plants, animals, and shapes made by the ancient Nazca culture almost 2,000 years ago. These lines are best viewed from up above, where you can see the massive outlines of the 300 or so geometric designs. Some are basic shapes such as triangles and rectangles, while others are more complex spirals and wavy lines. To this day, Peruvian archeologists are still discovering more of these geoglyphs. In 2016, a team found a geoglyph that depicts a 98-foot-long mythical creature with many legs and its tongue sticking out.
Underwater Cairn In The Sea Of Galilee
Recently, archeologists discovered an enormous underwater structure at the bottom of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. They also found a massive stone wheel and a moon-shaped monument in the northern part of the country. It has left many scholars puzzled as to who built these structures and what they used them for.
In 2014, Israeli archeologists discovered the "Jethro Cairn," a crescent-shaped stone monument larger than a football field that can be seen on satellite images. Not far from the cairn, another structure with a diameter greater than the length of a Boeing 747 was found about nine meters underneath the Sea of Galilee. This massive structure was built out of basalt rocks and arranged in the shape of a cone. It is reportedly twice the size of the prehistoric monument Stonehenge in England.
Comb Jelly
It's unexpected to see a living thing that glows without the use of a really great highlighter, but there are plenty of animals with the ability to light up a room naturally. Ctenophora, or comb jellyfish, emanate a curious neon-green or blue light in the ocean waters. The jellyfish do just fine in shallower waters but have been found several miles deep. With only a tiny percent of the world's oceans having been explored, it's unbelievable to consider what other bizarre creatures scientists will discover in the future.
Albino Alligators
Albino alligators are extremely rare, with only a handful of them still left in the world. These creatures lack the pigment melanin, so their bodies are pure white, and their eyes are pink. One famous albino alligator named Pearl can be seen at Florida's Gatorland preserve. She is over seven feet long and all white.
Life can be harder for albino animals like Pearl since they cannot easily disguise themselves in swampy surroundings. This may be why there are so few of these rare animals left in the world or why those in the wild do not live long lives. Their pale skin can also be harsh on an alligator who would normally spend a lot of time in the sun. If you ever visit Gatorland, you'll see Pearl living in a special shaded enclosure.
The Glowing Forest
An enchanting forest lies in Shikoku, Japan, where at nighttime, you'll see the floor light up in bright green thanks to the glowing mushrooms that create a luminescent ambiance. The bioluminescent mushrooms emerge during the rainy season in the forests and create a fantasy-like world. These fungi sprout from rotting wood and have attracted thousands of visitors from around the world. These visitors hike through the woods at nighttime to discover the glow-in-the-dark mushrooms and are left amazed by the natural phenomenon. There are approximately ten varieties of these light-up mushrooms in Japan, with many more existing in other parts of the world.
Shores Of Vaadhoo
Millions of tourists visit Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives to witness the sea of stars. While the Maldives' famous group of islands is said to be a heaven on Earth, this tiny island of Vaadhoo is a true surprise, especially at nighttime. With just over 500 inhabitants, the island is known for its glowing blue waves that look like something out of a fantasy movie. The shining sea is thanks to a natural chemical reaction called bioluminescence, which occurs when water is disturbed by oxygen. A species called Phytoplankton emanate the blue glow and create this romantic and natural lighting.
The Longyou Grottoes
The Longyou Caves in China are thought to date to a period before the creation of the Qin Dynasty in 212 BCE, although scholars have not yet been able to trace their existence. Twenty-four caves were found in 1992, one of which became a tourist attraction. These rare caves are carved into solid siltstone, with each grotto descending around 30 meters underground.
The caves contain stone rooms, bridges, gutters, and even pools. Pillars support the ceilings and the walls in the cave rooms, and the stone columns are uniformly decorated with chisel marks. Still, there is no trace of who built these cave rooms or any documents about their construction.
Underwater Forest
Kazakhstan is known for its stunning mountains and natural landscape, with one of its most popular attractions being Lake Kaindy. Every year, thousands of visitors head to Lake Kaindy to see its awe-inspiring limestone-blue waters and submerged forest that sticks out from the water's surface. The high magnitude Kebin earthquake caused this sunken forest. According to All That's Interesting, the quake created a colossal limestone landslide that formed a natural dam. Over time, rainfall and water flowed into the area, covering the trees and making them stick out like toothpicks.
Volgograd Discs
Just recently, Russian investigators have located more than a dozen mysterious stone discs in the Volgograd region of Russia. At first, these strange discs were said to be "crashed UFO's" and people circulated that the "remains of extra-terrestrial beings" were found inside. However, those claims have been called into question. Many believe these discs are natural formations that occur when sedimentary rock and soil mix to create ovoid or spherical shapes. Still, many people believe these odd hard rocks are the work of supernatural beings.
Reflective Salt Flats
In Bolivia, you'll find yourself standing on top of the world's most enormous mirror. This natural phenomenon is actually a massive, 4,000 square mile patch of salt flats resulting from thousands of years of transformations that took place between several prehistoric lakes. These salt flats are locally known as Salar de Uyuni and are covered with a few meters worth of salt brine. When the flats are covered in water, they create an awe-inspiring reflective surface. In the summertime, this area is a prime source of lithium and salt, but the Uyuni flats are like something out of a dream during the flooding season.
The Gate Of The Sun
In Bolivia, you'll also find The Gate of the Sun, a megalithic solid stone arch constructed by the ancient Tiwanaku culture. The stone structure is almost ten feet tall and 13 feet wide and made from a single piece of stone. Various inscriptions on the object and carvings are believed to have astronomical and astrological significance. They may even have had a calendrical purpose. At the middle of the structure is a prominent image of what appears to be a deity wearing a headdress. Historians suppose that he represents the Sun God. The astonishing design shows Tiwanaku culture and what they might have believed in years ago.
The Underground City Of Derinkuyu
Derinkuyu is an ancient multi-level underground city in Turkey. The town extends to a depth of 200 feet and may have sheltered as many as 20,000 people. It is the deepest excavated underground city in Cappadocia and a stunning wonder. There are numerous subterranean dwellings and secret tunnel passages all over the world, but Derinkuyu is one of the most famous.
References: nationalgeographic.com, healingcrystals.com, earthtouchnews.com, ancient-origins.net, express.co.uk, thevintagenews.com