In 2001, Pauline Zalitzki, a marine engineer, and her partner Paul Weinzweig discovered evidence of manmade-like structures deep within the Atlantic Ocean.
Nearly two decades ago, a team of explorers working on an exploration and survey mission off the western coast of Cuba discovered a series of stone structures lying 650 meters below the surface, as detected by their sonar equipment.
The structures were out of place in the barren "desert" of the ocean floor and appeared to be symmetrically organized stones similar to an urban development. The discovery of these structures caused a stir in both the media and research institutions, with many speculating that it could be the "lost city of Atlantis."
Discovery Of The Underwater City Of Cuba
In 2001, Pauline Zalitzki, a marine engineer, and her partner Paul Weinzweig discovered evidence of manmade-like structures deep within the Atlantic Ocean.
Paul owned a Canadian company called Advanced Digital Communication (ADC), which was working in close collaboration with the Cuban government on a survey mission. ADC was one of four firms searching for treasure-laden ships from the Spanish colonial era along the coast of the Guanahacabibes Peninsula in the Pinar del Río Province of Cuba.
The ADC team used advanced sonar equipment to study the Cuban waters and noticed strange rocks and granite structures on the seafloor. The objects were symmetrical and geometrical stone shapes that resembled the remnants of an urban civilization. The search covered an area of 2 square kilometers with a depth ranging from 2000 to 2460 feet.
To get a closer look, the team sent an underwater visual robot to re-record images of the structures in higher resolution. The new images showed formations that were slightly pyramidal and others that were circular, made of massive smooth stones resembling hewn granite. The pyramids were reportedly about 8 feet by 10 feet in height and width. Some rocks were stacked on top of each other while others were not, and were located at a greater distance.
It was surprising for the researchers to see that stones resembling an urban complex could be found so deeply underwater. The mystery of how a massive array of stones came to be located on the floor of the sea remains unsolved.
What Did The Researchers Team Find After Conducting An In-depth Investigation?
The ADC team did not want to jump to conclusions and was hesitant to agree that the structures could be the remains of a sunken city without further investigation. They sent fragments of the site to Manuel Iturralde, a marine geologist, who studied the pieces and concluded that the test results were very unusual.
The findings suggest that it would have taken 50,000 years or more for such magnificent stonework to sink to such depths in the sea. "It was beyond the capability of cultures of that time to establish such complex structures," said Manuel Iturralde. "To explain these samples in a geological point of view is very hard," he added.
News Agencies Claimed It To Be The 'Lost City Of Atlantis'
News agencies reported similarities between the recent discovery and the lost city of Atlantis, but the ADC team dismissed this speculation and stated that the discovery cannot be compared. "The story is a myth," said Zalitzki. "What we have found are most likely the remnants of a local culture."
Researchers shared local legends of the Maya and the native Yucatecos, who describe a settlement inhabited by their ancestors that was washed away by the sea. Iturralde was not ready to accept any theories connecting the discovery to lost civilizations.
Iturralde suggested that the rock formations could be miraculous creations of Mother Nature and nothing more. An expert in underwater archaeology at Florida State University added, "It would be cool if they were right, but it would be really advanced for anything we would see in the New World for that time frame. The structures are out of time and out of place."
Is The Underwater City Of Cuba A Myth?
Professor Julian Andrews, the lead author of the research from the University of East Anglia's School of Environmental Sciences, told CNN that the idea that the structures were archaeological remains was initially proposed by tourists who saw them while swimming and thought they were stonework.
The Greek authorities conducted an investigation of the site, but were unable to find any evidence to support the theory that it was an ancient city port that had been lost to the sea. After a thorough examination, they determined that the underwater structures were actually a fossil feature from the Pliocene age that had been uncovered by sea currents.
Response From The Cuban Government
The Cuban government, led by President Fidel Castro, collaborated with the National Geographic Society and Cuba's National Museum to investigate the strange discovery. There was great interest among the media and Cuban citizens in determining if the discovery was ancient and significant.
Conclusion
The discovery of the deep-sea city of Cuba was made almost twenty years ago, but media and public interest in it has since faded. Research has come to a standstill, and without more data, the answers remain uncertain. However, the initial sonar images of the "lost city" did have a significant impact on the Cuban government and its citizens.
People around the world have always been captivated by the mystery of ancient civilizations, and for a time, the "Underwater City of Cuba" was one of the most enigmatic and strange topics of discussion. Despite the attention it received, the site remains shrouded in mystery, resting in the depths of the ocean and as puzzling as ever.
In 1986, a similar discovery was made off the coast of Yonaguni Island in Japan. Known as the "Yonaguni Monument" or "Yonaguni Submarine Ruins," this submerged rock formation consists of large clusters of strange, multi-level structures that are thought by many to be entirely man-made.
