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| Courtesy of Aquaman #9. |
Sorry, DC. Even when this comic was published (1963), that record had been broken by a wave OVER 15 TIMES higher. The highest recorded wave in history was a 1,720-foot (524-meter) megatsunami that occurred in Lituya Bay, Alaska, on July 9, 1958. Triggered by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that caused a massive landslide, this wave cleared trees up to 1,720 feet above sea level, far surpassing the height of the Empire State Building. More details about the Lituya Bay incident can be found on the internet! In fairness, the Lituya Bay wave was only possible because it was confined in a small area (Lituya Bay). The Ramapo Wave does remain the highest oceanic "rogue wave" ever recorded. More information about the Ramapo Wave can be found on the internet!
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| Three years later, Donald Campbell was killed in an accident with a much modified K7, on 4 January 1967, whilst making a bid for his eighth water speed record, with his aim to raise the record to over 300 miles per hour (480 km/h) on Coniston Water. |
Sorry, Don, your record no longer stands. The fastest speed on water is an official 317.58 mph (511.09 km/h), set by Ken Warby in the Spirit of Australia jet-powered hydroplane on October 8, 1978, at Blowering Dam, Australia. This record has stood for over 45 years, as attempts to break it have proven fatal. It's not as exciting as it sounds and a very stupid way to die.
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| Some people will do anything to get out of Atlantic City. |
Believe it or not, this record doesn't stand either. The smallest boat to cross the Atlantic Ocean is the 5-foot-4-inch (1.62-m) Father's Day, helmed by Hugo Vihlen in 1993. You can explore the bonkers world of micro yachts on the internet, but, really, why would you?
Proximo, pero no cigarro, Señor Swordfish.
Still, these Sea Records facts are pretty amazing, especially considered that the comic book creators managed to gather them WITHOUT the internet!
3 comments:
Fact Checkin' of the Sea
- HJF1
I've often wondered if comic book writers of yore spent time at the local libraries. I certainly couldn't tell you what 20 or so elements are present in the human body but writers of Metamorpho knew and used them (of course that's all changed now). Did somebody sit at a table in a library and write them all down and post them back at the DC offices? Along with compounds that could be made from them? Or did DC just say "here's your assignment" and didn't worry about the science? I wonder if there's anybody still around that could answer that.
I can remember reading an interviewer in which in old-timer explained that many writers (who were often sci-fi buffs) kept random Useful Facts on index cards, to be incorporated into their stories when the need arose.
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