Did you know that October 31 is International Black Sea Day? This day dates back to 1996 when representatives of six neighboring countries of the Black Sea made a strategic plan for the protection of the Black Sea.

The Black Sea is one of the favorite vacation spots for us and for visitors. That is why we decided to write about this day and provide you with various interesting stories about it.

So here are some interesting facts you may not know:

1. Why is the Black Sea called Black?

Why is the Black Sea called Black? There is no proven answer to this, although there are three interesting versions:

According to one version, it’s because the sea was difficult to navigate, the Greeks called it the "Inhospitable Sea," the Black Sea.

The second version says that this name was given to it by the Turks, during the conquest of the coast, when they encountered great resistance from the local population.

There is a third interpretation as well. According to hydrologists, any metal item that enters the deep waters of the sea is covered with black deposits. The reason for this is that water contains large amounts of hydrogen sulfide.

2. Inhabitants of the Black Sea

The Black Sea is home to about 2,500 inhabitants of the animal kingdom. We think the most interesting of these is the Spiny dogfish, which does not come to shore because it is afraid of humans. The most dangerous fish that lives in the Black Sea is the poisonous sea dragon. You won’t find it on the shores either, however, if you run into it somewhere deep, avoid it as its bite can even be deadly.

3. Black Sea Aquatic Plants

The Black Sea is home to 270 species of multicellular water plants and more than 600 species of phytoplankton. Have you seen how the Black Sea shines in August? This is exactly the merit of one of the phytoplankton which is called the Night Shiner and has the ability to phosphoresce.

4. Black Sea coasts

There are three types of shores on the Black Sea coast: rocks, pebbles and sand. Sand, in turn, comes in three colors: white, gold, and black. You can visit both sandy and rocky shores in Georgia. In particular, you can see them in Shekvetili and Ureki. You will also be able to see black sand, which is magnetic and has healing properties.

5. Other inhabitants of the Black Sea

Did you know that the world's oldest sunken ship was found in the Black Sea? It was discovered by scientists in 2018 and dates back to 2400 years. The ship "Armenia" was also found in the Black Sea which was considered one of the greatest marine tragedies of the last decade. The ship disappeared in 1941 and has been searched by scientists ever since. By the way, Robert Ballard, an oceanographer who discovered the Titanic, was involved in the search for some time. In addition to them, more than 60 sunken ships inhabit the bottom of the Black Sea.

        We have many more interesting stories for you to tell. Stay tuned for more blogs and don’t forget to take care of our sea together.

        #knowyoursea