HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. — Mysterious bubbling spotted just off the Southern California coastline this week ignited wild theories ranging from marine wildlife to covert military activity. Local residents shared photos and videos of the disturbance, speculating everything from submarines and alien visitors to flatulent sea creatures stirring below the surface.
Social media chatter ballooned quickly, with some residents insisting the bubbles signaled bluefin tuna feeding behavior, while others joked about “farting whales” lurking beneath the waves. The unusual sight sparked curiosity partly because the disturbance remained constant and appeared in a concentrated area offshore.
However, the truth turned out to be far less dramatic — though not without large-scale implications for global communications. The bubbling is tied to an underwater fiber-optic cable project connecting California and Asia, part of expanding transoceanic internet infrastructure.
Rick Devinney, contract manager on the project, confirmed the bubbling comes from tests being conducted on existing ducts. The process involves pushing pressurized air through the conduits to ensure they can support new cables.
Devinney explained that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, plans to install a new fiber-optic line across the Pacific in the coming months. Before actual installation begins, crews must verify that pathways are clear. “Part of the preparation process is blowing air through the line to ensure ducts are working properly,” he said.
Interestingly, the public was partially alerted to the construction earlier this month — but only on land. The City of Hermosa Beach issued a construction notice on Nov. 6, warning residents of upcoming street closures along Longfellow Avenue near the shore. While the notice addressed local disruptions, it did not mention the offshore activity that caused the ocean disturbance.
This omission may explain why residents were caught off guard and jumped to alternative explanations.
Although the explanation lacked the drama of naval operations or unexpected wildlife behavior, the event highlighted something less visible yet profoundly important: the infrastructure beneath the world’s oceans. More than 99% of international digital communication travels through submarine fiber-optic networks like the one being tested at Hermosa Beach.
The bubbling phenomenon, while amusing, offered a rare glimpse into how tech giants prepare global data highways. The routine, technical task supports the systems that power everything from video calls to online banking.
As one local joked online, the mystery wasn’t solved by uncovering submarines or aliens — but by discovering Facebook’s cables “blowing bubbles” under the Pacific.
Originally reported by Ben Hooper in UPI.
