Was the doomed US submarine caught in a monstrous whirlpool in the South China Sea?

It’s the stuff of science fiction. A giant whirlpool, stretching hundreds of miles, suddenly appears in the ocean, threatening anything in its path.

But now, following the declassification of a Chinese operation, it appears this particular maelstrom was all too real. And it could be the explanation behind a international incident involving an American nuclear-powered submarine.

In September 2021, China launched a massive operation to hunt and record a huge whirlpool, more than 200 km (124 miles) in diameter, that appeared east of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.

China’s most advanced research vessel and the largest drone The already assembled fleet was sent to carry out a comprehensive tracking of this vortex in the air, on the sea surface and underwater.

Around the same time, USS Connecticuta Seawolf-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine operated by the U.S. Navy was also in the area.

On October 2, 2021, it hit an unknown object and had to make an emergency breach. It suffered serious damage, with repairs ongoing to this day.