

Thousands of Rare "Ice Eggs" Blanket Finnish Beach in Spectacular Natural Phenomenon
In a scene straight out of a winter fairy tale, thousands of smooth, egg-shaped ice balls recently covered the shoreline of Hailuoto Island in Finland. This rare and mesmerizing event, known as the “ice egg” phenomenon, drew crowds and sparked global curiosity, as photos and videos of the icy spectacle went viral online.
What Are “Ice Eggs”?
“Ice eggs” are naturally formed balls of ice that range in size from small chicken eggs to soccer balls, and in some cases, can even reach up to three feet in diameter. On Hailuoto Island, the ice eggs covered about 100 feet (30 meters) of beach near the waterline, creating a surreal landscape that left even longtime locals in awe.
How Do Ice Eggs Form?
The formation of ice eggs requires a very specific set of weather and environmental conditions, which is why the phenomenon is so rare. Here’s how it happens:
- Breaking Ice Sheets: When the temperature drops and the sea or lake begins to freeze, sheets of ice form on the water’s surface. Wind and waves break these sheets into smaller chunks.
- Rolling and Shaping: The wind and water currents then roll these ice fragments around, causing them to bump, tumble, and smooth out. As they roll, layers of ice build up, gradually sculpting the fragments into nearly perfect spheres.
- Freezing Expansion: Water splashes onto the rolling ice balls, freezing and expanding their size with each rotation. The process continues until the balls are washed ashore or become too large to be moved by the waves.
Meteorologists note that extremely cold temperatures and just the right wind and wave conditions are essential for this process. The phenomenon is so rare that many locals on Hailuoto Island said they had never seen anything like it before, despite living in the area for decades.
Where Else Have Ice Eggs Been Found?
While Hailuoto Island’s ice eggs made headlines, similar events have been recorded in other cold regions around the world. For example:
- In 2016, residents along the Gulf of Ob in Siberia discovered an 11-mile stretch of naturally formed snowballs, ranging from tennis ball to volleyball size.
- Large ice balls have also been spotted on the shores of the Great Lakes, such as Lake Huron in Canada, during particularly cold and windy winters.
Fun Facts and Trivia
- Alien Landscape: The sight of thousands of ice eggs on a beach has been described as looking like an alien world or a scene from a science fiction movie.
- Social Media Sensation: Amateur photographer Risto Mattila, who first captured the phenomenon in Finland, said he had never seen anything like it in 25 years of living nearby. His photos quickly went viral, drawing visitors and media attention from around the globe.
- Size Variety: While most ice eggs are the size of regular eggs or soccer balls, some can grow as large as three feet in diameter—a true marvel of nature.
- Not Just in Finland: The phenomenon is rare but not unique to Finland; it has been observed in Siberia and parts of North America under the right conditions.
Why Is This Phenomenon So Rare?
The combination of freezing temperatures, wind, wave action, and the right kind of ice is uncommon, making the formation of ice eggs a rare treat for those lucky enough to witness it. Most of the time, ice on beaches forms jagged shards or flat sheets, not smooth, rolling spheres.
The next time you stroll along a wintry shoreline, keep an eye out—you might just spot one of nature’s rarest and most beautiful creations rolling in with the waves.

Poland's Krzywy: The Mysteries of the Crooked trees
In Poland, there is a forest with 400 crooked trees that have a 90-degree bend at the base of their trunks. Despite of numerous possibilities, the real reason and how it evolved remain a mystery.

Lucy and Maria The Biracial Twin Sisters with Rare Black and White Skin Colours
Lucy and Maria Aylmer are twins, but they have a hard time to convincing people. Even though they have mixed-raced parents, their mom was still shocked when the midwife handed her babies she’d expected to look alike, but were complete opposite.

Inside The Mysterious Death Of The Famed Gothic Writer Edgar Allan Poe
Hours before his death Edgar Allen Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore. He was incoherent, wearing another man’s clothes, and unable to explain how he got there. The cause of his death is an unsolved mystery.

[solved] “macaroni mystery”, 500 pounds of pasta dumped in new jersey
In April 2023, Old Bridge, New Jersey, faced a peculiar 'Macaroni Mystery' when 500 pounds of pasta were mysteriously dumped in the woods.

Famous abandoned cities and ghost towns in the world
Learn the stories behind seven of the world's most renowned abandoned cities and villages, from the infamous Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe zone to Hashima Island.

Recipient of suicide victim's heart kills himself 12 years later
In 1995, Sonny Graham received a transplanted heart from a suicide victim. He then committed suicide in the very same manner as the donor.

Jimmy Carter Once Promised to Release UFO Files—Here’s Why He Didn’t
During his 1976 presidential campaign, Jimmy Carter declared a bold intention: if elected, he would make all government UFO information available to the public. A man who openly admitted to having seen a UFO himself, Carter embodied a promise of transparency on one of the most controversial subjects of the Cold War era. However, once in office, Carter found powerful obstacles and, citing "national security concerns," chose not to release the files. This article unpacks Carter’s famous guarantee, the political realities he faced, and the enduring mystery surrounding government UFO secrecy.

The Mystical Money Tree of the Scottish Highlands: A 1,700-Year-Old Tradition
In the Peak District Forest of the Scottish Highlands in the UK, there is a unique tree which is laden with only money. This tree laden with money has been studded with British coins for 1700 years, there is no corner of its trunk where a British coin is not stuck.

The 1978 Lufthansa Heist: Unraveling the Mystery of America's Most Infamous Airport Robbery
During the 1978 Lufthansa heist, robbers infiltrated JFK Airport, restraining employees and holding a night guard hostage. They escaped with $5.9 million—worth over $27 million today. The crime, linked to the Lucchese crime family, remained unsolved for decades, with most suspects vanishing

Jason Padgett: Became a Math genius after head injury in a robbery
Fate has no place in mathematics, yet fate played a role for Jason Padgett and his new fame for being a mathematical genius

Will & William Wests: The puzzling situation of two inmates who are identical but not related
These are the mugshots of Will West and William West, and they are not related. They were both sent to Leavenworth Prison at the same time, in 1903, and after some confusion, the staff understood they had two different prisoners with the nearly same name, who looked exactly alike. They are part of the reason fingerprints are now used as identification.

The Miracle Baby: Nigerian Couple in the UK Welcomes a Rare Blonde, Blue-Eyed Child
A black, Nigerian couple living in the U.K. gave birth to a white, blonde, blue-eyed baby that they call the "miracle baby."

What Is the Taos Hum? The Strange Low-Frequency Noise Heard in New Mexico
Since the early 1990s, residents of Taos, New Mexico, have reported hearing a mysterious low-frequency noise called the "Taos Hum." This strange, persistent buzzing or droning sound is only audible to a small fraction of the population and has baffled scientists and locals alike. Despite extensive investigations, the source of the Taos Hum remains unresolved, making it one of the most intriguing acoustic mysteries in the modern world.

The story of a boy who claims to be on Mars: Boriska Kipriyanovich
Boriska Kipriyanovich, who lives in Volgograd, Russia, claims he lived on Mars before being resurrected on Earth on a mission to redeem humanity. What we know about him is as follows:

Mahabalipuram: The mystery behind Lord Krishna's butterball that defies gravity
Krishna's Butter Ball is a massive rock in Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu, India, that is perfectly balanced on a slope. An attempt was made in 1908 to remove the rock for fear that it would roll down and destroy nearby homes, but the efforts were wasted.

The Mystery of the Dancing Forest: Reasons behind the unusual wonders of forest
The Dancing Forest in Russia is noted for its unusually twisted pine trees. The trunks of these trees are contorted into spirals, rings, and other squiggly loops, but the reason for this malformation is still a mystery.

Sandy Island: The Phantom Island That Fooled Maps and Google Earth for Centuries
Sandy Island, charted since 1774, was long considered a phantom island in the Coral Sea. Despite appearing on maps and Google Earth, it was "undiscovered" by scientists in 2012, revealing only deep ocean instead of land. The island's existence was likely a cartographic error or a misidentified pumice raft.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Frederick Valentich: Australia’s Most Baffling Aviation Enigma
In 1978, Pilot Frederick Valentich and his plane disappeared in Australia. His last communication was “Melbourne that strange aircraft is hovering on top of me again… (two seconds open microphone)… it is hovering and it’s not an aircraft…”

The mysterious Pumpkin impaled on the top of Tower
Twenty Three years ago, somebody impaled a 60-pound pumpkin 170 off the ground on this spire at Cornell University. Nobody knows who did this or how they did it.

The mystery of India's 'lake of skeletons'
In 1942, a British forest guard in India made an alarming discovery. Some 16,000 feet above sea level, at the bottom of a small valley, was a frozen lake absolutely full of skeletons.

El Ojo, The Mysterious Rotating Island
In the middle of South America, a strange and nearly perfectly circle island moves on its own. The central landmass, known as 'El Ojo' or 'The Eye,' floats on a pond of clear and chilly water, looking strange and out of place in comparing to its surroundings. The bottom appears to be solid in compared to the marsh around it.

When the Sky Rained Fish: An Unbelievable Encounter Above Alaska
A small Alaskan plane was hit by a fish falling from the sky. It had been dropped by an eagle that misjudged its grip. The plane was unharmed, but it made the news as possibly the weirdest bird strike ever.

Jim Sullivan's Mysterious Masterpiece: 'U.F.O.'
In 1969, a musician named Jim Sullivan recorded an album titled "UFO" which featured a song about him being abducted by aliens in the desert. Years later, Jim disappeared and his car was found abandoned in middle of New Mexico desert. His body has never been found.

How Were the Two Parts of the Al Naslaa Rock Formation Created?
Scientists have been puzzled by the Al Naslaa rock formation in Saudi Arabia for a long time, and there is still no explanation for why this boulder appears to have a precise incision across the middle of it.

The mysterious secret of Dr James Barry
Before women were allowed to enroll in medical school, Margaret Ann Bulkley studied medicine and assumed the identity of Dr. James Barry for 56 years while dressing as a man. After 46 years of service as an army doctor officer, her secret was not made public until after her death in 1865.