[Watch] Man Swept Away By Sea Waves In Odisha’s Puri: What Is A ‘Sneaker’ Wave?

Puri: After a man was swept away by sea waves at Puri beach on Saturday, some reports speculated that Bansidhar Behera (35) from Balasore in Odisha was caught unawares by a ‘sneaker’ wave.

What is a ‘sneaker’ wave?

As the name suggests, a ‘sneaker’ wave, also known as ‘sleeper’ wave or ‘king’ wave, appear without warning after long periods (lasting 10-20 minutes) of gentle waves.

According to Wikipedia, “sneaker waves appear suddenly on a coastline and without warning. Generally, it is not obvious that they are larger than other waves until they break and suddenly surge up a beach. Upon arriving, a sneaker wave can surge more than 150 feet beyond the foam line, rushing up a beach with great force”.

‘Sneaker’ waves are strong enough to lift heavy logs on the beach and roll them further up and back, knocking beachgoers. These waves can also sweep people on the beach into the sea.

According to Wikipedia, one American oceanographer distinguishes “rogue waves” as occurring on the ocean and “sneaker waves” as occurring on the shore.

Also read: https://odishabytes.com/watch-man-from-balasore-in-odisha-goes-missing-in-sea-at-puri-beach/