Possible to hear a passing ship underwater with my ears?

BristolBrick · 12-30-18, 11:45 PM

A few days ago I was at the beach, swimming in the shallows not far from the shore in about 4-5ft of water. I stuck my head underwater and noticed a faint sound coming from the direction of a ship I could see on the horizon. (Probably a container or other large cargo ship) I guessed it to be about 8 miles away.

I have pretty sensitive ears, and there wasn't anything else I could see which could make such a noise. Could I have been hearing the ship with my ears, like the subs did with hydrophones, or am I mistaken in some way?

I have been searching and only found this noise, it's very similar to what I heard and makes me believe that I did hear the ship.

Thanks for any answers, I'm curious to know whether ears can be used as hydrophones.

12-30-18, 11:45 PM	#1
BristolBrick Seaman Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 42 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	Possible to hear a passing ship underwater with my ears? A few days ago I was at the beach, swimming in the shallows not far from the shore in about 4-5ft of water. I stuck my head underwater and noticed a faint sound coming from the direction of a ship I could see on the horizon. (Probably a container or other large cargo ship) I guessed it to be about 8 miles away. I have pretty sensitive ears, and there wasn't anything else I could see which could make such a noise. Could I have been hearing the ship with my ears, like the subs did with hydrophones, or am I mistaken in some way? I have been searching and only found this noise, it's very similar to what I heard and makes me believe that I did hear the ship. Thanks for any answers, I'm curious to know whether ears can be used as hydrophones.