Rogue waves are the secret assassins of the open ocean.

They can appear out of storms or out of normal seas.

They always come and go without warning.

They can be taller than your ship, and if you're unlucky, they can send you to Davey Jones

Locker quicker than you can inflate your lifejacket.

And there seems to be something fishy about whether scientists used to believe in them

or not.

Did they?

We'll find out today on Skeptoid.

You're listening to Skeptoid.

I'm Brian Dunning from Skeptoid.com, hunting the elusive Rogue Wave.

In 1942, the ocean liner Queen Mary was in use as a troop ship, ferrying American soldiers

across the Atlantic to fight the war in Europe.

During one such week-long voyage in December while fighting a gale near the British Isles,

the hearts of the crew suddenly sank.

An enormous wave measured from the bridge at 92 feet, 28 meters, appeared off the ship's

beam.

The ship took its full force, broadside.

Her decks awash as she emerged onto the waves' backside.

She had rolled a full 52 degrees, making the bulkheads closer to level than the decks.

Plus, men, furniture, and countless tons of coal tumbled to the Lee, and it was nearly

a full minute before the great ship slowly rited herself.

...