Vashon Island is just a ferry ride away from Seattle (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/). It’s rustic, it’s rural, it’s downright bucolic. But above all, it’s just plain weird. And we’re not the only ones who think so; there’s a whole “Keep Vashon Weird” movement. Here at The Seattle Otterman, we happen to think that the weirdest granddaddy of them all, aside from Grandpa Marv, is the Vashon Hum.
The Vashon Hum is exactly what is sounds like: a “low, pure tone” with a “vibration resonance to it.” Dozens of residents all over the Island have reported hearing the hum, described as “not menacing” or even very annoying. Just, well, there. The low-frequency droning is ever-present, but not all Islanders, apparently, can hear it.
It’s constant, it’s all around, it’s louder at night, and you can’t get away from it. Sounds maddening, right? Well, not so much. Most people who report hearing the Hum don’t seem to express any distress, unlike similar “hums” reported in places like Kokomo, Indiana(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/23/us/hum-haunts-indiana-city-its-source-is-a-mystery.html). Diarrhea? Fatigue? Joint pain? Not here in Vashon, thanks very much!
The Hum is in good company, too. Similar sounds have been reported in Taos, NM. (probably the world’s most famous Hum), Kent and Bristol in England, Bondi Beach, Australia, and Windsor, Ontario.
So what’s causing the Hum? Speculation is rampant, as one might suspect. Leading theories range from underwater naval testing, wind-tunnel experiments,high-pressure gas lines, passing container ship traffic, even the call of the midshipman fish (really).Mechanical engineers and geologists are unanimous: the Hum is not coming from the earth or the water. Hmm. But as in most cases like this, the most interesting theory involves that boogeyman of conspiracy nuts everywhere: the Military-Industrial Complex!
Yes, in the 1950’s, as the threat of nuclear war loomed over the world, even Seattle, the military built 12 underground Nike missile sites surrounding the city, and one of those was on Vashon Island, in what is now the Sunrise Ridge area. They were abandoned decades later and the land was turned over to the municipality. But what the heck is really down there, after all? Some sort of extremely-low-frequency (ELF) emitter, part of a military communication network that can penetrate even the deepest ocean? An underground, abandoned missile site sounds like an awfully great place for all kinds of weirdness to us.
But another local theory suggests that the Hum may have some connection to the so-called “Maury Island Incident”. In June 1947, fisherman Harold Dahl and his sons reported seeing several “doughnut-shaped objects” flying low over the waters near Vashon, one of them erratically, and later crashing into the Sound nearby.
Now, before we all jump to X-Filey conclusions about mind-control, weather manipulation, or UFO transmissions, let’s all take a deep breath. Sure, those things are all possible. Grab your earplugs (although according to some, that only makes it worse), hop on the ferry, and find out for yourself!
A Note from The Seattle Otterman: A TSO investigation of the Hum has been conducted intermittently since 2007. TSO can report hearing the Hum on numerous occasions. A recording of the Hum was made on one investigation; when played back, the recording was garbled. Whether through TSO’s ineptness or from some other, more strange phenomenon, it is impossible to say.
And while it’s not as convincing as an actual recording of the Hum, here’s something we can all enjoy, and it’s somewhat related!