Time-lapse Shows a 'Brinincle' Freezing All Life In Its Path

It might be a few years old, but when we came across the ‘icicle of death,’ we couldn’t help but to want to share it with you.

Filmed by Hugh Miller and Doug Anderson for BBC One’s Frozen Planet series, this strange phenomenon is the result of extremely cold brine sinking to the bottom of the water. As the dense brine sinks below the less salty and warmer water, a ‘brinicle’ of ice is created.

Little by little, the brinicle consumes and freezes any life in its path, including starfish and crab.

As you might expect, the process of setting up gear and capturing a brinicle forming wasn’t an easy task.

According to Miller, ‘[it was] a struggle […] all the kit is very heavy because it has to sit on the sea bed and not move for long periods of time.’ Once the gear was set up, it was a fight against time and mother nature.

‘It was a bit of a race against time because no-one really knew how fast they formed,’ said Miller, continuing on ‘the first time I did a time-lapse at the spot a seal knocked it over.’