The Bete Gris Singing Beach On Lake Superior, Michigan
There are some strange phenomena in Michigan, and one of the strangest is Bete Gris, a mile-long beach in the Upper Peninsula which is said to contain "mysterious singing sand" on the chilly shore of Lake Superior. If you've never experienced it for yourself, this is what the rumor is all about:
This mile long sand beach on the south side of the Keweenaw Peninsula up in the UP of Michigan holds a magical property in that when you place the palm of your hand on the surface of the sand and rotate it the sand resonates with a wonderful sound like the ancient [native] maiden that sings out to her betrothed across the Lake Gitche Gummie. The sand will sing "in situ" but will be silent after being taken from the beach. No other beach in the area sings while the sand may appear the same. Bete Gris means Grey Beast and is misspelled, as in French it is correctly spelled "Bete Grise"
Although this urban legend is quite intriguing, some people either may not have any luck hearing a song, or they may not be doing it right...
We stopped. The sand sounded no different than any other sand. Maybe we were in the wrong area.- Andy
There's actually scientific explanation for why the sand "sings" and it's actually been proven to be true, as you can see below. However, Michigan's native history may have been an influence and, at the time, the only logical explanation to this rare, but explainable phenomena:
Some of The Oddest Michigan Towns & Village Names
5 Things You Didn’t Realize Were Invented in Michigan
More From WKFR
