What Happens When You Crack an Egg Underwater? [Video]

The water pressure assumes the role of the eggshell, exerting an inward force that keeps the egg intact. CREDIT: The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, Ocean Academy View full size image

In daily life, we see eggs in their shells, or we see them when they're broken, the transparent albumen oozing away from the yellow yolk. But 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface of the ocean, there's a never-before-seen third option.

Deep underwater, a cracked egg doesn't immediately loose its structure as it does in the open air. Instead, the surrounding water assumes the role of the eggshell, exerting enough inward pressure on the egg (2.8 times atmospheric pressure, to be exact) to keep it intact, as demonstrated in this video from the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences' "Water Moves" series.

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