Whirlpool

A Whirlpool is a dangerous phenomea on the open ocean. These huge literal holes in the ocean can suck in even the biggest ships and eat them in one piece. Thankfully they are also so big that it is easy to avoid them, as they are moving very slow. Sometimes, steering the ship into a whirlpool can have strnage effects.

In Ultima III there was only one whirlpool. However, it travelled real fast and always threatened to swallow the ship. Directing the ship into it led to the loss of the ship. However, it also would transport the ship to Ambrosia. By Ultima IV, several whilpools had appeared, but they were mostly immobile. Getting into one with the ship would result in the ship being despoited into Lock Lake. Some years later, Captain Johne's ship, the Ararat was swallowed by a whirlpool and despoited into the Underworld beneath Despise. The Avatar had the option of doing the same in Ultima V.

After this time, the whirlpools vanished and despite being mentioned as endangering the ship traffic in Ultima IX, only one little one is seen in a cut scene.