It is possible that the buoy cable to the ocean floor was snagged by a submerged submarine, which dragged it below the surface, then allowed it to pop-up when it became free, but we're not certain. The US Navy confirms there are no American submarines off the coast of New Jersey, which leaves foreign country subs (Russia, China, North Korea) as a possibility. Update 8:56 AM EDT -- NASA advises that a small meteor could have impacted the ocean in that area, from the Lyrid Meteor Shower, which peaked last night. Normally, the small meteors from this annual event never make it to the surface of the earth; they usually burn up in our atmosphere before reaching the ground. HOWEVER, it is possible that a small meteor, perhaps the size of a softball, made it to the ocean and, upon impact at 14,000 MPH, would cause quite a localized wave. There is no way to verify this possibility
Small meteor? Code for Russian sub?
Would it be possible to verify a small meteor from a passing satellite? Was this at night. Also, could a whale have bumped, snagged or played with this item?