Everyone who’s ever visited Hawaii hears about how Mauna Kea is the tallest underwater mountain in the world.  But… the top is above water.  Doesn’t that make it the tallest mountain in the world that happens to be in water? If you stood in a bucket of water, you wouldn’t say you’re underwater.

Don’t get me wrong, Mauna Kea definitely has some valid claims to fame.  From it’s base to it’s tip, it’s 10,203 meters tall, which is far taller than Mt. Everest, which is only a paltry 8,848 meters! Just don’t go throwing in that “underwater” bit, because it’s simply misleading.

If I were actually a submerged mountain, I would take offense to this.  The ACTUAL tallest underwater mountain is Gregg Seamount, who lives in the Atlantic Ocean. Greg is 4000 meters tall, but is submerged 800 meters below the surface. Let’s all hear it for poor Gregg.