Following the blowing of the second trumpet something "like [cf. 6:13] a great mountain"that was on fire came crashing down from heaven into the waters of one or more of the earth's seas. This resulted in a third of the oceans, perhaps a third of the ocean waters, becoming blood. Whether the water became blood, or became a substance like blood, or simply looked like blood is difficult to determine from the text (cf. Exod. 7:20-21; Ps. 78:43-44; Joel 2:31; Zeph. 1:3). Literally it could become blood.314A third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships on the sea perished.
"As of January 1, 1981 there were 24,867 ocean-going merchant ships registered. Imagine the shock waves that would hit the shipping industry if 8,289 valuable ships were suddenly destroyed! And what about their cargoes!"315
John was clearly describing supernatural interventions, not natural happenings.
