A waterspout is a spinning column of air and water mist that stretches from a cloud down to the surface of the ocean or a lake. Picture a tornado, but over water instead of land. The swirling wind picks up spray from the water below, creating a funnel-shaped cloud that looks like a twisting rope connecting the sky to the sea.

Waterspouts form when warm, moist air rises rapidly and starts spinning. Most waterspouts are weaker than land tornadoes and don't last very long, maybe 10 to 20 minutes. They're most common in tropical waters, especially off the coast of Florida, where conditions are just right for them to develop. Sailors and people on boats take them seriously because a waterspout can damage a small vessel if it passes directly overhead, though larger ships can usually ride them out safely.

When you see photographs of waterspouts, they often look almost beautiful, like nature's own water fountain reaching up to touch the clouds. But don't let their graceful appearance fool you: inside that spinning column, winds can reach 60 miles per hour or more. If a waterspout moves onto land, it can become a regular tornado, which is one reason coastal weather stations track them carefully.