thumb|300px|right|A Stalker destroyed by the Whirligig anomaly. The anomaly snatches its victims up in the air and spins them at a breakneck speed. The exact nature of the Whirligig remains unknown. The anomaly can be recognized by a light whirlwind of dust above and by body fragments scattered in the vicinity. Victims caught on its outer rim - far enough from the maximum effect zone at the center - can escape the Whirligig with relatively minor injuries. Forms three types of artifacts:
A common and dangerous anomaly. As the description states, if you get too close the anomaly will you suck you in and crush you; your best bet, if caught, is to turn around and try to sprint away from it - if you're not successful at first, you're likely to end up dead or in dire need of medical attention.
In the first two games of the series, the Whirligig is the 'middle' of the three gravity elements, stronger then the Springboard but weaker then the Vortex. In Call of Pripyat however, the Whirligig is far more rare then either of those, and can normally instant kill even the most well protected stalker due to its long range and grievous crushing damage (which there is no protection for).