In this edition of our regular photo facts we take a look at the lovely Leopard Seal. As it’s the festive period and there is heaps of snow and ice and cold weather around it seems appropriate to head down to Antarctica and meet our nimble friends.
It’s almost Christmas so that means time for Santa and his Sleigh full of presents will be zooming across the globe delivering presents to everyone. It also means that Santa’s eight reindeer, Blitzen, Dasher, Donder, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Prancer and Vixen have to get fit, and their buddy Rudolph has to polish his shiny red nose!
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Check out this Video, it’s a Shocker! On the banks of the Amazon river some Brazilian guys have managed to catch an Electric Eel after a bit of afternoon fishing, while one guy stays with the catch his friend goes off to fetch a knife to cut the line and let the eel go. In the mean time a Caiman turns up who was quite pleased to see that someone had caught a little fishy for him. But the Caiman then makes the mistake of taking a bite out of the Electric Eel who then turns on the power and shocks the Caiman and kills it. Goes to show there’s no such thing as a free lunch. He won’t be making that mistake again!
It’s been a while since we had 10 interesting facts about one of the crazy creatures we love, so this time the turn falls to our lovely friend the shark! Sharks have been in the news a lot recently, and for all the wrong reasons. Furthermore we will add a few false myths regarding sharks; but first lets crack on with 10 facts about sharks.
These majestic wizards of the open ocean glide effortlessly through the water looking for jellyfish, algae and seaweed. These chaps have a disproportionately large head, which is what has given them the name Loggerhead. These guys can hibernate of sorts, remaining under water for up to seven hours before surfacing to breathe.
Don’t Snorkel or Swim in Sharm el-Sheikh!
When we think of shark attacks we have images of the Great White from Jaws flashing in front of our eyes, or one of the many ‘youtube’ surfer shark attack videos. In recent times all kinds of stories and news reports have come out highlighting the unusual increase in shark attacks on humans. Take the most recent case in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt where a 70 year old German woman was killed while snorkelling and four others mauled by what is believed to be the same shark the previous days while swimming. It is peak tourist season for scuba diving in Sharm el-Sheikh, boats are packed full, dive centres are fully booked and the region’s tourist board are desperate not to let the shark attacks dampen tourist income.
Killer White Tip Shark
As reported in the article I wrote last year, Copenhagen 2009 was the big chance for USA, and specifically Obama, to show that they had courage in first of all admitting that climate change exists, and secondly that humans have a big part to play in that change. These two admissions alone would have resulted in swaying any doubts of nations in a similar position and would have ensured that everyone could take the next step in outlining carbon cuts, wildlife and forestry conservation proposals, among others.
A year later we arrive in Cancun, Mexico, home of drug lords, violent crime and kidnapping. Yet Mexico has some of the most astounding natural, archaeological and historical treasures on earth. It is seen as having a big influence as it rises out of the shadows of a developing country to be a major player on the world stage, with talk of developing countries having to contribute more to reduce emissions and over population, it is a good choice for a host.
Hey! Has anyone seen my Iceberg?