Blue Lake Grotto

Blue Lake Grotto

Watch the sparkling beauty of Blue Lake Grotto.

  • Blue Lake Grotto is a cave that contains a large clear lake, located near Bonito, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in south western Brazil, in South America.
  • Blue Lake Grotto was designated as a natural monument, and therefore a protected area, by the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage), or IPHAN, in 1978.
  • The official name of ‘Blue Lake Grotto’ is ‘Gruta do Lago Azul’, in the native Portuguese language.
  • The water of Blue Lake Grotto is coloured a deep, transparent blue, and while the preferred months for viewing it are from September to February, the best are said to be December and January, due to the way the sunlight shines into the cave.
  • Blue Lake Grotto is one of the largest discovered caves at least partially submerged in water in the world, and the lake has a length of 50 metres, and visitors are required to descend 100 metres to reach the base of the cave.

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Part of Blue Lake Grotto
Image courtesy of Patty Ho/Flickr
  • The first discovery of the Blue Lake Grotto by humankind is believed to have occurred in 1924, by a native Terena Indian.
  • Blue Lake Grotto contains water levels that reach depths of up to 90 metres (295 feet), with an underground river the likely source of water.
  • In 1992, a French Brazilian team discovered numerous fossil bones of many extinct mammals, including sabre tooth tigers and giant sloths, lying at the bottom of the lake in the Blue Lake Grotto.
  • Blue Lake Grotto is the home to numerous stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone formations, and the lake is said to contain a number of crustaceans.
  • Blue Lake Grotto attracts many tourists and researchers alike, although the limited number of visitors each day are required to be guided by a tour guide, and touching the water or rock formations in the cave is prohibited.
Bibliography:
Gruta do Lago Azul, 2013, Wikipedia, http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruta_do_Lago_Azul
Gruta do Lago Azul, 2015, Lonely Planet, http://www.lonelyplanet.com/brazil/the-central-west/bonito/sights/natural-landmarks/gruta-lago-azul
Gruta do Lago Azul, n.d, Portal Bonito, http://www.portalbonito.com.br/guia-passeio/grutas/gruta-do-lago-azul
Gruta do Lago Azul: Blue Lake Grotto, 2014, Atlas Obscura, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gruta-do-lago-azul-the-blue-lake-grotto

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Sherbet Powder

Sherbet Powder

Your mouth will burst with flavour with sherbet powder.

  • Sherbet powder is confectionery in a powder form, and is notable for the fizzing effect it has, on contact with saliva.
  • ‘Sherbet powder ‘ is also known as ‘keli’, ‘kali’, and ‘sherbet’, and the word originates from the Arabic ‘sharba’, which, when translated, means ‘a drink’.
  • Sherbet powder is commonly eaten by using a small spoon, a finger, or a stick item, such as a lollipop, to collect the powder.
  • Sherbet poweder can come in a wide variation of colours, including white, green, yellow, red and blue; and flavours, that are often fruit-based.
  • Sherbet powder was invented around the 1800s by chemists in Europe, when the reaction of carbonate and acid was discovered.

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  • Sherbet powder is most commonly packaged in straws or small packets, but it can also be found in glass jars or plastic containers, and can be found surrounding the exterior of some confectionery, or in the interior of others.
  • The acid and carbonate of sherbet powder reacts by fizzing on contact with a liquid, such as water or saliva.
  • Sherbet powder was originally used to make a fizzy drink, before carbonated drinks became common, after which time, it became a popular sweet.
  • Sugar is the main ingredient in sherbet powder, and this is mixed with an acid, a carbonate, and flavourings.
  • Sherbet powder became very popular after it was invented, due to its inexpensive price and easy accessibility.
Bibliography:
Sherbet Powder, n.d, ifood.tv, http://ifood.tv/asian/sherbet-powder/about
Sherbet (Powder), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherbet_(powder)

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Stick Blender

Stick Blender

Blend… with the stick blender.

  • Stick blenders are inventions used in cooking, to purée or mix food ingredients.
  • A ‘stick blender’ is also known as a ‘hand blender’, ‘wand blender’, ‘immersion blender’, ‘boat motor’, ‘Bamix’ and ‘Bermixer’.
  • Stick blenders are roughly cylindrical in shape, and are usually held by one’s hand on the upper section, which is generally made from plastic, while the blades at the base are usually made from stainless steel.
  • Stick blenders are portable tools that blend food, especially soup, in the container that it was cooked or made in, and as such, they do not require large or special mixing bowls.
  • A stick blender differs from a mixer, in that due to its small fine blades, it performs a cutting action, rather than beaters that just mix the ingredients, however, some hand blenders can be purchased with extra attachments to make the appliance more versatile.

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  • The invention of the first stick blender, known as a ‘Bamix’, made from the French words ‘battre et mixer’ (beat and mix), is attributed to Roger Perrinjaquet, an inventor from Switzerland, who patented the idea in 1950.
  • Stick blenders are commonly used to make well-blended and puréed soups, beverages, and sauces, and they are also often used to make home-made puréed baby food.
  • Stick blenders became increasingly popular as people were made aware of them, and various companies now produce this handy kitchen tool, and the price of the blenders is determined by brand, quality, features and power.
  • The length of stick blenders can range from 25.5 to 30.5 centimetres (10 to 12 inches), up to 90 centimetres (35 inches) in length, and the long ones are usually used in commercial kitchens where large quantities of food are cooked.
  • Stick blenders are usually powered by electricity, although they may be cordless, in which case they will generally have a charging station included.
Bibliography:
Alfaro D, Immersion Blender, 2015, About Food, http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/glossary/g/Immersion-Blender.htm
Historical Past of the Best Immersion Blender, 2013, slideshare, http://www.slideshare.net/cirrusspoon2/historical-past-of-the-best-immersion-blender
Immersion Blender, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_blender

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Mongoose

Mongoose

Watch the sneaky mongoose.

  • Mongooses are a family of mammals with the scientific name Herpestidae, and they are native to Asian, African and some European habitats.
  • The family of mongooses consists of just over 30 species, most of which are called such, although the species also include meerkats and kusimanses.
  • ‘Mongoose’ comes from the word ‘mungūs’, from the Indian Marathi language, and ‘mungoose’ is an alternative spelling for the word.
  • Mongooses, depending on the species, typically grow to heights of 18 to 120 centimetres (7 to 47 inches), and weigh 0.3 to 5 kilograms (0.7 to 11 pounds).
  • The diet of a mongoose consists primarily of lizards, insects, snakes, small mammals like rodents, eggs, birds and worms, and at times, nuts and fruit.
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Mongoose
Image courtesy of Tambako The Jaguar/Flickr
  • Some species of female mongoose give birth to their pups all at the same time, and this decreases the likelihood of infanticide.
  • Mongooses can be kept as pets, although it is illegal in many countries where they could become a pest and cause environmental damage, and reduce numbers of native animals.
  • Some species of mongoose live in burrows that have been deserted or they have made, and they either live by themselves, or in groups, depending on the species.
  • The fur of a mongoose is typically coloured a combination of brown, tan and grey, and the animal has a long tail.
  • Mongooses are preyed on by snakes, large birds and jackals, and live to be around 10 to 15 years.
Bibliography:
Mongoose, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/mongoose/
Mongoose, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/mongoose/
Mongoose, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoose

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Phoenix Islands Protected Area

Phoenix Islands Protected Area

Don’t be isolated in the middle of these Phoenix Islands Protected Area facts.

  • Phoenix Islands Protected Area is a marine location designated as a protected site, found in the Pacific Ocean, in the vicinity of the Republic of Kiribati.
  • ‘Phoenix Islands Protected Area’ is also known by the acronym ‘PIPA’, and the area contains a notable archipelago of coral.
  • Phoenix Islands Protected Area is the home to eight different islands, named ‘Enderbury’, ‘Rawaki’, ‘Orona’, ‘McKean’, ‘Nikumaroro’, ‘Birnie’, ‘Manra’ and ‘Kanton’, and the latter is inhabited by a small number of people.
  • Phoenix Islands Protected Area is a Marine Protected Area (MPA), and the Pacific Ocean’s largest protected area, covering 408,250 square kilometres (157,626 square miles).
  • In the vicinity of Phoenix Islands Protected Area, more than 500 species of fish can be found, as well as up to 200 species of coral, and over 40 species of birds.
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Part of Phoenix Islands Protected Area
Image courtesy of OggiScienza/Flickr
  • Introduced species, including rats, pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits and lantana, have all severely damaged the state of Phoenix Islands Protected Area’s islands, however, eradication programs have been in place on some of the islands, and these have proven to be successful and enabled some damage to be reversed.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention declared the Phoenix Islands Protected Area as a World Heritage Site in 2010.
  • By 2006, an invasion of rats completely destroyed some species of birds on the island of McKean in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, due to their introduction by a 2002 shipwrecked boat.
  • Fishing in Phoenix Islands Protected Area is guided by set rules, although many people find these rules are not strict enough.
  • Only 25 square kilometres (9.7 square miles) of land, equalling 1 part out of 16330, of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area is above seawater.
Bibliography:
Phoenix Island Protected Area, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1325
Phoenix Island Protected Area, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Islands_Protected_Area

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