Tag Archives: Water

Ruby Falls

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Ruby Falls

Ruby Falls is the perfect name for a breathtaking waterfall.

  • Ruby Falls is a waterfall found in the subterranean area of Tennessee’s Lookout Mountain, in Chattanooga, in the United States.
  • Ruby Falls is found in a cave carved into limestone rock, and the cave has been formed by water erosion.
  • Ruby Falls was first discovered in 1928, when access to the area was drilled into accidentally by the chemist Leo Lambert, who had a fascination with caves and was trying to create a new path into the nearby Lookout Mountain Cave.
  • Ruby Falls is formed by an underground stream that is 341 metres (1120 feet) below ground; and the falls are accessed by an elevator.
  • In 1930, Ruby Falls cave was opened for tourism, and the caves were among the first to feature electric lights for tourism purposes.
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Ruby Falls
Image courtesy of Chris Faulkner/Flickr
  • New paths have been created in the Ruby Falls area, such as in 1954 to avoid the consumption of water that has concentrated levels of magnesium in it, and later in 1975, to provide an alternate exit in case the main elevator ever malfunctions.
  • ‘Ruby Falls’ was named after the wife of Leo Lambert, who was called ‘Ruby’.
  • Ruby Falls is 44 metres (145 feet) tall, making it the largest underground waterfall open to visitors in America, while the cave is the deepest with public access in the United States, and it is considered as one of the most amazing waterfalls in the world.
  • Ruby Falls is a popular tourist destination, and it has been mentioned multiple times throughout literature, particularly in song lyrics.
  • Ruby Falls requires an entrance fee to access the falls, and groups are guided by a designated staff member.
Bibliography:
Ruby Falls, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Falls
Ruby Falls History, 2014, Ruby Falls, http://www.rubyfalls.com/things-to-do/cave-tours/ruby-falls-history/

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Olm

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Olm

Olms are not aliens from another dimension, but they certainly look strange!

  • Olms are amphibious animals that live in underwater cave habitats in Europe’s central and south-eastern areas.
  • An ‘olm’ is also known as a ‘proteus’, ‘cave salamander’ and a ‘human fish’, due to the animal’s colour being similar to European human skin colour.
  • The olm has the scientific name Proteus anguinus and comes from the family Proteidae, a family of aquatic salamanders, and the animal is the only living member of the Proteus genus.
  • Olms range in lengths from 2.5 to 40 centimetres (1 to 16 inches) and weigh between 2 and 150 grams (0.1 to 5.3 ounces).
  • The colour of an olm can be white, pink or pale yellow, due to the lack of colour-inducing chemicals in the animal’s skin, and while it looks somewhat similar, it is only distantly related to the axolotl.
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Image courtesy of SanShoot/Flickr
  • Olms have short frilly gills; a long eel-like body, that moves in similar ways; as well as four small legs, while the back legs have two digits and the front have three.
  • Most olms lack visible eyes, as they are covered with skin, and they sense their surroundings using receptors, as well as relying on hearing and smell.
  • Full maturity does not occur until olms are 10 years old or more, and females lay between 5 and 70 eggs at a time, deposited among rocks, after which the eggs hatch into roughly 2 centimetre (0.8 inch) long tadpoles.
  • While olms are protected in some countries and have few predators, they are classified as vulnerably endangered and are threatened by man-made chemicals seeping into the water.
  • Olms have a diet that mainly consists of worms, snails and insects, although they are said to be able to live without food for ten years, and they have a lifespan of up to 50 years or more.
Bibliography:
Olm, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/olm/
Olm, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olm

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Gharial

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Gharial

One of the most unique creatures is the gharial, but is highly endangered.

  • Gharials are critically endangered, crocodile-related reptiles, found around India’s sandy banked rivers.
  • ‘Gharials’ are also known as ‘gavials’, ‘long-nosed crocodiles,’ ‘fish-eating crocodiles’ and ‘nakas,’ among others.
  • Gharials have the scientific name Gavialis gangeticus, and are said to be the only living species from the family Gavialidae, a family of reptiles.
  • A gharial can range from 3.5 metres (11 feet) in length, to the longest found – 6.25 metres (20.5 feet), and they can weigh between 150 to 977 kilograms (330 to 2154 pounds).
  • Gharials have a long snout and mouth, filled with up to 110 teeth, and they have scales that are typically black, grey, brown or olive in colour.
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Gharial
Image courtesy of Ryan Somma/Flickr
  • The habitat of a gharial typically consists of deep, sandy rivers, and the reptile generally spends the majority of its time in water.
  • The diet of gharials mainly consists of fish, but also other aquatic animals, and they are not usually highly dangerous to humans, as they are not built for eating large prey.
  • During March and April, an adult female gharial typically makes a nest, a hole in the riverbank, and lays an average of 30 to 50 eggs in the hole.
  • Gharials are critically endangered due to pollution, over fishing and habitat removal; and populations have decreased by around 96% in less than a century, to a maximum total of 235 animals, in 2006.
  • As part of a conservation program, some zoos breed gharials and release them into the wild, and the animals have an average lifespan of 20 to 30 years.
Bibliography:
Gharial, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/gharial/
Gharial, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gharial

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Musha Cay

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Musha Cay

Musha Cay is more than just majestic and beautiful.

  • Musha Cay is an island found among the 700 islands and islets of the Bahamas, in the Atlantic Ocean, and is part of the Exuma Chain district.
  • Musha Cay is owned privately by David Copperfield, an illusionist from America, who purchased it and ten other nearby islands for approximately $50 million in 2006.
  • Musha Cay covers an area of 0.6 square kilometres (0.23 square miles) and is one of the 11 islands in what is known as ‘Copperfield Bay’.
  • Musha Cay is a resort, and home to a main manor and a small number of guest villas, that are maintained by around 30 staff.
  • Musha Cay has white sand beaches, crystal blue water, and extensive tropical vegetation, and the temperature typically ranges between 21 and 28°C (70 and 82°F).
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Musha Cay
Image courtesy of Daniel Piraino/Flickr
  • People can hire Musha Cay for a vacation or a getaway for their exclusive use, and only one group, of up to 24 people, are permitted to stay on the island at a time.
  • Sergey Brin, the cofounder of Google, was married on the island of Musha Cay in early 2007, and actress Penelope Cruz is also said to have married there in 2010.
  • The are many, typical resort style activities that one can participate in at Musha Cay, including boating, fishing and diving, as well as some that are unique to the island, including a treasure hunt, secret village, olympic style competitions, and goldfish racing.
  • The buildings on Musha Cay were designed by the architect Howard Holtzman, and artifacts from David Copperfield’s International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts can also be found there.
  • To stay at Musha Cay, a fee of tens of thousands of dollars is payable per night, making it one of the most expensive islands to holiday at in the world, and while food and many activities are included in the price, massages, international telephone calls, scuba diving, and others, are not.
Bibliography:
About Musha Cay, Private Islands, 2014, Island Hideaway, http://www.islandhideaways.com/private-islands/villas/musha-cay/
Walther G, Musha Cay, David Copperfield’s Magic Private-Island Resort In The Bahamas, 2012, Forbes, http://www.forbes.com/sites/garywalther/2012/11/27/muscha-cay-david-copperfields-magic-island-in-the-bahamas/
Musha Cay, nd, Musha Cay: The Islands of Copperfield Bay, http://www.mushacay.com/

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Bali

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Bali

Ever fancy a trip to Bali?

  • Bali is part of the Lesser Sunda Islands archipelago, and is one of the islands of Southeast Asia’s Indonesia.
  • Bali is a popular tourist destination, with impressive scenery, and many attractions, including cultural artistic talents.
  • The population of Bali was approximately 4.2 million people in 2014, while the majority followed Hindu religious beliefs.
  • The province of Bali covers an area of 5,780 square kilometres (2,232 square miles) and its largest city and capital is Denpasar.
  • Bali was settled during the ancient times by the Austronesians, and the culture was mainly shaped by the Asian communities of India and China.
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Part of Bali
Image courtesy of William Cho/Flickr
  • Indonesian is Bali’s official language, and the island is thought to have been first visited by Europeans in 1512, by the Portuguese navigator António de Abreu and explorer Francisco Serrão.
  • Bali beaches can have sand that is either black or white in colour, depending on which side of the island they are on, and the island is encompassed by many coral reefs.
  • Bali is the home to a number of mountains including the active volcano and the highest mountain on the island, Mount Agung, that is 3,031 metres (9,944 feet) in height, that last erupted in 1963, killing many people.
  • Many animals can be found on the island of Bali, including many mammals and reptiles, approximately 280 bird species, and at least 952 fish species that exist around the reefs, and the notable Bali tiger also belonged there until it became extinct in the early to mid 1900s.
  • Bali tourism provides the greatest income for the area, and second to that is agriculture, particularly rice farming.
Bibliography:
Bali, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bali
General Information About Bali, 2000, indo.com, http://www.indo.com/geo/gen_info.html
General Information About Bali, 2012, Lombok Network, http://www.bali.lombok-network.com/general_info.htm

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Athabasca Falls

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Athabasca Falls

The strength of Athabasca Falls is mighty.

  • Athabasca Falls is a waterfall located on the upper section of Athabasca River in Alberta’s Jasper, in Canada.
  • Athabasca Falls drops a distance of 24 metres (80 feet) and reaches 18 metres (60 feet) in width.
  • Athabasca Falls is made primarily of quartzite, very hard rock, and limestone also exists in some parts.
  • Athabasca Falls is part of Jasper National Park, that became a national park in 1930, and it is said to be the most powerful waterfall in the Rocky Mountain area in Canada.
  • Athabasca Falls can be accessed via a walking track of approximately 1 kilometre (0.6 miles), that includes some stairs, and parts are surrounded by a safety barrier, which should not be crossed, as fatalities can occur outside these zones due to slippery surfaces.
Athabasca Falls, Tall, Waterfall, Canada, Ten Random Facts, Majestic, Flickr, RockAthabasca Falls
Image courtesy of Tony Hisgett/Flickr
  • The water of Athabasca Falls drops at a great force and thus shapes the surrounding rocks and creates holes in them.
  • One of the contributing factors to the power and force of the Athabasca Falls, is the width of the Athabasca River and the relatively narrow opening where the water falls over the rocks.
  • Athabasca Falls is the home to much vegetation including trees, lichen, and moss, as well as the Canyon sprite, a bird.
  • The water of Athabasca Falls can freeze during winter, creating interesting ice structures.
  • Athabasca Falls is generally accessible year round, and as part of the Jasper National Park, an entrance fee is payable.
Bibliography:
Athabasca Falls, 2014, Trailpeak, http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Athabasca-Falls-near-Jasper-AB-1679
Athabasca Falls, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athabasca_Falls
Athabasca Falls, Jasper National Park, 2014, TD Canada, http://www.todocanada.ca/athabasca-falls-jasper-national-park/

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