Tag Archives: Water

Tiger Shark

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Tiger Shark

Underwater tigers – presenting the tiger shark.

  • Tiger sharks are large fish, or sharks, located in the warmer oceans of the earth, and are commonly found in coastal waters.
  • Tiger sharks are the sole species of the Galeocerdo genus, and are from the family Carcharhinidae, the family of requiem sharks.
  • Tiger sharks have the scientific name Galeocerdo cuvier, and are also known as ‘sea tigers’, ‘man-eater sharks’ and ‘spotted sharks’.
  • Tiger sharks grow to be 3.0 to 5.5 metres (9.8 to 18 feet) in length, and weigh 385 to 1,524 kilograms (848 to 3,360 pounds) in weight.
  • Tiger sharks are coloured generally in a combination of blue or green and grey, black and white and are typically patterned with dark stripes.
Tiger shark, underwater, fish, animal, aquarium, Ten Random Facts, Animal, Flickr
Tiger Shark
Image courtesy of Gord Webster/Flickr
  • Tiger sharks eat a wide variety of items, but their diets typically consist of fish, birds, marine mammals and molluscs, as well as man-made rubbish.
  • The tiger shark is second only to the great white shark, as the most common to attack humans, even though it is an uncommon for them to strike.
  • Tiger sharks are commonly hunted for their skin, fin, flesh and liver, the latter containing a significant amount of vitamin A, used to create vitamin rich oil.
  • Female tiger sharks give birth to fully developed young, numbering from 10 to 80, after they have been forming internally for up to 16 months, and they have an approximate lifespan of 30 to 50 years.
  • Tiger sharks can move at speeds of 32 kilometres per hour (20 miles per hour), even though they generally move slowly through the water.
Bibliography:
Tiger shark, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/tiger-shark/
Tiger shark, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/fish/tiger-shark/
Tiger shark, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_shark

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Moray Eel

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Moray Eel

Moray eels are shy, are you?

  • Moray eels are a family of roughly 200 different species of eel, found mainly in the world’s tropical and sub-tropical salt waters.
  • A moray eel looks similar to a snake, however, it has a dorsal fin that sits behind its head and along its body.
  • Moray eels are divided into 15 genera and are also known as the family of Muraenidae.
  • Moray eels can grow to be 0.11 to 4 metres (0.375 to 13 feet) in length, and while they do not have a good sense of sight, their smell sense is acute.
  • The head and body of moray eels, and the inner section of the mouth in some species, are usually marked with patterns that differ, depending on the species.
Moray Eel, Hiding, Rocks, Ko Lanta, November 2010, Ten Random Facts, Marine, Underwater, Flickr
Moray Eel
Image courtesy of Thomas Quine/Flickr
  • Moray eels have an outer layer of mucus that can be poisonous, varying by species, and some eels may be toxic if eaten, due to their diet.
  • Moray eels prey on sea snakes; molluscs and cephalopods like octopus and squid; fish and crustaceans.
  • Moray eels are hunted by large fish and sharks, and have a life span of approximately ten to thirty years.
  • Moray eels do interact and cooperate with some other marine species, in the process of hunting.
  • Moray eels are typically afraid of people, attacking humans to self defend or mistake human fingers for food, and in which case, the eel cannot let go as it latches on with its large teeth.
Bibliography:
Moray Eel, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/moray-eel/
Moray Eel, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moray_eel

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Great Barrier Reef

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Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef – a place bursting with life and colour.

  • The Great Barrier Reef is a coral reef located along the coast of Australia’s Queensland, in the Coral Sea.
  • The Great Barrier Reef covers an area of 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 square miles) and spans a distance of 2300 kilometres (1400 miles).
  • The Great Barrier Reef is the home to approximately 3000 separate coral reefs and approximately 900 islands and cays (an island made of sand and coral deposits), some of which contain resorts for tourists.
  • The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef, as well as the largest biological built structure on earth.
  • The Great Barrier Reef is the home to numerous marine species, including approximately 600 coral species, 30 dolphin and whale species, 500 worm species, 133 ray and shark species, 3000 mollusc species, 1625 fish species and 100 jellyfish species, as well as crocodiles, dugongs, marine turtles and sea snakes.
Agincourt Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Coral, Blue, Scene, Ten Random Facts, SmallPart of the Great Barrier Reef
Image courtesy of Family MWR/Flickr
  • Since 1985, it is believed that half of the coral in the Great Barrier Reef has been destroyed, and it is said that climate change, over-fishing, pollution, tourism, diseases and shipping mishaps continue to cause damage.
  • The Great Barrier Reef is of significant importance to numerous tribes of indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders who have lived in the area for thousands of years.
  • The Great Barrier Reef is visited by approximately 2 million people annually, with an estimated tourism value of $6.4 billion.
  • The Great Barrier Reef became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, and has been part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park ever since it was established in 1975.
  • Visitors to the Great Barrier Reef commonly engage in activities like snorkelling, sailing, fishing and scuba diving, and other activities include viewing the reef through glass bottomed boats, whale watching and scenic tours.
Bibliography:
About the Reef, 2014, Australian Government Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-the-reef
Great Barrier Reef2014, Trishan’s Oz, http://panique.com.au/trishansoz/barrier/great-barrier-reef.html
Great Barrier Reef, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef

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Wadden Sea

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Wadden Sea

Appear to walk on water at Wadden Sea.

  • Wadden Sea is a large body of shallow water in the North Sea, off the coast of Northwest Europe.
  • Wadden Sea is the home of many islands called the same name that are also known as ‘Frisian Islands’.
  • Wadden Sea is an intertidal zone, and the “largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats” on earth, and it includes kilometres of mud flats, channels, sand banks and salt marshes.
  • Wadden Sea is located on the coast of three countries – Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands; and the countries cooperatively protect the area.
  • Ever since 2009, Wadden Sea has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wadden Sea, Aeroplane, view, Overtop, Large, Netherlands, Ten Random facts, Water, Flickr

Netherlands part of Wadden Sea
Image courtesy of Eutrophication & Hypoxia /Flickr
  •  Wadden Sea has an area totalling just under 10,000 square kilometres (3,861 square miles), and covers a distance of 400 km (248 miles).
  • Wadden Sea is the migration site of up to 12 million birds of more than 30 species, and is a significant nesting area, and moulting area for numerous birds.
  • Wadden Sea is popular for beach activities, including swimming, as well as bird watching, boating, cycling, seal watching, and mudflat hiking site.
  • The Wadden Sea area is home to more than 5,000 different species of animals and plants, with some being seals, porpoises and, historically, whales.
  • The name ‘Wadden Sea’, comes from the Dutch word ‘wad’, meaning ‘mudflat’.
Bibliography:
Wadden Sea, 2014, UNESCO World Heritage, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1314
Wadden Sea, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadden_Sea
About the Wadden Sea, 2013, Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, http://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/wadden-sea-world-heritage/unique-its-kind

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Fernando de Noronha

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Fernando de Noronha

Lots of little islands in Fernando de Noronha.

  • Fernando de Noronha is a tropical island archipelago consisting of 21 islands located near the coast of South America’s Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean.
  • ‘Fernando de Noronha’ is named after Portuguese Fernão de Loronha, a wood merchant from Lisbon, who is said to have funded and organised the expedition fleet that is believed to have discovered the islands in 1503, although there are accounts of possible earlier discoveries by other people.
  • The total area of Fernando de Noronha is 26 square kilometres (10 square miles).
  • Fernando de Noronha was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 due to the importance of the islands’ ecosystem and their fauna and flora.
  • The largest island, also called Fernando de Noronha, is 10 kilometres (6 miles) in length and 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) in width.

Fernando de Noronha, Beach, Water, Island, South america, Brazil, Large, Tide out, Ten Random Facts, Blue, Clear, Ocean, Scenic, Flickr

Fernando de Noronha
Image courtesy of Rosanetur/Flickr
  • Fernando de Noronha was originally mostly forest, but it is said that is was cut down in the 1800s when prisoners were taken to the islands, and is now home to mostly schrubs and small forests.
  • Fernando de Noronha is home to the largest population of dolphins in the world; a significant population of tropical seabirds; the endangered hawksbill turtle; numerous aquatic species; important plant species; and the endemic species of two birds, a dove and two reptiles.
  • The Fernando de Noronha islands attract tourists, although visitors are limited, so as to not upset the fragile ecosystem.
  • In 2012, the population of Fernando de Noronha was just over 2,700 people and the islands are accessed by plane or boat.
  •  Fernando de Noronha is popular among tourists for its beaches, diving, marine wildlife and fort ruins.
Bibliography:
Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves, 2014, World Heritage Convention UNESCO, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1000
Fernando de Noronha, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_de_Noronha

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Plitvice Lakes National Park

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Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice Lakes National Park is an old park with new splendour.

  • Plitvice Lakes National Park is a national park located in the mountains of Croatia, Europe, where it is the largest park, and it was established in 1949.
  • Plitvice Lakes National Park has an area of 296.85 square kilometres (114.61 square miles).
  • Plitvice Lakes National Park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, and in 2000, the parks borders were extended to include underground water flows.
  • Plitvice Lakes National Park is seen by more than 1 million people annually, and there are hiking paths and boardwalks for visitors to use.
  • Plitvice Lakes National Park contains 16 lakes, as well as beautiful waterfalls, sporting colours of green, grey, blue and azure, caused by the surrounding limestone’s calcium carbonate content.
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Green, Water, Limestone, Calcium Carbonate, Blue, Aqua, Clouds, Croatia, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
A Plitvice Lake
Image courtesy of Grant Bishop/Flickr
  • Plitvice Lakes National Park has over 320 types of butterflies and moths, and 150 bird species including the eagle owl and the white-throated dipper.
  • ‘Plitvice Lakes National Park’ in Croatian is known as ‘Nacionalni Park Plitvička Jezera’, and the origin of the name ‘Plitvice’, most likely comes from the river called ‘Plitvica’, that flows into the lakes, while the Croatian words ‘plitko’, ‘plitvak’ and ‘pličina’ all mean ‘shallow’.
  • Plitvice Lakes National Park has forests of fir, beech, and spruce trees, and is the home to over 1260 species of plants, with more than 70 that are endemic to the area.
  • The Croatian War of Independence broke out in 1991 in the Plitvice Lakes National Park and lasted until 1995, causing the park to be endangered until 1998 and during this period it was successfully cleaned of land mines, although many buildings in the area were destroyed during the war.
  • The symbolic logo of Plitvice Lakes National Park is the European brown bear, which can be found in the park, along with 50 other mammal species, like deer, pine martens, hedgehogs, lynx, otters, and wolves.
Bibliography:
Bryan K, The history and little known facts behind Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, n.d, Europe A La Carte, http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2010/05/03/the-history-and-little-known-facts-behind-plitvice-lakes-national-park-croatia/
 The Plitvice Lakes National Park, 2014, Nacionalni Park Plitvička Jezera, http://np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/en/
Plitvice Lakes National Park, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plitvice_Lakes_National_Park

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