Tag Archives: Water

Salar de Uyuni

By | |
Leave a comment
Salar de Uyuni

Salt, salt and more salt at Salar de Uyuni.

  • Salar de Uyuni is also known as Salar de Tunupa which can be translated from Spanish as ‘salt flat enclosure’.
  • Salar de Uyuni is the world’s biggest salt flat with a measurement of 10,582 km squared (4,086 miles squared), which can be found in Bolivia, South America.
  • Salar de Uyuni has a salt crust that ranges between a few centimetres up to 10 metres (32 feet) thick, that covers the area of a salt water lake that ranges from 2 to 20 meters (7-66 feet) in depth.
  • Salar de Uyuni contains a large amount of chemical metals including sodium, magnesium, potassium, and 50 to 70% of the world’s lithium resource that is extracted to make batteries.
  • Salar de Uyuni has little wildlife, but has 80 species of visiting and migrating birds, including three species of flamingos, as well as a few islands, where the main foliage is cacti, as well as hot springs and geysers.

Salt flats, Salar de Uyuni, Long, forever, cracks, dry, lake, Ten Random Facts, Bolivia, South america

Salar de Uyuni
Image courtesy of Ronan Crowley/Flickr
  • Whilst some salt is extracted from Salar de Uyuni, it is estimated that the flat contains 10 billion tonnes (11 billion tons) of salt.
  • Salar de Uyuni has a train cemetery, where trains were used in mining industries until 1940, and this has become one of the most popular attractions on the salt flat.
  • Salar de Uyuni was originally believed to be completely flat, and can make photographs look distorted, but GPSs have shown it has some tiny undulations in the surface.
  • Salar de Uyuni is sometimes covered in clear water, making the salt flat also the largest natural mirror.
  • NASA uses Salar de Uyuni, since it is unmoving and easily spottable, to figure the positioning of NASA’s satellite.
Bibliography:
Salar de Uyuni, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salar_de_Uyuni>
Salar de Uyuni Facts, 2011, Travel Unearthed, <http://www.travelunearthed.com/salar-de-uyuni-facts>

Amazon:     

Stingray

By | |
Leave a comment
Stingray

Lightning fast reflex stingrays.

  • Stingrays are from the family Myliobatiformes, which is the family of fish, known as rays with a cartilage structure, and stingrays have no bones but instead have cartilage and are related to sharks.
  • There are more than 60 species of stingray, and they are typically found in warm, coastal waters throughout the world, although they can be seen in some other areas.
  • Stingrays can feel the electrical currents a fish produces when it swims, using its electroreceptors and its sense of smell to catch prey.
  • Stingrays can camouflage themselves by laying their flat body, coloured similar to the seabed, in the sand and partially burying themselves.
  • Stingrays often feed at high tide in reefs with their cousins the sharks, and once they have found their food, they crush their prey of clams, mussels, crabs and shrimps with their super strong teeth.

Float, Ray, Blue, Fish, Female, Body, Top, Ten Random Facts, Ocean, pretty

Stingray
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • Stingrays typically have a litter of between 2 and 13 babies per year that are born as mini versions of an adult.
  • Stingrays do not normally attack people unless aggravated by being stepped on or are feeling threatened, although many people are afraid and suspicious of them, particularly since a stingray killed the legendary wildlife protector, Steve Irwin in 2006.
  • Stingrays usually have a barbed stinger, that sometimes contains venom, and if stung, it is not normally fatal unless stung near vital organs, but it can be extremely painful and may cause swelling and muscle cramps.
  • Stingrays are commonly eaten in Malaysia and Singapore served with a sambal sauce, and they have wing like fins that are served as a delicacy in some countries.
  • A stingray swims through the sea by moving side to side or flapping its fins up and down to glide, and they can weigh up to 358 kg (789 pounds) and grow up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length although some species grow up to twice that in length.

 

Bibliography:
Hughes C, Stingrays, 2013, National Geographic Kids, <http://kids.nationalgeographic.com.au/kids/animals/creaturefeature/stingray/>
Stingray, 2013, National Geographic, <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/fish/stingray/>
Stingray, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray>

Amazon:     

Iguazu Falls

By | |
Leave a comment
Iguazu Falls

Iguazú falls, the fall of the iguanas.

  • Iguazú falls is a collection of 275 waterfalls laid out in a ‘J’ or a horseshoe shape in the Iguazú/Iguaçu National Park that makes up part of the border of Brazil and Argentina.
  • ‘Iguazú falls’ is the Argentinian name of this group of waterfalls, while ‘Iguaçu falls’ is the Brazilian name, and they are also known as ‘Iguassu falls’ or ‘Iguazu falls’,and mean ‘great waters’ in the local indigenous language.
  • In 2011, the New Seven Wonders of the World Foundation declared Iguazú falls as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.
  • The total length of Iguazú falls measures 2.7km (1.7 miles, while the waterfalls reach anywhere from 60 to 82 meters (1097 to 269 feet) in height.
  • Argentina is the home of approximately 220 of the waterfalls of Iguazú falls, while the other 55 waterfalls can be found in Brazil.

Iguazu Falls, Iguacu, Water, Splash, Spray, Overveiw, Many, Argentina, Brazil, Waterfalls, Border, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Iguazu Falls
Image courtesy of Patrick Nouhailler/Flickr
  • Iguazú falls has the second largest water flow of all waterfalls on Earth, second to Niagara Falls, with an average of 1,750 meters cubed (62,000 feet cubed) of water per second.
  • Iguazú falls has dry periods for a few weeks every year, where the waterflow is significantly reduced, but in the drought of 2006, the water of the waterfalls was reduced for a significantly longer period.
  • The best seasons to view Iguazú falls is during spring and autumn, which are the rainy seasons, as the waterfalls reach its greatest velocity.
  • The mist produced by Iguazú falls reaches up to 30 – 150 meters (100 – 490 feet) in height, depending on the location.
  • The power of Iguazú falls has been used to create hydroelectricity, creating 40% of the electricity need of both Argentina and Brazil.
Bibliography:
Hamre B, Iguazu Falls, 2013, About.com, <http://gosouthamerica.about.com/cs/southamerica/a/IguazuFalls.htm>
Iguazú Falls, 2013, Welcome Argentina, < http://www.welcomeargentina.com/puertoiguazu/iguazu-falls.html>
Iguazu Falls, 2013, Wikipedia, < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguazu_Falls>

Amazon:     

Dolphins

By | |
Leave a comment
Dolphins

Splash, Jump, Splash, Jump, Splash!

  • Dolphins are water mammals that are related to whales and porpoises and they are from the family Delphinidae, oceanic dolphins, which is a family of about 40 species which includes some large oceanic dolphins, that are called ‘whales’, like the orca (killer whale), which is the largest dolphin in the family.
  • Dolphins, are typically grey in colour with a dark grey back, although this varies depending on the species, which also determines their average length and weight, which can be between 1.2 to 9.5 meters (4 to 30 feet) in length and 40 kg to 10 tonnes (90 pounds to 11 tons) in weight.
  • Dolphins can be found in oceans around the world, usually in open shallow waters along continental shelves, however there are dolphins that can be found in some river systems, although these do not belong to the family Delphinidae.
  • Dolphins are mainly carnivorous eaters with a diet consisting mainly of squid, fish and crustaceans, and are the prey of mainly sharks.
  • A male dolphin is called a ‘bull’, a female dolphin is called a ‘cow’, and a young dolphin is called a ‘calf’, and they travel and live in a ‘pod’ or ‘school’ consisting of five to hundreds of dolphins, depending on the species.

Dolphin, Jump, reflection, Water, Grey, Pretty, False Bay, SoutH Africa, Wildlife, Marine, National Geographic, Ten Random Facts

Dolphin
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • Dolphins have between 100 and 250 teeth, which are not all used for eating; a  blowhole on the top of their head that they use to breathe through; a tail, which is also known as a fluke, used as a propeller; pectoral fins on the sides that are used with the fluke to change direction; and a dorsal fin (the one on its back), which some dolphin species don’t have, used for stability.
  • Dolphins can leap up to 9 meters (30 ft) high out of the water and can move at speeds up to 48 km/hour (30 mph) in the water, however they don’t usually travel that fast.
  • Dolphins normally heal easily from large injuries, such as predator bites, with a full recovery and without infection, and they have good eyesight, sensitivity and taste, as well as great hearing, which can cause them stress if the noises are too loud, but they don’t have the ability to smell.
  • A dolphin’s form of communication consists mainly of clicks and whistles, and it uses echolocation to find its way around in the water.
  • Dolphins only sleep with one half of its brain while the other half is alert to make sure the dolphin doesn’t drown or be threatened by predators.
Bibliography:
Basic Facts about Dolphins, 2012, Defenders of Wildlife, <http://www.defenders.org/dolphin/basic-facts>
Dolphins, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin>
Information and Facts about Dolphins, 2012, Bioexpedition, <http://www.dolphins-world.com/>

Swimming

By | |
1 Comment
Swimming

Splash, Splash, Splash

  • Swimming has a long recorded history over thousands of years, with early cave drawings, written references, and mosaic and clay work depicting the sport.
  • Swimming events have been included in the Olympic Games since the first modern Olympics in 1896 in Athens.
  • Although swimming’s popularity grew in the 1800s, the first book about swimming was published in 1538, written by German Professor, Nicolas Wynman.
  • The Japanese have the earliest record of swimming competitions, dated 36 BC.
  • There are four typical styles of swimming called freestyle or front crawl which has its origins in Native America, Pacific Islands and West Africa; breaststroke, the style most used in early British competitions; butterfly, a variant of breaststroke which came about in 1933; and backstroke.

Swimmer, Water, freestyle, woman, Blue, Public Pool, Casual, Female, Crawl, Ten Random Facts, Free Digital Photos

Swimmer
Image courtesy of Franky/ Free Digital Photos
  • Special swimming clothes are used for swimming, and they can be called ‘swimsuits’, ‘bathers’, ‘togs’, ‘swimming costumes’, ‘cossies’ and other names, depending on where you live, and they can include one piece suits; two piece, which are generally called ‘bikinis’; board shorts; swim or racing briefs, often known as ‘speedos’; as well as others.
  • The 20th century has seen many significant developments in swimming styles, and has included underwater studies of the various strokes, and the official recognition of butterfly as its own style in 1952.
  • The International Swimming Federation (FINA) was founded in 1908, and began keeping records on world record swimming results.
  • Swimming can  be dangerous in certain environments, such as in the ocean when rips and currents are present, or without proper knowledge and skill, and can be fatal, resulting in drowning.
  • Basic swimming and water safety skills have been included as part of the school curriculum in some countries around the world, and many parents pay for their children to attend swimming lessons with recognised trainers outside of school hours.
Bibliography:
Swimming (Sport), 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_(sport)>

Octopus

By | |
Leave a comment
Octopus

Yummy food!  Interesting creature…

  • ‘Octopuses’, the plural form of ‘octopus’, also called ‘octipi’ or ‘octopodes’, have also be known as ‘devilfish’, and are from the mollusc family, octopod, and grow from 5 cm (2 inches) to 10 metres (32 feet) in length, depending on the species.
  • Octopuses live in the ocean, in rocky, protected areas close to the seabed, and spend their time in dens when they are resting.
  • There are over 200 species of octopuses, all of which are venomous, although they are not dangerous to humans, except for the deadly Blue-Ringed Octopus as its venom can be fatal.
  • Octopuses squirt ink to confuse and hide from their predators, and the colour of the ink comes from melanin, the same colouring agent in human hair and skin.
  • Octopuses have eight arms, hence the name ‘octo’pus, that hang behind them when swimming, although they often ‘walk’ on them, and on each arm they usually have suction cups or suckers that enable them to feel and taste.

 Octopus, Red, Magical, Blue, Pink, Amazing, Great, colour, Underwater, alive, suction, flickr, Ten Random Facts, Balearic Islands

Octopus
Image courtesy of Morten Brekkevold/Flickr
  • Octopuses live for as long as six months to five years, depending on the species, and usually die a few months after mating.
  • An octopus has three hearts, two to pump blood to its gills, and one to pump blood around its body, and they have no skeleton, which allows them to squeeze into tight places and escape from predators.
  • Octopuses have been observed playing with toys, using tools, escaping tanks and boarding ships, and sometimes they decorate the entrance to their den with shells, rocks and other interesting things they can find.
  • Octopuses can change body colour to blend into their surroundings, due to their skin cells containing a colour changing pigment called chromatophores, which can be coloured yellow, red, brown, black, or orange.
  • Octopuses have a retractable parrot-like beak that they use to eat their prey, which can include crabs, molluscs, crayfish, worms, and small fish.
Bibliography:
Octopus, 2013, Animal Planet, <http://animal.discovery.com/marine-life/octopus-info.htm>
Octopus, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus>
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...