Tag Archives: Water

Cape of Good Hope

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Cape of Good Hope

You better have a lot of hope when travelling the seas of the Cape of Good Hope.

  • The Cape of Good Hope is a narrow, rocky piece of land that juts out into the South Atlantic Ocean, found in South Africa’s Cape Peninsula.
  • The Cape of Good Hope is part of the Table Mountain National Park, and contrary to popular belief, is not actually the southernmost point of Africa, as that title goes to Cape Agulhas.
  • ‘The Cape of Good Hope’ is also known simply as ‘The Cape’ and is known in Afrikaans as ‘Kaap die Goeie Hoop’.
  • The Cape of Good Hope is regarded as particularly important by many sailors, as it is used as a reference point when sailing to Australia or East Asia.
  • Bartolomeu Dias, an explorer from Portugal, was the first known person from Europe to discover the Cape of Good Hope, doing so in 1488, and named it ‘Cape of Storms’.
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Cape of Good Hope
Image courtesy of Iryna Kuchma/Flickr
  • The Da Gama and the Dias Crosses are situated on the Cape of Good Hope as beacons, and when the two are aligned they point towards a major water vehicle hazard known as ‘Whittle Rock’.
  • Despite the bad weather that Bartolomeu Dias experienced at the Cape of Good Hope, John II of Portugal, the king who commissioned the initial expedition, renamed it as such to portray a more positive perspective on sailing to India.
  • There are around 250 bird species, including penguins, that are found in the Cape of Good Hope vicinity, while other animals from zebras, deer, reptiles, antelopes, otters and rodents are also found in the area.
  • Approximately 1100 native plant species populate the Cape of Good Hope, and includes large quantities of shrubby vegetation known as ‘fynbos’, like proteas, cone bushes and tree pincushions.
  • By legend, the Cape of Good Hope is the haunted location of the ghostly ship The Flying Dutchman, which is said to be cursed so that it can never reach land.
Bibliography:
Cape of Good Hope, 2015, Pano, http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=cape-good-hope-rsa
Cape of Good Hope, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_of_Good_Hope

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Loch Ness

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Loch Ness

Loch Ness is a placed of busted myths and mythical monsters.

  • Loch Ness is a freshwater lake, or loch as it is known in Scotland, found in the Highlands of Scotland, in the United Kingdom in Europe.
  • Loch Ness is the largest lake in Scotland by volume, at 7.5 cubic kilometres (1.8 cubic miles), and it reaches a depth of 230 metres (755 feet) and covers an area of 57 square kilometres (22 square miles).
  • The popularity of Loch Ness is caused primarily by the potential monster, named after the lake, that is believed by some to dwell there, and information about the creature was publicised in 1933.
  • Species of eels, salmon, trout, minnows and sea sturgeons, among other aquatic animals, are native to the waters of Loch Ness.
  • An artificial island in the southern area of Loch Ness was created before the 1400s AD, and while it has been called various names, it is known as Cherry Island today.
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Part of Loch Ness
Image courtesy of Dave Conner/Flickr
  • The ruins of Urquhart Castle can be found on the banks of the western side of Loch Ness, and was built from the 1200s.
  • Loch Ness is used in two hydroelectricity plants, the Glendoe Hydro Scheme and the Foyers pumped-storage scheme.
  • Tourists visiting Loch Ness can choose from a variety of cruises that travel across the lake, while hiking along tracks in the nearby woodlands, sailing, and fishing are also popular activities.
  • In July 1966, Brenda Sherratt crossed the full length of Loch Ness by swimming, and was the first to do so, accomplishing the feat at age 18.
  • River Moriston, River Oich, River Enrick, River Foyers, and River Coilte each feed into Loch Ness, while the Ness River flows out of the lake.
Bibliography:
Loch Ness, 2015, Visit Scotland, http://www.visitscotland.com/en-au/info/towns-villages/loch-ness-p868181
Loch Ness, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness

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Bryggen

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Bryggen

Who would know a wharf like Bryggen would attract such a history?

  • Bryggen is a wharf, as well as a block of buildings that sits adjacent to it, in Norway’s Bergen, in Europe, that has been a major trading point throughout history.
  • ‘Bryggen’ can be translated from Norwegian as ‘the wharf’ and it is also called ‘Tyskebryggen’, meaning ‘German wharf’, in reference to the Germans that originally lived and worked there.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention designated Bryggen as a World Heritage Site in 1979, due to its cultural and historical significance.
  • Bryggen was used as a trade centre from the 1100s, although it was not until the mid 1300s when the Hanseatic League began to expand in the area, that trade began to boom.
  • The buildings located along Bryggen are similar in style, often three storeys tall with a gabled tiled roof and timber cladding.
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Bryggen
Image courtesy of Kamil Porembiński/Flickr
  • Just over 60 historic buildings exist in Bryggen, which equals around 25% of what was initially there, however most of these buildings are not completely original, as many have been rebuilt or restored over the centuries, primarily due to majors fires in 1476, 1702 and 1955, although authentic techniques and materials have been used as much as possible.
  • The mostly wooden buildings of Bryggen can be seen in a variety of colours, such as white, brown, red, mustard and orange, and they were mostly used for storing goods and trading purposes, as well as housing merchants.
  • The buildings that make up the area of Bryggen, include St Mary’s Church which was constructed in the 12th century and is the oldest building in the area; and two museums, one of which is a modern construction built in 1976; while many of the old buildings house restaurants, shops, and workshops for artisans.
  • Over 500 hundred historic runes that refer to or describe the daily life of the residents of Bryggen up until the late 1300s, were discovered during excavations after the major fire in the area in 1955.
  • In 2011, Bryggen was visited by nearly 870,000 tourists, and is among the most popular destinations in the region.
Bibliography:
Bryggen – the historic wharf in Bergen, 2015, Visit Norway, http://www.visitnorway.com/en/where-to-go/fjord-norway/bergen/what-to-do-in-bergen/attractions-in-bergen/bryggen-the-hanseatic-wharf-in-bergen/
Bryggen, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryggen
Bryggen, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/59

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Kaieteur Falls

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Kaieteur Falls

Kaieteur Falls is beautiful isolated in the rainforests of South America.

  • Kaieteur Falls is a waterfall located in the Essequibo area in Guyana, located in northern South America, and it is part of the Kaieteur National Park.
  • Kaieteur Falls has a drop of 226 metres (741 feet) in height, and a width up to 113 metres (370 feet).
  • In early 1870, geologist and explorer Charles Brown of Britain, was the first European to see Kaieteur Falls, and he discovered the feature while surveying the area.
  • Kaieteur Falls is not easily accessible, as it is located in a remote part of the Guyana rainforest, and as such, visitors are required to travel in a plane to the nearby airstrip and walk into the area.
  • The name ‘Kaieteur Falls’ comes from term ‘Kaieteur ‘ meaning ‘old-man’ in the local tribal language, which is said to have originated from the legend of an old man venturing over the falls in a purposeful or forced manner.
Kaieteur Falls, Place, Trivia, Random Facts, Water, Waterfall,
Kaieteur Falls
Image courtesy of Soren Riise/Flickr
  • The cliff of Kaieteur Falls is said to be made of conglomerate rock and sandstone, and it is part of the Guiana Highlands, which is part of the Guiana Shield.
  • Kaieteur Falls is fed by Potaro River, which eventually runs into the Essequibo River, that flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
  • The water of Kaieteur Falls is a muddy or coffee brown colour, and the water flows into the large gorge situated below.
  • Due to the inaccessible nature of Kaieteur Falls, it has remained an unspoilt environment, and while efforts have been made to have the site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, as of 2015, it had been unsuccessful.
  • Roughly 651 cubic metres (23,000 cubic feet) of water rush over the edge of Kaieteur Falls each second, and the sheer volume of water, combined with the waterfall’s height and width, makes it one of the largest falls on earth.
Bibliography:
Kaieteur Falls, 2015, BeautifulWorld, http://www.beautifulworld.com/south-america/guyana/kaieteur-falls
Kaieteur Falls, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaieteur_Falls
Kaieteur Falls, n.d, World of Waterfalls, http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/latin-america-kaieteur-falls.html

 

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Chiton

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Chiton

You have to do some searching for chitons if you are to find one.

  • Chitons are a type of mollusc that are found primarily on rocks in a marine environment, next to, or in the ocean.
  • The scientific name of a chiton is Polyplacophora, being the class it belongs to, although it has previously been known as Amphineura.
  • ‘Chitons’ are also known as ‘polyplacophorans’, ‘sea cradles’, ‘coat-of-mail shells’ and ‘loricates’.
  • The rough ellipse shape of a chiton is covered by a shell that is divided into eight plates, that is surrounded by what is known as a ‘girdle’, that is flexible and may or may not contain spikey protrusions or scales.
  • Generally chitons can navigate from one place to another and back to the same spot again with ease, and perhaps use the Earth’s magnetic field or secreted chemicals to find their way.

Chiton, Animal, Marine, Aquatic, Ten Random Facts, Trivia, Brown, Rock, Pool, Australia

  • Chitons have a muscle, referred to as a ‘foot’, on the underside of its shell, which is used to move the mollusc along surfaces.
  • The diet of chitons consists primarily of algae, phytoplankton, marine moss animals, and bacteria, although some species eat small crustaceans.
  • The word ‘chiton’ comes from the term khitōn, a Greek word that means ‘mail coat’, ‘frock’, or ‘tunic’.
  • Chitons have the ability to firmly attach themselves to surfaces with their ‘foot’, making them almost immovable.
  • The mouth of chitons is located on the underside of its body, while microscopic optical or light sensors are thought to be located in the shell.
Bibliography:
Chiton, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiton
Davy K, Chitons, 2010, MESA, http://www.mesa.edu.au/friends/seashores/chitons.html
Nordsieck R, Chitons (Placophora), n.d, The Living Word of Molluscs, http://www.molluscs.at/polyplacophora/index.html?/polyplacophora/main.html

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Curonian Spit

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Curonian Spit

Enjoy some fish on a spit at the Curonian Spit.

  • The Curonian Spit is a long, thin piece of land, known as a ‘spit’, that separates two water bodies – the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon, in Lithuania in northern Europe, and western Russia.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention designated the Curonian Spit, also known as ‘Kuršių nerija’ a World Heritage Site in the year 2000, and the area contains a number of reserves and national parks.
  • As a sand dune formation, the creation of the Curonian Spit possibly occurred through wind and water movements that piled sand at levels high enough to deter water.
  • The Curonian Spit spreads a length of 98 kilometres (61 miles) with a width ranging from 0.4 to 3.8 kilometres (0.25 to 2.4 miles), and some of the sand dunes can reach heights of up to 60 metres (197 feet).
  • Curonians, Russians, Lithuanians, Germans and Prussians have all occupied the Curonian Spit at various stages, and according to a native Balt legend, the spit was created by a child Neringa, a giantess, who enjoyed the shore as a play site.
Curonian Spit, Sand, Water, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Beach, Russia, Place
Curonian Spit
Image courtesy of Borya/Flickr
  • Around the mid 1700s, after significant deforestation caused a lack of sand dune stabilisation, 14 villages on the Curonian Spit were buried by sand.
  • Successful large scale revegetation of the Curonian Spit sand dunes has occurred over two centuries, and a sand ridge was also created during this time to impede sand movement.
  • Despite the prominence of sand dunes in the Curonian Spit vicinity, areas of the spit are rich in flora and fauna, while approximately 10 to 20 million birds migrate across the area annually.
  • A stone sundial has been constructed on the top of Parnidis dune, one of the Curonian Spit’s many dunes, located in the town of Nida.
  • The Curonian Spit is popular among tourists for bird watching, boating and fishing, although a permit to catch fish is required, and there are a number of historic villages and museums to visit in the area.
Bibliography:
Curonian Spit, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/994
Curonian Spit, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curonian_Spit
Human Impact, nd, Kuršių nerijos, http://www.nerija.lt/en/culture/human-impact

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