Beauty of Nature – Cook Islands

Beauty of Nature – 

Cook Islands

When the Cook Islands was actually settled is unknown but achaeological digs put Rarotonga at 1500 years ago and Pukapuka at 2400 years ago.  Cook Islanders are believed to have come from a place called Avaiki. To find out more about the history of the Cook Islands contact:

The Cook Islands lies nestled between the islands of Tahiti (1 hour flight) and Fiji (3 hour flight).  The easiest way to locate it on a map is to find Hawaii, and do a mirror reflection of Hawaii over the equator. There are 15 islands in the Cook Islands, divided up into two groups: the Northern and Southern Groups. 

Capital: 

Avarua, 

Population: 

11,124, 

Location: 

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand, 

Chief of State: 

Prime Minister Henry Puna, 

Head of State: 

Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Sir Frederick Goodwin   

Currency: New Zealand Dollars

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The Oldest And the Most Unique ship In The World

The Oldest And the Most Unique ship In The World 

The U.S. Office of Naval Research owns a very strange piece of oceanographic equipment. It’s called the FLoating Instrument Platform (FLIP), conceived and developed by the Marine Physical Laboratory (MPL) at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California. FLIP isn't a ship, even though researchers live and work on it for weeks at a time while they conduct scientific studies in the open ocean. It is actually a huge specialized buoy. The most unusual thing about this ship is it really flips.

FLIP is 355 feet (108 meters) long with small quarters at the front and a long hollow ballast at the end. When the tanks are filled with air, FLIP floats in its horizontal position. But when they are filled with seawater the lower 300 feet of FLIP sinks under the water and the lighter end rises. When flipped, most of the buoyancy for the platform is provided by water at depths below the influence of surface waves, hence FLIP is a stable platform mostly immune to wave action. At the end of a mission, compressed air is pumped into the ballast tanks in the flooded section and the vessel returns to its horizontal position so it can be towed to a new location.

During the flip, everyone stands on the outside decks. As FLIP flips, the decks slowly become bulkheads and the bulkhead becomes the deck. Most rooms on FLIP have two doors; one to use when horizontal, the other when FLIP is vertical. Some of FLIP's furnishings are built so they can rotate to a new position as FLIP flips. Other equipment must be unbolted and moved. Some things, like tables in the galley (kitchen) and sinks in the washroom, are built twice so one is always in the correct position. The entire flip operation takes twenty-eight minutes. When FLIP stands vertically, it rises more than five stories into the air.

FLIP was created 50 years ago, in 1962, by two Scripps scientists, Drs. Fred Fisher and Fred Spiess, because they needed a more quiet and stable place than a research ship to study how sound waves behave under water. Ships were unsuitable as they bob up and down and roll side to side.

FLIP is designed to study wave height, acoustic signals, water temperature and density, and for the collection of meteorological data. Because of the potential interference with the acoustic instruments, FLIP has no engines or other means of propulsion. It must be towed to open water, where it drifts freely or is anchored. When FLIP is in its vertical position it is both extremely stable and quiet. 

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Goliath Tiger Fish

Goliath Tiger Fish

Goliath Tiger Fish is one of the most fearsome killers freshwater has ever found. It got ranked as one of the top 10 hardest-fighting freshwater fish on the world by “Fisherman’ magazine”. It can weigh over 100 pounds and its mouth is armed with 32 razor-sharp teeth which can shear trough the strongest steel leaders and even straighten hooks. Goliath tiger fishes can found in many rivers and lakes on the continent.

Mostly, Goliath Tiger Fish is found in the Congo River system being the largest of the family, which is one of the recognizable and ordinary species in Southern Africa. Its teeth are as sharp as knife and its jaws and muscles are very strong. It can grow up to 24 inches. Mostly it is seen in three color silver-white-grey, but some times these fishes also found in a metallic orange or yellow sheen. It is the only fish which can live in water impure by sulfur, According to research.

РThe Goliath Tigerfish caught between dawn and nightfall. The Goliath is a difficult fish to catch. A 30-40 pound fish is considered a great catch, while 50-60 pounders would be a monster. Goliath Tigerfish is the world’s largest member of the Characins which includes of all of the fish in the following families tetras, dollars, pencilfish, and piranhas.

They are famous for their ferocity when hunting. The tiger fish are aggressive predators and have razor sharp teeth which are inter-locking, together with their streamlined, muscular body built for speed. They have also a gas-filled sac in their body, which they use as a sound receiver. They feed Guppies, Ghost Shrimp, Rosy Reds and etc. Breeding is rare in captivity. Only H. vittatus has been known to spawn in the aquarium. It is a smaller species, reaching three feet in length. 

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Blue Whale struck dead by ship

These heartbreaking images show the body of a majestic blue whale fatally injured as it slept in a busy shipping lane.It was spotted floating near the surface of the Indian Ocean off the southern tip of Sri Lanka.A gaping wound shows the horrific point of impact with the bow of the ship – leaving the gentle giant's tail fin in tatters.The gaping wound where the bow of a container vessel is believed to have collided with the whale's tail.Marine experts believe the blue whale – an endangered species with as few as 5,000 left in the wild – had been struck by a container vessel.The moving pictures were captured by diver Tony Wu, who wanted to highlight the blue whale’s desperate plight in a bid to reduce devastating ship strikes.

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5 Most Devastating Underwater Volcanoes

5 Most Devastating Underwater Volcanoes

Underwater volcanoes also known as Submarine volcanoes are found under ocean and can generally eject into air after eruption. Underwater volcanoes are formed when molten rocks erupts underwater fissures of planet earth. They are usually found near the areas of tectonic plate movement. Many underwater volcanoes have caused chaos by eruption or earthquake by destroying various places nearby leaving many homeless.

1. Coast of Tonga

Hunga Tonga is located about 30km from Falcon Island. Volcano lies about 65 miles above a very seismic zone. Many underwater volcano have been erupted here first ever volcano erupted here was in 1912 This volcano was erupted on march 18, 2009 caused due to the melting of two tectonic plates using excessive amount of heat and pressure resulting in the big eruption. Volcano extends from New Zealand to north-east to Fiji.

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8.7 quake hits Indonesia

8.7 quake hits Indonesia

An earthquake of 8.7 magnitude struck off the coast of Indonesia sending residents there and in India dashing out of their homes and offices in fear. A tsunami warning was issued for the whole Indian Ocean.

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Titanic at 100 years

 

Titanic at 100 years

 

The sinking of the RMS Titanic caused the deaths of 1,517 of its 2,229 passengers and crew (official numbers vary slightly) in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The 712 survivors were taken aboard the RMS Carpathia. Few disasters have had such resonance and far-reaching effects on the fabric of society as the sinking of the Titanic. It affected attitudes toward social injustice, altered the way the North Atlantic passenger trade was conducted, changed the regulations for numbers of lifeboats carried aboard passenger vessels and created an International Ice Patrol (where commercial ships crossing the North Atlantic still, today, radio in their positions and ice sightings). The 1985 discovery of the Titanic wreck on the ocean floor marked a turning point for public awareness of the ocean and for the development of new areas of science and technology. April 15, 2012 will mark the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster. It has become one of the most famous ships in history, her memory kept alive by numerous books, films, exhibits and memorials.

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A Luxury Private Island In The Seychelles

A Luxury Private Island In The Seychelles

North Island in the Seychalles offers a tranquil retreat with a conscience to do the best, not only by its customers and staff, but by the island environment and it`s native species of flora and fauna. The luxury kitchens provide a range of locally sourced foods, in keeping with the ethos of the Island, and the head chef creates food based on the individuals own tastes. The rooms are designed to perfection and the luxury furniture and interior design creates a tranquil environment in which to sleep and relax. Part of the luxury retreats on offer by Wilderness Safaris, North Island was created as a conservation project, with the 11 unique luxury lodges using material reaped from the island during the rehabilitation process, creating a location which is ultimately private, secure and offers a unique holiday destination and experience for all of its guests. Photography by Dana Allen and Russell Friedman.

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Japan Tsunami Pictures: Refore And After

Japan Tsunami Pictures: Refore And After

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The incredible tsunami wave rolled sea engulfed Florida beach

The incredible tsunami wave rolled sea engulfed Florida beach

Breathtaking images of 'wave clouds' were captured by a helicopter pilot as they rolled off the sea and inland, completely engulfing a beachfront city. 

The surreal event was captured by helicopter pilot Mike Schaeffer who was just finishing a tour of the coastline in Panama City Beach, Florida when he spotted the weather phenomenon – called a Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. The cloud swept across the sands creating a tsunami effect and over the top of the roofs of the beachfront blocks of condos earlier this month. 

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