The ocean is a vast, mysterious, and beautiful place. Underwater creatures get the opportunity to grow to extreme weights and lengths compared to us terrestrial animals. Could you imagine walking down the street and seeing 12 foot long crab pass by you by?!
See how Scuba Steve compares to some of the GIANTS OF THE DEEP š
credit: discovery channel
A couple of years ago, JapaneseĀ scientistsĀ snapped photos of a giant squid for the first time, and even brought up one of its tentacles that got attached to the bait hook. That was a big accomplishment in itself. Ever attempt to capture this wild beast on video, has failed. UNTIL NOW!
This year, a giant squid has been video recorded for the first time ever :Ā ALIVE AND IN THE WILD! Teaser footage has just been released hours after I posted this- so check it out above! The full footageĀ it will be shown on the Discovery Channel’s Monster Squid: The Giant Is Real TV Show special in January 27, 2013 at 10/9c. Mark your calendars!
āWhen Discovery does natural history it sets the bar high, and this ground breaking project features the very first-ever footage of a live giant squid in its natural habitat. Our crew came face-to-face with the giant squid, and itās the ideal season finale for ourĀ CuriosityĀ series that stirs the imagination of our audience, bravely asking questions and fearlessly seeking answers. This latest production, four years in the making, is a world-first achievement for television, and Iām excited to share it,ā said Eileen OāNeill, Group President of Discovery and TLC Networks.
Once again for all those out there who don’t know this yet, I am a big cephalopod lover. Squid, octopus, cuttlefish, nautilus are all animals that have stolen my heart andĀ fascinatedĀ my mind. This still-image from the Discovery Channel video footage portrays a glistening beautiful creature that I can only dream about seeing in person one day.
“It was shining and so beautiful. I was so thrilled when I saw it first hand, but I was confident we would, because we rigorously researched the areas we might find it, based on past data.” -Researcher Tsunemi Kubodera on the squid.
credit: discovery channel
credit: discovery channel
The HD video footage was captured around 2,000ft below the surface in the Pacific Ocean by a team of 3 Japanese scientists. The researchers were crammed inside of a submersible (seen in the 1st photo above) for a total of 400 hours and recorded 100 missions – talk about close quarters?! The team spotted the 8-leggedĀ east of Chichi Island, a small archipelago about 150 miles north of Iwo Jima. It must have been a moment those scientists will NEVER forget.
As you can see in the size comparison chart above, a giant squid is HUGE. This massive beast is about 16x times larger than averageĀ human in length.
I’M SO EXCITED TO SEE THE FOOTAGE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS!? Who else is going to watch it with me?
Since I don’t have the full footage to show you, I find this octopus video the other day and had to pass it along. It’s quite funny… if this song doesn’t make you giggle I don’t know what will š
My friend EvanĀ (and author the amazing blog:Ā The Better Man Project)Ā this past weekend told me – “You have salt water running through your veins.”
Although, yes is quite a witty comment, I also find a lot of truth behind the statement within myself. I live, breathe, love, care, and exist for the sea. There’s nothing that remotely comes close to the undying passion I have for the ocean and itsĀ inhibitors. The sea is so mysterious, important, beautiful, scary, and just an overallĀ necessityĀ for ourĀ existenceĀ on this planet. As I’m applying and interviewing for jobs for next year, all I think about is ‘how can this job help me achieve my dream?’ – then that comes up with the question – ‘what is Chanel’s dream?’ My dream is to start my own marine conservation non-profit, or at least help run one that is already intact doing AMAZING things for this planet.Ā
Educating the public about the numerous hardships our planet is facing each and every day is VERY important- especially because most of the problems are result of human action.Ā An uninformed mind, is an uneducated mind.Ā Unfortunately, Ā I feel as though our government in America doesn’t always have our best intentions when making decisions that affect us all. It was after watching multiple documentaries, and reading lots of papers, that I have come to the conclusion that large corporations will the death and destruction of our planet as a whole.Ā EVERYTHINGĀ they do is all about what makes them the most money with the least amount of money/effort. Our personal health and the health of this planet usually get put on the back burner 
while overall corporation prosperity and wealth take the lead.
We only have 1 Earth, 1 life to live, and 1 chance to leave it a better place than when we arrived. I feel it’s my job on this planet to leave it a better place for future generations.Ā
I wanted to share this video I found while blog browsing last night, as it truly touched my heart (causing me to shed a couple of tears).
WhalesĀ fascinateĀ me. The blue whale (featured in this video) is theĀ LARGESTĀ animal toĀ EVERĀ live on this entire globe.Ā It used to be every time I saw a whale in the wild, it would make me cry just a little to just be in the presence of such a beautifulĀ majesticĀ creature. Ā It pains me to think that whaling is still legal in some places, and illegally still occurring in others. When you take into account their intelligence, history, beauty, mysteriousness, and importance on our planet it’s hard for me to consider the killing of these creatures voluntarily.
I can understand if a whole tribe of people in New Zealand, or the Arctic has to kill whales to feed their whole community. They cherish the death of the whale by utilizing the whole body as much as possible. But for example the Japanese- they hunt whales with very inhumane practices which has led to much controversy expressed in theĀ Discovery Channel Show Whale Wars. My mom was pushing me to apply to be on the show Whale Wars…but I had college degree to obtain, and I couldn’t see risking my life as an option while I’m so young.
You know what, I’d like to say that salt water really does run through my veins. I’d also love if I had gills too (which would totally be my superpower if I was granted one). I hope I can come back to this post 50 years from now, and smile because I accomplished my dream. You are in charge of your own destiny and future. I’M GOING FOR IT!
Credit: Florida Sport Fishing
When you see this video, you will understand just how eager I was to post it! You usually see awesome footage of Great White Sharks jumping out of the water, but Mako Sharks are giving them a run for their money! Sharks sure areĀ fascinatingĀ creatures…and it’s almost the 25th Anniversary ofĀ Discovery Channel’s Shark Week! WHO ELSE IS EXCITED?! š
CAUTION: Video contains graphic language- put on mute if you’d like- but I get a little giggle each time the guy says “OH MY GOD” every time the shark jumps.
The video was taken in San Diego at their annual Mako catch and release (yeah for that!) fly fishing tournament. The proceeds from the tournament go towards the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research– rock on research! The amazing jumping mako is estimated at about 800 lbs., and 10 feet long. That’s one big fish!
So I ran across some awesome clay-mation videos Animal Planet produced. The video series is titled: “The Animals Save The Planet.”
All the videos portray messages of conservation, and sustainability- which is right up my alley! They are adorable and I couldn’t help but share them with you.
The first one deals with being aware of your water usage..
The second one encourages you to consider using biodegradable products..instead of plastics
The third one is about cows and their large production of methane gas .a “nasty” greenhouse gas. Pushing you to eat less cows, so they don’t “stink” up our planet.
The fourth one is about more sustainable ways of transportation.This one reminds me of a bunch of my friends who are avid bicycle riders. I give them props!
The fifth (and final one) I’ll show you guys is about taking re-usable bags when you go shopping. It’s very clever.. I like it a lot!
There are a couple more videos- you should check them out on your own š
Save the planet- one little task at a time!
Finally, Sustainable Surfboards Have Arrived!
Biofoam Surfboards
Although I am not a big surfer myself, I have lots of friends who are avid surfers from NorCal-> SoCal. So this post is for them- and to any other surfers from around the globe.
The core of surfboards is made out of foam- which makes them light and easy to carry in and out of the water. With BioFoam used to make surfboards- one toxic element in the average surfboard is eliminated. It is suggested that Biofoam production results in 36% less global warming emissions and a 61% reduction in non-renewable energy use.
Biofoam: Invented by Chuck Menzel from Ventura, CA. Made out of nearly 50% plant-based materials and does not contain any toxic materials known to be harmful to the environment or humans. In particular, the cell structure of Biofoam is denser- and petroleum-based polyol has been replaced with organic and domestic soy polyol. Don’t go taking a bite out of your surfboard though when you are sitting out on the waves…silly.
Chuck teamed up with Homeblown to produce the first Biofoam surfboards. These new boards are as strong and lightweight as any foam blanks on the market. The Biofoam boards have excellent strength and flex as well- what’s not to like?!
OR check out the Discovery News Video on Biofoam Boards.
If you didn’t know already- Blue whales are the largest animals to EVER live on this great big planet of ours.Ā That means that blue whales were larger than any dinosaur that ever lived. Pretty amazing feat if I do say so myself.
Source: stuff.co.nz
Researchers from San Fran State University have discovered that blue whales (from the North Pacific) are able to synchronize the pitch of their calls with a very VERY high level of accuracy. In saying so- they have a very low margin of error from call to call.
The reason why they have such uniform pitch could be used in the process of finding a potential mate by swimming away/or towards them.
source: discovery.com
Studies have concluded so far that only the male whales produce songs (the same goes for Humpback whales). If only humans would do the same…I feel like in the animal kingdom- males seem to do some elaborate dances/shows/performances to try and attract a mate. But with humans- I feel like the males are kind of slacking in that “wow” department. Step it up guys!
One of my favorite performances is by the bird of paradise male. Check out this clip from Discovery Channel’s Planet Earth series.
Photo: Discovery Channel
Well ladies and gents- it’s that time of year again. The one week where you are bombarded by images of flying great white sharks, and stories of shark-attack-survivals. I would definitely love to go diving with Great White Sharks one of these days (in a cage of course..) in South Africa!
The Discovery Channel’s 23rd year ofĀ Shark Week started off last night- August 1st. Some people wonder-” What is the big deal with Shark Week?”- and I feel bad for those people. Sharks are one of the most interesting, fascinating, and under-appreciated animals. We still have so much to learn about them- especially their mating habits.
I’ve actually swam/dove/snorkeled with a multitude of sharks. Most of them were in Australia last year. Let me tell you- going on a night snorkel in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef with aggravated black tip/white tip reef sharks frantically darting in and out of your flashlight-light underwater is quite frightening and exhilarating.
So tune into your local Discovery Channel this week- and watch some amazing shark footage/stories :D!
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