Category: Nature

Iran’s mesmerizing rock salt formations

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date July 19, 2021

Who knew salt could look like beautiful snowcones?

Mountains of rainbow-colored rock salt formations dominate the Zagros mountains of Iran.

The Jashak salt dome formed when the Persian Gulf evaporated millions of years ago and left behind massive quantities of salt.

Salt and other evaporites have since risen upward through the overlying layers of rock. Rain also washed down mountain sediment over the years which helped compact the salt glaciers.

Thanks to the monstrous salt accumulation that transpired when the ocean turned to mountains, ocean life has flourished.

Jashak salt dome — Photo: Flickr/sipos.szandra

Tags Iran, Nature, Travel

Nature Travel

Meet the Eye of Earth, Croatia’s Cetina Cave Spring

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date July 14, 2021

The Eye of Earth is a karst spring located in Croatia’s Mount Dinara Nature Park.

The small body of water is the primary source of the Cetina River, which flows from the northwestern slopes of Dinara — 6,000 feet above sea level — down through southern Croatia.

No one knows the precise depth of the cave containing the crystal clear water, but it is suspected to be more than 300 feet deep.

This hidden gem is no easy dive or swim, though, as the water is frigid. Temperatures can go as low as 46.4F even during 95F summers.

Tags Croatia, Earth, Nature

Animals Nature

The slender sunfish shaped like a Dorito

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date July 11, 2021

The slender sunfish is shaped like a Dorito

One of the more peculiar fish you’ll ever see, the slender sunfish (Ranzania laevis), looks like a mutant fish that’s been cut in half.

Yes, this Dorito-shaped fish is in its complete form! Interestingly, they also can’t close their funnel-like jaws, which makes them look like mouth-breathers of the ocean.

The Ranzania laevis is a species of mola but longer — up to 3 feet — and is primarily found in the world’s tropical waters. In fact, the fish was originally discovered off the coast of Adelaide, Australia, in 1944.

The slender sunfish can give off the impression of a shark from its side view, allowing it to scare off would-be predators. Despite its small fins, the slender sunfish is a skillful and quick swimmer.

**Photo:** Wikimedia/NOAA Observer Program

The incredible (and slender) Ranzania Laevis is shaped like a Dorito — **Photo:** Wikimedia/Escapemodule

Tags animals, fish, Nature, Ocean

Animals Nature

The Picasso bug, where art and nature collide

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date June 30, 2021

You can’t beat the brushstrokes of nature. Native to tropical and subtropical Africa, the oval-shaped Picasso Bug or Zulu Hud Bug is truly nature’s work of art.

The Picasso Bug (Sphaerocoris annulus) is a shield-backed bug species with a vibrant carapace that does more than illustrate its aesthetic beauty. The mosaic markings serve as a warning to predators.

Nicknamed “stink bug,” the tiny creepy crawler also emits a putrid smell when disturbed.

As the famous abstract artist Pablo Picasso once said, “Good artists borrow. Great artists steal.” But seeing a bug like this would’ve tempted Picasso to become a naturalist instead.

Tags art, Insects, Nature, Picasso

Nature

Rare Rainbow Waterfall at Yosemite National Park

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date June 25, 2021

Said the “Father of the National Parks“ of America’s national parks John Muir, “Most people are on the world, not in it.” His advocacy helped protect the Yosemite Valley and ultimately led to the establishment of Yosemite National Park.

The video of the rainbow waterfall by landscape photographer Greg Harlow at Yosemite (see below) is just one of the many wonders in the 747,956 acres park. The very high winds and early winter sun created the special circumstances to unveil the 2,400-foot rainbow waterfall.

“This phenomenon lasted over 8 minutes. This is how the 1400’ Yosemite Falls rainbow looked from Glacier Point in real-time. This certainly was not a planned event. I spent over 3 months total in Yosemite last year and just got lucky,” explained Harlow after capturing the dancing rainbows.

The California-based national park is one of the few places in the US where you can see a rainbow, or moonbow, at night.

Yosemite also played host to the recent documentary entitled Free Solo which filmed the super sensation seeker Alex Honnold climb El Capitan, the vertical granite rock formation located at Yosemite National Park.

PS. If you’re interested in learning the art of adventure photography and film, consider taking National Geographic photographer and the producer of Free Solo, Jimmy Chin’s course teaching adventure photography course on MasterClass.

Rare Rainbow Waterfall at Yosemite National Park

Tags Earth, Nature, Yosemite

Nature Travel

The gorgeous Great Blue Hole of Belize

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date June 24, 2021

The Great Blue Hole is a flooded sinkhole that lies 50 miles off the coast of Belize. The hole is 1,000 feet wide and about 410 feet, the bottom of which is so murky and limited in oxygen it’s claimed to be unlivable for most creatures.

The Lighthouse Reef surrounding the hole is so much lighter in color that the hole visibly stands out as seen from space.

The Blue Hole formed as a limestone cave during the last glacial period. As sea levels rose, the cave collapsed and thus created the mysterious-looking blue hole.

Undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau made the site popular when he declared it one of the top diving sites in the world in 1971. It is teeming with magnificent marine life. Hello, sharks!

A team of scientists and explorers led by Richard Branson used two submarines to help map the hole for the first time in 2018.

The Blue Hole is now part of the Belize Barrier Reef System, a 190-mile-long swath of coral that UNESCO declared a World Heritage site in 1996.

Tags Belize, Nature, Ocean, Travel

Culture & Society Nature

World’s third-largest diamond discovered in Botswana

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date June 18, 2021

A unit of De Beers unearthed one of the world’s largest diamonds in Botswana earlier this month.

The 1,098-carat diamond is believed to be the third-largest gem-quality stone ever mined. It’s worth a jaw-dropping $100+ million. 80% of the income through sales will be passed on to the state to “be used to advanced national development in the country,” according to the Botswana Government.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi revealed the palm-sized stone to the public on Wednesday.

This afternoon Botswana's president announced that they discovered the 3rd biggest diamond in the world. pic.twitter.com/jrqeBggIiW
— Kasi Economy Group (@KasiEconomy) June 16, 2021

The government receives as much as 80% of the income from Debswana's sales through dividends, royalties and taxes.

Production at Debswana fell 29% in 2020 to 16.6 million carats while sales fell 30% to $2.1 billion as the pandemic impacted both production and demand pic.twitter.com/bK4JwUDG8c
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 17, 2021

The world’s largest stone remains the 3,106 carat Cullinan stone discovered in South Africa in 1905. It was cut and placed into the British Crown Jewels where it remains to this day.

The second-largest diamond remains the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona found in the Lucara Diamonds in Botswana in 2015. That’s a whole lot of rings.

Tags africa, Diamond, Nature

Nature

Marvel at the Giant Groundsels of Mt Kilimanjaro

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date June 14, 2021

Giant Groundsels (Dendrosenecio kilimanjari) are prehistoric plants found on top of Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

They evolved about a million years ago in altitudes above 14,000 feet where they learned to harness the ability to survive sub-zero temperatures. They can also grow as high as 30 feet tall.

Giant Groundsels are a member of the dandelion family but look more like a twist between a pineapple and a cactus. The plant retains its large dead leaves to help insulate the stem. The leaves even close when it gets too cold.

Marvelous and strange, one can imagine dinosaurs just snacking on these big old plants.

Tags africa, Nature, trees

Nature Travel

The story behind geological oddity Split-Apple Rock, NZ

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date June 10, 2021

Split Apple Rock is a rock formation located in Tasman Bay off the northern coast of New Zealand’s South Island.

Shaped like an apple that’s been sliced in half or a giant Pacman (if you prefer), this geological wonder emerged as granite from the Cretaceous period 120 million years ago.

Split Apple Rock most likely got its odd shape due to the freezing and expansion of water through the cracks of the huge boulder during one of the Ice ages. It rests on top of a bed of other rocks.

The Maori name for the rock is Tokangawhā, which means “burst open rock.” According to Maori mythology, the boulder split as a result of two Maori gods fighting to own it. The rock broke in half to compromise.

The rock remains the most popular tourist attraction during treks at Abel Tasman National Park. Visitors can see it up close on a kayak or wade to it during low tide. Some go-getters even do the splits between the rock itself. But the rock is best viewed at the beach at sunset.

Tags geology, Nature, New Zealand, Rocks

Animals Nature

The Pink Amazon River Dolphin

Post author By Wells Baum
Post date June 2, 2021

Did you know that freshwater dolphins are living in the Amazon River?

The Amazon River Dolphin, also known as boto (the Portuguese word for dolphin), is an entirely separate species from its saltwater counterpart.

While the common dolphin is grey, the Amazon River Dolphin has an incredible pink coloration that gets even pinker as they get older. In fact, the brighter a male’s pink color — which often amplifies during times of excitement — the more attractive it is to mates.

According to Latin American folklore, the boto can also shapeshift into a handsome man and seduce (“Encante”) women in nearby villages back to their underwater city.

The Boto possesses a long, toothy snout and an elongated tail. Its flat molars allow it to feed on various prey, including piranhas, cichlids, river turtles, and crustaceans.

Due to murky waters, it uses sensory hairs and uses echolocation to find critters in hard to get river beds. The Pink Dolphin is also one of the most intelligent dolphins, with brains 40% larger than humans.

However, these freshwater dolphins are now listed as endangered due to fishers hunting down their meat and blubber as bait to catch catfish.

Tags Amazon River, animals, Dolphins, Nature