Category: Blog
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A fish out of water — and lookin’ for love
“Fish gotta swim”, as Julie put it in explaining why she can’t stop lovin’ dat man in the 1927 musical Show Boat. And we all know what she meant. But do they? Not this one. The Pacific Leaping Blenny (yes, that is its real name) wants to do anything but swim. It literally flees from…
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Crossing the Line
Once upon a time, whenever a ship crossed the Equator, old salty sailors would perform a ritual “test” of their less-seasoned shipmates to ensure that the new crew would be capable of surviving the long and difficult days ahead. These days, on board Navy vessels and sailboats across the globe, the same tradition has evolved…
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Live chat today on Saving Coral Reefs
UPDATE: If you are interested, the transcript of the chat is avaiable here. Thanks to all the millions of SeaMonster readers who sent in questions! I am joining Dr. Mark Eakin of NOAA for a live chat here hosted by Science magazine about “Saving Coral Reefs” this afternoon (Sept 1) at 3PM EDT. You can submit…
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Kelly wins in Tahiti – highlights reel
Ten time world champion Kelly Slater won the Billabong Pro Tahiti yesterday. The contest was one of the best ever held; incredible waves, epic wipeouts and free surf sessions when the contest was on hold because the waves were too big! Check out the unbelievable highlights reel below: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs0IJxOVbDs&[/youtube]
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Arctic ice melting facilitates more oil drilling
From the “Beyond Ironic” files comes this piece in the NYT: Exxon Reaches Arctic Oil Deal With Russians Exxon Mobil won a coveted prize in the global petroleum industry Tuesday with an agreement to explore for oil in a Russian portion of the Arctic Ocean that is being opened for drilling even as Alaskan waters remain mostly off…
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After six millennia, the elusive Northwest Passage is open for business — and conflict
The race is on. The European Space Agency (ESA) reports that the Arctic is into another year of below-average sea ice cover, and that the big melt has opened two major shipping routes. After five centuries of imperial intrigue, papal declarations, naval battles, failed commercial ventures, and rueful ends to frostbitten voyages, the elusive Northwest…
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Don’t go whale watching
Don’t go whale watching is what my kiteboarding instructors Brandon and Trevor told me when I first learned. The idea is that when you head out offshore, you are supposed to turn around and tack back in and not “whale watch”, ie, don’t go too far out! Well late this afternoon I went for a…
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Marine iguana chowing down on algae in the Galapagos
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/27371508[/vimeo]
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Whales love Mariachi!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS_6-IwMPjM&[/youtube] Hat tip to Adrian Stier
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Dance of the boobies
Kaitlyn Ferguson tracked this blue footed booby couple on the island of North Seymour in the Galapagos for several weeks before getting this amazing never-before-seen footage. The male begins on the rock and attracts his lady over to his lair with a dance of love. When the female lifts her tail, she accepts his invitation.…