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Denis Frémond (French, born 1950)

"The Skater", n.d.

Oil on Canvas, 92 × 73 cm.

Private Collection.

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Polar landscapes by George Edward Marston (1882-1940) 

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Abandoned mine, Slovakia

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watching the endurance natgeo doc and mensun's just carrying around his shackleton memorabilia including a miniature bust and every diary he could possibly find. i agree that was necessary

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does anyone else feel sooooo crazy and insane but in the most boring way possible

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A natural wave is formed on Lake Michigan when the riptide meets the incoming tide and explodes upward, 2014 - by Michael Bernhardt, American

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Here it is folks:

My definitive ranking of my least favorite bodies of water! These are ranked from least to most scary (1/10 is okay, 10/10 gives me nightmares). I’m sorry this post is long, I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this.

The Great Blue Hole, Belize

I’ve been here! I have snorkeled over this thing! It is terrifying! The water around the hole is so shallow you can’t even swim over the coral without bumping it, and then there’s a little slope down, and then it just fucking drops off into the abyss! When you’re over the hole the water temperature drops like 10 degrees and it’s midnight blue even when you’re right by the surface. Anyway. The Great Blue Hole is a massive underwater cave, and its roughly 410 feet deep. Overall, it’s a relatively safe area to swim. It’s a popular tourist attraction and recreational divers can even go down and explore some of the caves. People do die at the Blue Hole, but it is generally from a lack of diving experience rather than anything sinister going on down in the depths. My rating for this one is 1/10 because I’ve been here and although it’s kinda freaky it’s really not that bad.

Lake Baikal, Russia

When I want to give myself a scare I look at the depth diagram of this lake. It’s so deep because it’s not a regular lake, it’s a Rift Valley, A massive crack in the earth’s crust where the continental plates are pulling apart. It’s over 5,000 feet deep and contains one-fifth of all freshwater on Earth. Luckily, its not any more deadly than a normal lake. It just happens to be very, very, freakishly deep. My rating for this lake is a 2/10 because I really hate looking at the depth charts but just looking at the lake itself isn’t that scary.

Jacob’s Well, Texas

This “well” is actually the opening to an underwater cave system. It’s roughly 120 feet deep, surrounded by very shallow water. This area is safe to swim in, but diving into the well can be deadly. The cave system below has false exits and narrow passages, resulting in multiple divers getting trapped and dying. My rating is a 3/10, because although I hate seeing that drop into the abyss it’s a pretty safe place to swim as long as you don’t go down into the cave (which I sure as shit won’t).

The Devil’s Kettle, Minnesota

This is an area in the Brule River where half the river just disappears. It literally falls into a hole and is never seen again. Scientists have dropped in dye, ping pong balls, and other things to try and figure out where it goes, and the things they drop in never resurface. Rating is 4/10 because Sometimes I worry I’m going to fall into it.

Flathead Lake, Montana

Everyone has probably seen this picture accompanied by a description about how this lake is actually hundreds of feet deep but just looks shallow because the water is so clear. If that were the case, this would definitely rank higher, but that claim is mostly bull. Look at the shadow of the raft. If it were hundreds of feet deep, the shadow would look like a tiny speck. Flathead lake does get very deep, but the spot the picture was taken in is fairly shallow. You can’t see the bottom in the deep parts. However, having freakishly clear water means you can see exactly where the sandy bottom drops off into blackness, so this still ranks a 5/10.

The Lower Congo River, multiple countries

Most of the Congo is a pretty normal, if large, River. In the lower section of it, however, lurks a disturbing surprise: massive underwater canyons that plunge down to 720 feet. The fish that live down there resemble cave fish, having no color, no eyes, and special sensory organs to find their way in the dark. These canyons are so sheer that they create massive rapids, wild currents and vortexes that can very easily kill you if you fall in. A solid 6/10, would not go there.

Little Crater Lake, Oregon

On first glance this lake doesn’t look too scary. It ranks this high because I really don’t like the sheer drop off and how clear it is (because it shows you exactly how deep it goes). This lake is about 100 feet across and 45 feet deep, and I strongly feel that this is too deep for such a small lake. Also, the water is freezing, and if you fall into the lake your muscles will seize up and you’ll sink and drown. I don’t like that either. 7/10.

Grand Turk 7,000 ft drop off

No. 8/10. I hate it.

Gulf of Corryvreckan, Scotland

Due to a quirk in the sea floor, there is a permanent whirlpool here. This isn’t one of those things that looks scary but actually won’t hurt you, either. It absolutely will suck you down if you get too close. Scientists threw a mannequin with a depth gauge into it and when it was recovered the gauge showed it went down to over 600 feet. If you fall into this whirlpool you will die. 9/10 because this seems like something that should only be in movies.

The Bolton Strid, England

This looks like an adorable little creek in the English countryside but it’s not. Its really not. Statistically speaking, this is the most deadly body of water in the world. It has a 100% mortality rate. There is no recorded case of anyone falling into this river and coming out alive. This is because, a little ways upstream, this isn’t a cute little creek. It’s the River Wharfe, a river approximately 30 feet wide. This river is forced through a tiny crack in the earth, essentially turning it on its side. Now, instead of being 30 feet wide and 6 feet deep, it’s 6 feet wide and 30 feet deep (estimated, because no one actually knows how deep the Strid is). The currents are deadly fast. The banks are extremely undercut and the river has created caves, tunnels and holes for things (like bodies) to get trapped in. The innocent appearance of the Strid makes this place a death trap, because people assume it’s only knee-deep and step in to never be seen again. I hate this river. I have nightmares about it. I will never go to England just because I don’t want to be in the same country as this people-swallowing stream. 10/10, I live in constant fear of this place.

Honorable mention: The Quarry, Pennsylvania

I don’t know if that’s it’s actual name. This lake gets an honorable mention not because it’s particularly deep or dangerous, but it’s where I almost drowned during a scuba diving accident.

Edit: I’ve looked up the name of the quarry, it’s called Crusty’s Quarry and is privately owned and only used for training purposes, not recreational diving.

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Ilya Glazunov (Russia 1930-2017) Lake of Tears (1988) oil on canvas 75 x 100 cm

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🚨 Urgent Appeal 🍉

Hello generous people of the world 💫❤️!!

My name is Akram and This is my twin brother Malek. We were high school students (Tawjihi) when the war started on former October 7th ..

All these pictures were drawn by my friend @vilecrocodile , thanks alot dear 💕🕊️..

Me and My family have been trapped in the genocide for the last year.

Living in Gaza is a daily struggle for survival. It's not just the challenge of waking up each day wondering whether my family and I will make it through another round of airstrikes, but the deeper worry of whether we will ever have a future beyond this war zone.

My heart is broken after my home was destroyed due to the war in Gaza 😢. All I dream of is escaping this tragic situation with my family so we can resume our lives and continue my education.

As a young person, Education is our greatest hope-a way to rise above the circumstances we were born into, to build a life of purpose, and to help my family escape the horrors of ongoing violence and potential genocide.

But here, in Gaza, education feels like a dream slipping further away each day.

The schools and universities have all been destroyed, and I fear staying here will mean losing the chance for an education as well as the lives of those I love.

It's a constant fear that gnaws at me.

Opportunities are few, and the constant threat of escalating violence makes even planning for the future feel futile.

This is why I am asking for your help:

I want to raise funds to escape this cycle of despair and pursue an education abroad, where I can study in peace, grow, and contribute to a better world. I dream of learning in a place where I don't have to worry if my school will be bombed or if I will make it home safely.

With your support, I can relocate with my family to a place where we are no longer seen as targets but as people with hopes, dreams, and the potential to contribute meaningfully to society.

This fundraiser is not just for my education; it's a lifeline for my family and me. I want to study fields like international relations or humanitarian work, so I can return one day and help others in situations like mine, advocating for peace and justice in a region torn apart by violence.

Please help me break free from this cycle of violence. Your support can make all the difference-giving me the opportunity to survive, to learn, and to fight for a future that so many of us here are desperately trying to grasp.

Thank you for your time and generosity.

Vetted by @gazavetters , my number verified on the list is ( #138 ) and by @bilal-salah0 here.

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Philip Braham (British, 1959), Currochs Field, Winter, 2019. Oil on linen, 97 x 130 cm.

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The aeolian processes of katabatic winds in Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys shape boulders into surreal formations

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Akseli Gallen-Kallela

Cat and Dog, 1890s

oil on canvas

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truly some people have no genre savviness whatsoever. A girl came back from the dead the other day and fresh out of the grave she laughed and laughed and lay down on the grass nearby to watch the sky, dirt still under her nails. I asked her if she’s sad about anything and she asked me why she should be. I asked her if she’s perhaps worried she’s a shadow of who she used to be and she said that if she is a shadow she is a joyous one, and anyway whoever she was she is her, now, and that’s enough. I inquired about revenge, about unfinished business, about what had filled her with the incessant need to claw her way out from beneath but she just said she’s here to live. I told her about ghosts, about zombies, tried to explain to her how her options lie between horror and tragedy but she just said if those are the stories meant for her then she’ll make another one. I said “isn’t it terribly lonely how in your triumph over death nobody was here to greet you?” and she just looked at me funny and said “what do you mean? The whole world was here, waiting”. Some people, I tell you.

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Alexandre Calame (Swiss, 1810-1864)

Swiss Landscape

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mahmoud (@ma7moudgaza2) has asked me to share his story again -- he believes the above illustration sums up his experience well. holiday season is approaching, and after that -- new year. no matter when and if you celebrate, please take some time to think about what is happening in gaza and what palestinians have suffered this past year. please help mahmoud - he has not received any donations in a day. the campaign is not doing well despite combined efforts of his supporters. the situation is truly dire. you can donate with paypal or simply follow the gofundme link below:

this is a verified, trusted fundraiser.

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