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xtruss · 5 years ago

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A Culex mosquito steals up the face of an 'I'iwi, a Hawaiian Honeycreeper. The invasive insect poses significant danger to the native bird because it's a vector for avian malaria—a disease that, combined with climate change, is killing off the brilliant red 'I'iwi.

Science

6 Horrifying Bird Plagues—and How to Stop Them

These tiny scourges can cause mass casualties among avians.

Birds get sick. Just like us, they are prone to diseases and parasites, from pathogens that lurk in their blood to insects that feed on it. In some cases, these organisms and their hosts exist in relative harmony, particularly those that co-evolved over millennia. But when birds are hit with an entirely new-to-them bug—often a nonnative species, or the result of one—their immune systems aren’t always prepared for the attack.

New illnesses are especially dangerous for birds already fighting for survival, such as endangered species or populations facing the potentially negative effects of climate change. From there it’s a race against time for birds to adapt, perhaps by evolving a new immune response that helps ward off the illness or by adopting a behavior that helps them avoid infection to begin with. In the meantime, conservationists can help by coming up with ways to keep birds bug-free.

Here are six avian plagues and what they could mean for birds in the future:

A Nightmare on Oahu

Avian Malaria, or Plasmodium Relictum, an Infectious Protozoan.

Malady: Avian Malaria

Alien arrival: The mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus may have first arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1826, aboard European and American ships. Unfortunately for native birds, the skeeters harbored another stowaway: avian malaria, or Plasmodium relictum, an infectious protozoan.

Mode of attack: Avian malaria needs both the mosquito and its avian host to complete its lifecycle; in birds, it reproduces in the red blood cells, causing anemia, an enlarged spleen and liver, and eventually death.

Status: Today avian malaria is found on all of Hawaii’s major islands, where it has helped decimate honeycreepers like the vulnerable Iiwi. Birds that dwell on mountaintops at 4,900 feet or higher fare better, as both the mosquito and the parasite struggle at cooler, higher altitudes. Still, as climate change pushes temperatures up those mountains, the birds could have nowhere to hide.

Remedy: One approach is to curb invasive feral pig numbers, says Dennis LaPointe, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center. Mosquito larvae grow in fresh water, including muddy pig wallows and the holes swine leave behind after uprooting and scarfing down Hawaiian tree ferns. But perhaps most promising is the potential to boost birds’ immunity. Some species, including another honeycreeper, the Amakihi, are proving resistant to malaria, says Robert Fleischer, a conservation geneticist at the Smithsonian Institution. His group is working to identify the genes that provide protection, which would allow captive-breeding programs to introduce that resistance into species susceptible to avian malaria.

Flesh-Eating Babies

Philornis Downsi, a Parasitic Fly.

Malady: Parasitic Fly

Alien arrival: When the fly Philornis downsi first landed in Galápagos finch nests in the 1990s, to the birds it was as if the insect had “arrived from the planet Mars,” says Dale Clayton, a University of Utah parasitologist. The fly may have hitched a ride in produce shipments.

Mode of attack: Adult flies, which eat rotting vegetation, lay eggs in bird nests. The larvae hatch and emerge only at night to chew through birds’ skin to devour blood and other fluids.

Status: The fly is on 11 of the 13 major islands. It targets brooding mothers and nestlings, but the young are especially vulnerable, facing mortality rates up to 95 percent in some places. The Mangrove Finch's fate is particularly dire—only 80 birds remain. And Clayton’s group's new model found that a worst-case climate scenario could drive local finch extinctions in the next 50 years.

Remedy: Pheromone traps, introducing tiny wasps that parasitize the flies (but leave native bugs alone), and other measures are in the works, says Birgit Fessl of the Charles Darwin Foundation. And in 2014 Sarah Knutie, then at the University of Utah, figured out how to get finches to self-fumigate: Put out cotton balls soaked with a mild insecticide, and birds will collect the fluff for nests, killing off the flies.

Hitchhiker Massacre

West Nile Virus.

Malady: West Nile Virus

Alien arrival: West Nile virus first landed in New York in 1999 and swept across the country, reaching the Pacific Coast by 2002. Along the way, it may have infected more than 225 bird species, including the Greater Sage-Grouse in the interior West.

Mode of attack: The virus is spread by Culex mosquitoes and circulates mainly in birds. Transmission depends strongly on temperature: The hotter it is, the faster the virus spreads.

Status: West Nile killed local sage-grouse populations at a rate of between 2.5 percent and 29 percent between 2003 and 2005. The majority of sage-grouse, however, weren’t exposed to the virus, leaving those birds susceptible during the next outbreak, researchers concluded. Many populations are currently protected by cool climates at high altitudes, but these birds may face more infection as climate change expands the virus’s range, says Sarah Konrad, a spatial analysis expert at the University of Wyoming. How quickly that might happen is uncertain, she says, but “we can say hard and fast that temperatures are warming globally, which is going to cause an increase in the transmissivity of mosquito-spread viruses.”

Remedy: To stop the spread, researchers suggest treating water where the mosquitoes breed—such as artificial waterways and ponds, particularly those related to energy infrastructure in the West—with pesticides, or draining them entirely. Scientists at Ontario’s University of Waterloo are experimenting with another option: seeding the water sources with fathead minnows, which eat the mosquito larvae.

Starved to Death

Malady: Avian Trichomonas

Alien arrival: When European settlers first came to North America, the predominant theory goes, they brought pigeons and doves. Those birds in turn brought Trichomonas gallinae, an infectious single-celled protozoan. Eventually, the parasite made its way to California and infected the Band-tailed Pigeon—the state’s only native pigeon.

Mode of attack: The parasite passes between birds at feeders or watering holes, when they touch beaks during courtship, or when parents feed offspring. Birds infected with the most virulent strain form cheese-like sores in their mouths and throats that make it difficult to swallow, eventually causing starvation.

Status: In 2014, after Band-tailed Pigeons had experienced decades of decline for a variety of reasons, as many as 30,000 individuals died from trichomonas. The reason for the mass mortality is uncertain, but “drought conditions may be reducing the number of areas of water that are available to birds,” says Yvette Girard, an infectious disease epidemiologist. More birds at fewer water sources may have made it easier for the parasite to spread.

Remedy: Bird lovers can help by washing feeders and platforms with a 10 percent bleach solution. And it's crucial for wildlife managers to monitor the slow-reproducing Band-tailed Pigeon, says Krysta Rogers, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife scientist. That way, if numbers dip, officials can reduce bag limits for the pigeon, an important game bird.

Viral Vortex

Avian Flu Virus.

Malady: Avian Flu

Alien arrival: Avian flu made headlines in recent years as virus strains jumped from birds, often domestic chickens, to humans. But the virus is ancient, having circulated in wild birds for an estimated 8,000 years. It has traveled the world ever since, constantly changing form.

Mode of attack: Benign versions are common in wild birds and don’t usually cause illness, says Hon Ip, the director of the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory in the USGS National Wildlife Health Center. But when flus infect domestic poultry, he says, they “can evolve into highly pathogenic strains as they are passed from bird to bird, becoming ever more virulent in the process.”

Status: In late 2014 a nasty strain called H5N8 came to the United States from Asia; by June, 49.5 million chickens and turkeys across the Midwest had been killed, mostly from culling to prevent the virus’s spread. Wild birds are also at risk. A Canada Goose in Oregon was infected with H5N8, and geese in Kansas, Wyoming, and Michigan contracted the related H5N2 virus, which can cause severely twisted necks, tremors, and an inability to fly or swim. Ip’s team has also found the virus in seven species of falcon, eagle, and owl.

Remedy: It’s difficult to protect wild birds from the flu. Tracking and predicting outbreaks before they hit particularly vulnerable populations may deliver the most bang for the conservation buck, says A. Townsend Peterson, a disease ecologist at the University of Kansas. The virus isn’t likely to push common birds to extinction, he says, but if an outbreak hits in tandem with habitat loss and other pressures, “you could see one of these pathogens contributing to making a bad thing worse.”

No Mere Fluke

Malady: Parasitic Flatworms

Alien arrival: The faucet snail, Bithynia tentaculata, likely first reached the Great Lakes in the late 1800s in ship cargo from its native Europe. At some point, infectious parasitic flatworms called flukes followed, possibly carried by infected migrating waterfowl.

Mode of attack: Many species of fluke depend on both faucet snails and birds to live and reproduce. One, Leyogonimus polyoon, requires faucet snails, insects, and gallinules such as the American Coot to survive. In lakes and other freshwater systems, snails eat fluke eggs, which then hatch thousands of larvae. When waterfowl eat infected snails, flukes end up in their digestive tract, where they gorge on blood through the intestinal lining and cause ulcers, hemorrhaging, and death. Flukes lay eggs in birds, too, which make their way back into the environment to start the cycle anew.

Status: By 2002 faucet snails had moved south through Wisconsin waterways to Lake Onalaska, a backwater of the Upper Mississippi and a key migratory stopover. They've been infecting birds with flukes ever since. In spring 2006, for example, flukes killed up to 26,000 waterfowl, especially Lesser Scaup and American Coots, federal wildlife agencies reported. Researchers now expect regular die-offs, says Rebecca Cole, a parasitologist with the USGS National Wildlife Health Center. “Every spring and fall, we plan on a surge of carcasses along the Mississippi.”

Remedy: Conservation is tricky: The snails have built-in “trapdoors” that block poisons and other treatments. The best bet for now may be to strengthen avian populations by conserving habitat and food sources.

— Audubon Society | By Brooke Borel | November - December 2015

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vacationsoup · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/things-to-do-in-maui/

20 Fab Things To Do in Maui 2019 - A Helpful Video Guide

Ever think about taking a trip to paradise? Maui’s got you covered.

Being Hawaii’s second largest island, it has no shortage of interesting and exciting things to do, whether by your lonesome or with the whole family. Itching to see some truly wonderful natural wonders?

Maui’s got it. Have a hankering to try water sports or just relax on some remote beach? You can find them there. Good food? Nice places to stay? Beautiful hula-clad girls? Yes, yes and yes.

There are loads of videos of Maui all over the web but we like this one as it shows people having fun, and that's what vacations should be about, right…

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Where is Maui?

The island of Maui is found in the Central Pacific, part of the Hawaiian archipelago. Isolated from the rest of the United States, Maui is 2,390 miles away from California, and would take around 5 hours to get there via plane.

A vast and expansive Haleakala National Park comprises the island’s highest peak. Maui’s 30-mile stretch of beaches includes Kapalua, protected from the strong waves and currents by lava-rock promontories.

What is the weather like on Maui?

Maui, albeit being a small island, has several microclimates per area: The climate is normally drier on the downward side of Maui, where you’ll see the breathtaking resorts and Instagram-worthy beaches of Kapalua, Kaanapali, Lahaina, Kihei, and Wailea along the west coast.

On the windward side where it has a more tropical climate, you will see thriving and flourishing vegetations on the Iao Valley and the picturesque road to Hana. It’s more temperate along the shoreline than Upcountry Maui, where it’s cooler by 8-10 degrees.

However, it is coldest atop the Haleakala National Park where temperatures could be as low as 40’s or even lower. Hence, it is advisable to bring warm clothing if you are driving up to the 9,740-foot Healeakala Visitor Center.

Entertaining Things to See in Maui

1. The Old Lahaina Luau

Some things are just unavoidably interwoven with a particular place’s identity.

In Maui’s cause, perhaps this is never more apparent than with The Old Lahaina Luau, one of the biggest and most popular venues to view the traditional Hawaiian hula dance and sampling some delicious native dishes.

Old Lahaina Luau takes great pride in presenting an authentic Hawaiian Luau. An evening of traditional Hawaiian cuisine, music, cultural dances and demonstrations.

Guests will appreciate a genuine reflection of Hawaii’s rich history while enjoying an ocean view and sunset.

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Breathtaking Things to See in Maui

2. Haleakala National Park

Home to the world’s largest dormant volcano, millions of visitors come by to see this majestic sleeping giant.

Sitting 10,000 feet above sea level, it is a place where you can wonder about the powers and dangers of Mother Earth—without getting too close to red-hot lava, ala Mt. Kilauea.

Seeing the majestic sunrise from the top of Haleakala (pronounced “hah-lay-ah-kah-lah”) is one of the most favourite things to do here, but that also means dragging yourself out of bed at three in the morning, making a two and a half drive up the summit, and bundling up in every piece of clothing you’ve brought, because although it could be one of the most beautiful sights you would see in your lifetime, the temperature there is frigid and the winds are relentless.

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Instagram-worthy Things to See in Maui

3. Road to Hana

The Road to Hana is also another favourite tourist activity in Maui. The journey through this winding and steep road begins at Maui’s northern shore and proceeds along the coastline to the small East Maui town, Hana, a peaceful community bordered by abundant green pastures decorated with white-coloured cattle.

Hana is a beautiful destination, but the road to get to it is also a destination. You would not want to rush this road trip and you would definitely make more than a handful of stops to enjoy and take Instagram-worthy pictures of lush greenery, remarkable waterfalls, and breathe in the fragrant smell of guavas and ginger that grow along the roadside.

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Free Things to See and Do in Maui

4. Iao Valley State Park

Aside from the Road to Hana and Haleakala National Park, Iao Valley State Park is also a notable natural reserve for photography and hiking.

Upcountry Maui (on the slopes of Haleakala) has quaint little towns, wide grazing grounds, and a picturesque landscape. Other towns like Wailuku, Makawao, Paia, and Lahaina, offer local food and are perfect for day or afternoon strolling.

The history-rich main street of Paia bustles with several hundreds of quaint, small boutiques, surf shops, art exhibits and galleries, and cafes. This is also the Holy Grail of foodies because some of the island’s best and most popular food shops and restaurants are here: Mama’s Fish House, Pa’ia Fish Market, and Hana Ranch Provisions.

Don’t forget to visit the Dharma Center, consecrated by the Dalai Lama; here, the guests are allowed to spin the prayer wheel and snap photos of the murals inside the stupa.

Exciting Things to Do in Maui

5. Surfing

I don’t think anyone’s ever managed to disassociate Hawaii with snorkeling, surfing, and the ocean, and there is certainly a surfeit of potential places and tours in Maui.

Aside from those, there are also packages available for whale watching, cruises, kayaking, outrigger canoeing, scuba diving, fishing, surfing, parasailing, kite-boarding, stand up paddling, windsurfing, and jet skiing. You can experience all those thrills in this island.

Maui's Breakwall Beach packages include clean restrooms, locker areas, showers, and lounge chairs, so it is ideal for families to sunbathe and chill under the sun after surf classes.During the two hour session, the trained instructor will teach you techniques on how to catch waves, stand up, and surf. You may also purchase photos of your lesson afterwards.

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One-of-a-kind Things to See and Do in Maui

6. Take a Submarine Tour

Explore deep ocean depths in a submarine and spot reef sharks, tropical fish, dolphins, and even sunken ships! This is a cool way to escape the Hawaiian heat while learning about the vast mystery that is the ocean. If you are not so confident of your swimming skills, but want to experience marine wonders up close, then this is the perfect tour for you.

Here are the two top Submarine Tours you can choose from:

Maui Atlantis Submarine Adventure – Price: $128

The best attractions to see in Maui are the waters: over and under. This 50-minute tour starts in Lahaina Harbour where guests are transported to the dive site and into the sub. You can expect to see colorful coral reefs and even whales if you’re lucky.

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Things to Do with Kids in Maui

7. Mermaid Swimming

How much fun is this?

If you have always dreamed of being a mermaid and swimming with an abundance of marine animals in a tropical paradise, then Maui is the best place on Earth for playing Ariel. Hawaii Mermaid Adventures is ideal for all ages and for those who want to be in the ocean in a different perspective.

All tour packages are inclusive of special swimming lessons that also cover the proper etiquette in the water and around Maui’s precious marine life. Trained and certified instructors will teach guests how to identify endemic Hawaiian fish species they would otherwise see in pictures only.

Supporting the vision and mission of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association, all of the tours include mini beach clean-ups with narration on how to help conserve the oceans, as well as the current pollution issues that seas and oceans around the world are experiencing.

After the briefing on lessons and safety protocols, guests will have 2 hours under the water with their chosen instructors, to discover the beauty of Maui’s oceans and to find out why thousands of tourists sign up each year for this experience.

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One-of-a-kind Things to Do in Maui

8. Take a Helicopter Tour

If you’re the kind of adventurer going for something different, consider going on a helicopter ride and afford yourself some breathtaking views of not just Maui, but of all Hawaii’s islands.

More than 60 percent of the island is inaccessible by foot, so the best way to appreciate the beauty of the place is to get on board with one of Jack Harter Helicopters. Take a ride to the skies and experience the majestic islands in all their glory.

West Maui and Molokai offers an exclusive 45-minute Helicopter Tour.

On this helicopter tour of the West Maui Mountains, you’ll be taken to the heart of ancient Hawaii, where the remains of ancient tribe leaders and chiefs are secretly buried.

Stare out a window of an A-star helicopter with 6-forward facing seats while your expert pilot tells you about the history, geology, and wildlife in Maui.

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Relaxing Things to Do in Maui

9. Play Golf on Maui

One of the best spots to play Golf in Maui is The Plantation Course at the Kapalua Bay. This more than 7,000-yard golf course that has been designed by Ben Creshaw and Bill Coore has been ranked as the top golf course in the entire Hawaii Islands. This course boasts of 18 holes set at a par-73 across a vast and lengthy course.

The PGA tour starts their season here every year so you know this is a top class course. If you are visiting the island in January you may even want to watch how the pro’s knock it around this world top 100 golf course.

Standard rate: $329 For more information: https://golfatkapalua.com/current_golf_rates/

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Luxurious Things to Do in Maui

10. Shop Until You Drop

Because the island of Maui offers a vast pool of choices to shop in—from large shopping malls with high-end designer brands to tiny hole-in-the-wall boutiques, chances are you are going to end up buying something during your stay.

Maui’s largest Swap Meet happens every Saturday from 7am to 1pm at the UH Maui College campus in Kahului. Here, you will meet both visitors and locals roving through the rows of booths. Novelty arts and crafts, clothing, jewellery, souvenirs, flowers, produce local cuisine, and everything you could think of from some couple of hundreds of vendors.

The meet has it’s own Facebook page so check it out before you go.

Adrenaline-pumping Things to Do in Maui

11. Bike Down a Volcano in Maui

Certainly not talking about the kind where you plunge headlong into a fiery pit of doom ala Gollum, but for a different kind of thrill try renting a bike and go down a few miles into the crater of the famed Haleakala, perhaps the most popular tourist destination in Maui. Or, if biking isn’t your thing, consider renting a van instead. Maui offers a lot of biking tours that would suit every preference. Maui Sunriders offers 2 packages and tours:

Haleakala Downhill ($67.97)-

This tour provides the best equipment to take to the best biking route on Maui. The Haleakala Downhill Tour provides an amazing value for folks who would like to enjoy the sights to see in Haleakala on a bike. This tour includes a van tour with an experienced narrator as you’re driven up Haleakala on the same route you’ll bike down.

Day Rental ($29.95) –

This tour is more exclusive since it is based on availability. Also, this gives you the freedom because this tour lets you explore Haleakala alone, if you prefer.

This also allows you to start your Haleakala sunrise bike tour at the peak of Haleakala without the restrictions imposed on ordinary riders. Yep, you’re special with this one.

Aside from Maui Sunriders, Mountain Riders also offers a Maui Sunrise Volcano Bike Tour for $249.96. The price may be hefty, but it’s the most popular biking tour in the island. This tour begins by picking you up at your hotel going to Haleakala.

The trained tour guides tells about the history of Haleakala and an explanation of endemic plants and animals only found in Maui Island. When you arrive at the peak, you will be guided by your escorts to the rim of the crater where you will view the stunning sunrise.

The tour then proceeds to the 6,500 foot level of Haleakala where your tour guides will brief you regarding safety regulations, and begin your 26-mile bike ride down the slopes of Haleakala. Your bike ride continues through Haleakala Ranch and proceeds through the quaint community of Kula.

The ride ends at Paia Bay Beach Park. Inclusions of the tour are a round trip transportation to and from Haleakala National Park, packed snacks, Columbia Sportswear windbreaker jacket, helmet and high quality volcano chrome cruiser bikes.

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Fascinating Things to See in Maui

12. See the Banyan Tree Park

Banyan trees, of which most species are native to the Eastern half of the globe, are relatively rare in the West. This fascinating specimen, centered around a tiny park, came from India during the 1870s.

Towering 60 feet high and offering copious amounts of shade to nature and park lovers, it is a picturesque piece of evidence as to how people can weave their own designs around the natural. Nearby are some souvenir shops, as well as the Courthouse Museum and other attractions.

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Delicious Things to Do in Maui

13. Try Maui's Food and Cuisine

Who doesn’t like to eat? Everybody loves grub and if you are in Maui, you will have even more reasons to love food!

Dining is one of the top things to do in Hawaii and the experience here is one for the books. Though the area is just small, Maui unbelievably offers a vast array of dining choices from affordable mom-and-pop cafes to posh and luxurious celebrity-chef owned restaurants.

The locals would advise you to taste a bit of everything in Maui: Hawaiian-style fast food joints, fine-dining restaurants, local favourites like Spam musubi, or ethnic foods like Portuguese malasadas that represent the island’s culinary identity.

Affordable Things to Do in Maui

14. Try Maui's Food Trucks

Aside from being a tropical paradise, Maui could also be considered as a Gastronomic Eden because of an abundance of food trucks in the island.

The Maui cuisine is known for its fusion of Island-Asian style merged with traditional Polynesian taste and speckled with European influence. The decadent and top-notch restaurants albeit superb, come with a price tag that costs an arm and a leg.

With such a spectacular island like Maui with so much to do and so many things to see, you can’t afford to splurge your vacation money on a single meal. Worry not, though, because Maui’s local food trucks serve delicious, mouth-watering and local style dishes that cater to the average to budget travelers and local alike.

These food trucks are also ideal if you are on-the-go, because, really, who wants to sit still and wait for your gourmet food to be prepared when you can have it quick and just as delicious?

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Cultural Things to Do in Maui

15. Appreciate Maui's Music

Hawaii’s rich and colourful culture is absolutely unique, and there’s nowhere in the world like it. Aside from the famous Hula dance, there are also a lot of festivals, art galleries, museums, special shows that immerse you in the beautiful Hawaiian culture.

Music is also an immense part of Maui’s cultural heritage, and you will hear their music everywhere—in your hotel, in the beaches, parks, and even shopping centers.

Here's a whopping 3 and a half hours of Hawaiian music to get you in that tropical island frame of mind.

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Artful Things to See and Do in Maui

16. Visit Maui Arts and Cultural Center

Arts and culture in Maui could also be experienced after dark, at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. Founded in 1994, the MACC is the best establishment in Maui for the performing arts. This cultural center has showcased authentic Hawaiian talent in performing arts, live music, and theater plays for years.

When it comes to visual arts, though, Maui never ceases to impress. Have you ever thought about painting in paradise? No? Then this is the place to go. At Island Art Party, you could sip premium wines and cocktails while painting a sunset scene over the ocean, or the underwater sights you saw outside the submarine.

You will be guided by a Partisita (Party Artist), and regardless of your expertise level, you get to bring home your work of art and your wonderful memories in Maui.

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Things to Do in Maui with the Family

17. Waianapanapa State Park

Waianapanapa means “sparkling waters” in Hawaiian, but it isn’t actually the glistening waters that attract a plethora of travelers to the park named after it—the night-black sands do. It’s not actually black sand, though, but volcanic deposits that look like a thick border between the turquoise waves and green verdant forest.

The state park is along the Road to Hana and a lot of visitors stop over to snap some pictures before proceeding to the Hana path. Those who hike in the state park, however, will discover the Waianapanapa’s freshwater caves where they can have a quick dip in the pools. Folks who prefer to stay dry, on the other hand, can see the majestic view and take some photos of the ancient burial sites instead.

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Things to Do on a Rainy Day in Maui

18. Glassblowing

The beauty of Maui is meant to be enjoyed outside on a fine day. But what if it rains? Are we left with nothing to do when it’s pouring in the island? Of course not!

Moana Glass Art offers a unique activity that guests can try when they couldn’t enjoy the Maui sun and sands outside. Inspired by the sky, sun, and sparkling waters of Hawaii, Ryan Staub started this company that manufactures and sells beautiful glass pieces. Eventually they started giving glass blowing lessons to visitors where the latter can learn how to make their own beautiful glass souvenirs. Glass is very fragile and could be rather tough to work with, but they have patient and efficient instructors who would be beside the participants to assist and guide them through the lesson.

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Things to See and Do in Maui Nature Lovers

19. The Seven Sacred Pools

The pools of Oheo’o in Maui, famously known as the seven sacred pools, are a picturesque sight straight out of paradise. It features a series of cascading waterfalls and gorgeous natural pools enveloped by verdant rain forest that leads out into Maui’s south-east coast ocean. These waterfalls are so beautiful that they have long been considered as one of the wonders of the world. However, the pools are not always open for swimming; depending on the weather, the pools can be slippery or there could be imminent landslides, so they are closed from the public. Nevertheless, the sight is just absolutely breathtaking.

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Unique Things to See and Do in Maui

20. Harvest Your Own Pearl

Pearls could be found almost everywhere, but the experience of shucking your very own pearl from an oyster is something that does not happen very often. At the original Pearl-in-the-Oyster in Maui, Hawaii, guests are given the chance to pick their briny oyster from the water, learn how to bless the bivalve Hawaiian style, and cracking into it and pluck a pearl from inside. The pearls have different colors (blue, black, pink) with each color representing something different. Shine your prize in salt and bring it home as it is or have it mounted on a ring so you can wear your keepsake anywhere.

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Maui is one of the islands in Hawaii that are almost paradisiacal. It has abundant trees, glorious sun, amazing beaches, verdant forests, and a rich culture that’s exclusively Hawaiian. We recommend staying a bit longer in the island to discover more of what it offers… much like plucking a precious pearl from an oyster.

#Bucket list maui #things to do in Maui

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fifty-shades-of-succ · 8 years ago

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Questions 1-154 please?

Full name - Ebony M

Zodiac sign - Libra

3 Fears - Snakes, the ocean, rejection

3 things I love - ma lads, sport and video games

4 turns ons - beaming smile thats full of emotion and joy, eyes, being respectful and having manners, and being funny as fuck

4 turns offs - lack of hygeine, sexist, dull as a doorknob, racist

My best friend - I cant choose the closest out of them but Cal or Luke

Sexual orientation - its an utter mystery

My best first date - Cruise ship in hawaii with just Ally and Erich

How tall am I - 165cm

What do I miss  - Year 10

What time were I born  - 22:22

Favourite colour - Black purple and orange

Do I have a crush  - YA

Favourite quote  - The mask you wear serves its purpose well, but be careful not to lose yourself in it.

Favourite place  - My house when I’m home alone. Or anywhere where my best friends are

Favourite food  - Pasta

Do I use sarcasm  - Yeah I do just not as much as I used to

What am I listening to right now  - .....Lazy town ‘We are number one’ Dank version

First thing I notice in new person  - Smile and eyes

Shoe size  - Anywhere from a 6-8

Eye colour  - Grey

Hair colour  - Rn its a lil purple/red, but naturally its brown

Favourite style of clothing  - uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh idk

Ever done a prank call?  - Yeah, I think so

What colour of underwear I’m wearing now?  BLACK

Meaning behind my URL  - who fuckin knows

Favourite movie  - Kingsman, or the breakfast club

Favourite song  - Heartbeat, or Electric Love

Favourite band  - I dont reeeaally have one but maybe Bastille?

How I feel right now  - Great

Someone I love  - my friends

My relationship with my parents  - SHITTY AS ALL FUCk

Favourite holiday  - Hawaii

Tattoos and piercings?  - None, except a piercing in each ear lobe

Tattoos and piercing i want  - None

The reason I joined Tumblr  - Everyone said to

Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts?  Yea!!

Have I ever kissed the last person you texted?  Nope

When did I last hold hands?  Uh....cant remember

How long does it take me to get ready in the morning?  Hmm..an hour and a bit usually, maybe an hour and a half

Have I shaved your legs in the past three days?  I dont shave, I wax

Where am I right now?  In bed

If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me?  Cal and Kenzie probably, they did a good job of it at the deb after party hahahaha

Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level?  Depends

Do I live with my Mom and Dad?  Through the week, my father, but on the weekend both

Am I excited for anything?  Running seshs with friends, a party with the meme friends and then a outing I have with my best friend

Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to?  Yea

How often do I wear a fake smile?  Always when Im around people I dont trust :)

When was the last time I hugged someone?  Today

What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me?  Never kissed really

Is there anyone I trust even though I should not?  Yeah definitely.

What is something I disliked about today?  One small thing went bad and everything I’ve been suppressing hit me at once

If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?  My soulmate

What do I think about most?  Love i guess

What’s my strangest talent?  I can text extremely fast without looking at the screen

Do I have any strange phobias?  Uh the ocean I guess

Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? Both are equal

What was the last lie I told?  Nah I’m totally chill with my evening plans being ruined

Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?  Video chatting

Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens?  Both, yes

Do I believe in magic? Nah

Do I believe in luck?  Yea

What’s the weather like right now?  Uhhh cold

What was the last book I’ve read?  The second CHERUB book

Do I like the smell of gasoline?  What

Do I have any nicknames?  Ebs, m9, fam, chocolat THUN-DA #catinthehat

What was the worst injury I’ve ever had?  Smashed my head open on the playground in year 1

Do I spend money or save it?  I save it

Can I touch my nose with a tongue?  No

Is there anything pink in 10 feets from me?  Yeah, my toucan lamp!

Favourite animal?  Owl! Or toucan!!

What was I doing last night at 12 AM?  Watching the avengers with a friend

What do I think is Satan’s last name is?  Uh lol skip

What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it?  Electric love, out of my league

How can you win my heart?  Being nice and complimenting me on everything and talking to me properly

What would I want to be written on my tombstone?  ‘We are number one *DROP IT*’

What is my favourite word  - Soup, vanilla, crunch

My top 5 blogs on tumblr  - @dont-drop-your-ascots @u-wanna-go-m9 @you-was-only-for-yourself @setheverman and then any Danganronpa blogs

If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say?  BE FUCKIN NICE! AND MATURE!

Do I have any relatives in jail?  No

I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power?  Teleportation or pretty much a glass or neon conduit

What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on? 

What is my current desktop picture?  Lots of corny love quote shit

Had sex?  No

Bought condoms?  No

Gotten pregnant?  No

Failed a class?  No

Kissed a boy?  No

Kissed a girl?  No

Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain?  No

Had job?  Hehehehe had job. No

Left the house without my wallet?  Yea

Bullied someone on the internet?  No

Had sex in public?  No

Played on a sports team?  Yea

Smoked weed?  No

Did drugs?  No

Smoked cigarettes?  No

Drank alcohol?  Like a sip

Am I a vegetarian/vegan?  No

Been overweight?  No

Been underweight?  Yes

Been to a wedding?  Yes

Been on the computer for 5 hours straight?  Every day

Watched TV for 5 hours straight?  Yeah

Been outside my home country?  Yes

Gotten my heart broken?  Yes

Been to a professional sports game?  Yes

Broken a bone?  No

Cut myself?  Yes

Been to prom?  Well Deb is the equivalent so yea

Been in airplane?  Yes

Fly by helicopter?  Yes

What concerts have I been to?  owl city!!

Had a crush on someone of the same sex?  No

Learned another language?  Yes

Wore make up?  Yes

Lost my virginity before I was 18?  No

Had oral sex?  No

Dyed my hair?  Yes

Voted in a presidential election?  No

Rode in an ambulance?  No

Had a surgery?  No

Met someone famous?  I dont think I have

Stalked someone on a social network?  Heheheheh yes

Peed outside?  Uhhhh hasnt everyone??

Been fishing?  Yes

Helped with charity?  Yes

Been rejected by a crush?  Every time

Broken a mirror?  Yes

What do I want for birthday?  A vacation or a proper pc or a proper set of headphones

How many kids do I want and what will be their names?  None

Was I named after anyone?  No

Do I like my handwriting?  No

What was my favourite toy as a child? Beanie kids

Favourite Tv Show?  Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Where do I want to live when older?  Melbourne

Play any musical instrument?  No

One of my scars, how did I get it?  I fell out of bed and smashed my eyebrow on the bedside table

Favourite pizza toping?  Bacon

Am I afraid of the dark?  Yes

Am I afraid of heights?  A little

Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad?  Yea tot he second, no to the first

Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? Every time

What I’m really bad at  - Maths

What my greatest achievements are  - IT games programming award and Cisco award (hehehehe)

The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me  - Essentially ‘you’re the reason everything is bad’, and ‘you will never be seen as pretty or acceptable for anyone’

What I’d do if I won in a lottery  - bank half and give one quarter of it to my family and then the other quarter to charity

What do I like about myself  - I can sometimes be funny

My closest Tumblr friend  - @dont-drop-your-ascots

Something I fantasise about my ex - idk

Thanks for the ask! I CANNOT BE BOTHERED TO BOLD IT ALL thanks lads

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kansascityhappenings · 5 years ago

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Smoke in Canberra is so bad that Australia’s emergency management agency is closed

https://newsource-embed-prd.ns.cnn.com/videos/newsource-video-embed.js

The Australian federal government department responsible for managing emergencies shut its Canberra office due to poor air quality on Monday as the nation’s capital choked on smoke from deadly bushfires.

On Monday, Canberra had a rating over 340 on the Air Quality Index — higher than Beijing’s 170. Australia has been ravaged by some of the worst wildfires seen in decades, with the massive blazes destroying homes, devastating wildlife, turning skies blood red and leaving a total of 24 people dead nationwide.

The Department of Home Affairs told non-essential staff to stay away from its Canberra headquarters, while the Department of Health told staff not to work out of one of its locations. Child care services in the city were also shut.

YWCA Canberra — which operates a number of child care centers — said that like many Canberra organizations, it had opted to close all of its children’s services in the Australian Capital Territory and the rural New South Wales town of Murrumbateman on Monday due to “hazardous smoke conditions.”

“This is to ensure the health and well-being of our staff and the children in our services,” YWCA Canberra said in a statement on its Facebook page.

Canberra’s National Gallery of Australia was also closed on Monday due to the smoke. “Closing our doors allows us to mitigate any risk to the public, staff and works of art on display,” a statement on the gallery’s website said.

Elsewhere in Australia on Monday, cooler weather and rain gave firefighters some relief. Shane Fitzsimmons, commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS), said Monday that the conditions were a “welcome reprieve” — but it wasn’t putting out the fires.

“It’s a psychological relief if nothing else,” he said, noting that the rains weren’t helping with back burning, a method of controlled burning that helps limit the spread of blazes.

The weather gave firefighters a chance to “take a breath” as they prepared for more emergencies later in the week, Victoria fires incident controller Andy Gillham said, according to national broadcaster ABC.

NSW RFS spokesman James Morris said firefighters needed weeks of consistent showers to ease the fire threat.

“We’ve seen drought conditions so the ground is very hard. If we get a lot of rain in a short period of time, it’ll sit on the surface and run away,” he said.

There are 136 active blazes in NSW alone, including 69 that are uncontained, the NSW RFS said in a tweet early Monday. In Victoria state, there are still 31 active fires and more than 1.1 million hectares (4,247 square miles) of land has been burned, the Country Fire Authority said in a tweet.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison cautioned that for some states, the most difficult fire seasons could be later in January and February. “The crisis is not over,” he said. “There are months to go.”

Government response

On Monday, Morrison announced that he would establish a 2 billion Australian dollar ($1.39 billion) National Bushfire Recovery Agency to help people hit by the “unprecedented bushfires” get the support they needed.

“It’s a long road ahead and we will be with these communities every step of the way as they rebuild,” he said.

The funds will be used to help “get communities back on their feet” by rebuilding roads, mental health support, and helping restore the local environment, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said.

On Monday, the NSW police force said it had taken legal action against 183 people for bushfire-related offences since last November, including 24 who have been charged over allegedly deliberately-lit fires.

Morrison has been criticized for taking a vacation to Hawaii during the fires. But on Sunday, he said the government’s response was the most significant and comprehensive ever to a natural disaster.

In a news release on Sunday, the Australia Defence Force said it was significantly increasing its fire support and had called up 3,000 army reservists and others with specialist capabilities.

As of Monday, HMAS Adelaide — the biggest vessel in the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet — was moored off the coast near Eden, a seaside town in NSW that was affected by fires over the weekend. The ship has space for up to 5,000 evacuees.

What life is like for those affected

Over the weekend, thick smoke hung low over Eden, blocking out the sun and casting an ominous orange glow.

On Sunday, police went door to door, boat to boat, telling people that it wasn’t safe to stay. Some agreed to go, but others decided to stay put on informal evacuation centers — a whale-watching tour boat and two tugboats moored at the wharf.

On Monday, the red glow was gone and some people started returning to their homes.

Louise Warren said she had lived in Eden all her life and was accustomed to annual fires, but she had never seen anything like this.

On Sunday, Warren, her husband and two children fled to the family’s fishing trawler as the sky turned orange, then red, then black. “I just want everything back to normal,” she said.

Kerrie Chester spent Saturday night on one of the tugs with up to 50 people, many children and elderly people, as well as the families’ dogs. “I haven’t slept all night,” Chester said Sunday. She spent the night outside on the wharf, watching to see if the fire leaped across the bay.

“I think it was the not knowing, because you couldn’t see it across the bay,” she said.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2020/01/06/smoke-in-australias-capital-is-so-bad-that-the-agency-responsible-for-emergency-management-has-shut/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2020/01/06/smoke-in-canberra-is-so-bad-that-australias-emergency-management-agency-is-closed/

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wayneooverton · 6 years ago

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Top Five South Pacific Dive Destinations

The Pacific Ocean reaches staggering depths of over 30,000 feet (10,000-plus m) and is home to between 20,000 and 30,000 islands. And boasting Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, the South Pacific is a diver’s dream destination. The islands offer something for every diver plus glorious weather topside year-round. Landscapes are diverse and marine life ranges from plentiful macro life to the ocean’s giants. There are numerous wreck-diving opportunities, caves, islands and atolls to explore, and of course the friendly welcome of the Pacific Islanders. The constantly warm water means a shorty, 3mm or 5 mm wetsuit is plenty to enjoy this paradise. Here are our top five South Pacific dive destinations.

Micronesia

Where is it: Western Pacific

What makes it special: The region of Micronesia encompasses thousands of small islands. It includes several sovereign countries, including the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and Nauru, as well as the U.S territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Wake Island. The most well-known dive destinations are Chuuk Lagoon and Palau. Chuuk Lagoon is world-famous among wreck divers for its abundance of World War II wrecks, resulting from the American attack on the Japanese fleet, known as Operation Hailstorm. Ranging in depths from recreational to technical, 44 ships and 250 plane wrecks await exploration in the largely current-free lagoon.

Palau is also home to world-class wreck diving, plus caves, drop-offs, drift dives and abundant marine life. German Channel is a great dive for spotting manta rays and Ulong Channel offers the opportunity to fly with the current past the world’s largest lettuce coral.

Why they’re good spots for a liveaboard: Both Palau and Chuuk are remote destinations for most divers and, in the case of Palau, widely scattered dive sites. Exploring via liveaboard gives you a chance to see the most while you’re there. There are a variety of good options, including the S/Y Palau Siren liveaboard and the Truk Master.

Details: There are dives suitable for all experience levels in Micronesia, though some dive sites in Chuuk will require wreck and/or technical certification because of depth. The water is between 79 and 86 F (26 to 30 F) year-round. Liveaboards depart from Koror in Palau and Weno on Chuuk; both have international airports.

When to go: The best time to visit Chuuk Lagoon is all year, given its sheltered nature. The dry season falls between December and April. Palau’s dry season and calm seas coincide with the high season of December to March. The low season months of May, June and September have more variable weather than the shoulder season months but offer quieter dive sites and lower prices.

French Polynesia

Where is it: South Pacific

What makes it special: French Polynesia is made up of 118 islands and was one of the last places on Earth settled by humans. Only half of the islands are inhabited, and the archipelago is rich with underwater landscapes and marine life. French Polynesia offers atoll diving, drift dives and big pelagics. Rangiroa is a dive highlight, being one of the largest atolls in the world at almost 66 square miles (170 km2). Divers can see schools of gray reef sharks, occasional tiger sharks, Napoleon wrasse and manta rays. Fakarava atoll is home to numerous gray reef sharks and plenty of manta-cleaning stations. Other Polynesian dive highlights include spawning marbled groupers and the pristine corals of Pakaka Pass at Apataki.

Why it’s good for a liveaboard: It’s easiest to access French Polynesia’s most remote dive sites by liveaboard, which will really allow you to explore the area in depth. Fakarava atoll is so diverse that some liveaboards spend their entire safari diving its different sites. Liveaboard vessels include the French Polynesia Master.

Details: French Polynesia is best for experienced divers, as currents in the atolls can be very strong. You’ll often need a reef hook. To dive in these conditions, Polynesian authorities require divers to be rescue-certified if they wish to go below 98 feet (30 m). The water temperature ranges from 75 to 83 F (24 to 28 C). Fa’a’ā Airport on Tahiti island is the only international airport; you can take domestic flights from there to reach liveaboard departure points.

When to go: Scuba diving is possible all year. January to March are humid but offer the warmest water temperatures, while July to November is drier and cooler. You can see humpback whales during the colder season and marbled grouper spawn in June and July.

Papua New Guinea

Where is it: Southwestern Pacific

What makes it special: Papua New Guinea, or PNG, is a truly diverse nation, made up of over 600 volcanic islands and atolls and with over 852 known languages. It has spectacular reef, wall, and seamount diving. You can see six of the seven sea-turtle species here and more than 2,000 species of reef fish. Muck diving offers bizarre critters tucked into coral gardens and black sand at dive sites such as Kimbe Bay, the Witu Islands and Father’s Reefs. Milne Bay features a variety of World War II wrecks as well as fantastic muck diving. PNG is paradise for underwater photographers, with the bonus of few other divers and peaceful, remote dive sites.

Why it’s good for a liveaboard: PNG is another remote dive destination that’s a fantastic choice for a liveaboard. Friendly locals will often paddle out to trade fresh produce with visiting boats.

Details: The diving is suitable for all levels of certified divers, though PNG is best for intermediate or advanced divers to take advantage of the variety of sites. Water temperatures vary from 79 to 88 F (26 to 31 C). You can reach PNG via flights from nearby countries such as Australia. Domestic flights depart from the international airport in Port Moresby. If possible, divers should pack light, as domestic flight baggage allowance can be as little as 22 to 35 pounds (10 to 16 kg) for checked baggage.

When to go: Diving is good all year and the high season is between May and November. The climate is hot and humid year-round.

Marovo Lagoon

Where is it: Solomon Islands, South Pacific

What makes it special: With 922 islands, the Solomon Islands are a popular dive destination in the Pacific for wreck and reef diving. Sites are uncrowded and offer diverse marine life as well as World War II wrecks and dump sites. One of the most remote destinations within the Solomon Islands is Marovo Lagoon, the world’s largest saltwater lagoon and also the home of a double-barrier reef. Nearby sites also feature plenty of World War II wrecks and Being once occupied by U.S forces in World War II, there are plenty of wrecks and White Beach’s seabed in the Russell Islands is littered with boats, trucks and jeeps that have become flourishing artificial reefs. Marine life includes schools of barracuda, turtles, sharks, manta rays and even the occasional salt water crocodile.

Why it’s good for a liveaboard: Liveaboard safaris allow you to see the very best of the Solomon Islands, reaching sites that are otherwise inaccessible. The well-known Bilikiki will get you there in style.

Details: Dive sites in the Solomon Islands are suitable for all experience levels. The water temperature varies from around 79 to 83 F (26 to 28 C). The capital of Honiara is the gateway to the Solomon Islands and is accessible via flights from Fiji or Australia.

When to go: Diving is possible year-round. The rainy season falls from November to April and cyclones rarely occur in this area.

Hawaii

Where is it: United States, North Pacific

What makes it special: While Hawaii is certainly less exotic than many of our Pacific picks, the broad range of dives should keep divers of all interests and abilities busy. The Hawaiian island chain is made up of 132 islands with plentiful dive sites and constantly changing underwater scenery thanks to the active volcanoes. The Big Island has more than 50 dive sites with lava tubes, coral gardens and numerous endemic fish. Kona is famous for its night dives with manta rays and Oahu is home to countless eagle rays, frogfish, turtles and the YO-257 and San Pedro wrecks. The Molokini Crater of Maui is a dive highlight and First and Second Cathedral in Lanai will delight with beautiful light shafts and topography. Although you cannot dive with them, visitors from November through May should book a whale-watching expedition to get a closer look at some of Maui’s large, seasonally migrating population of humpback whales.

Why it’s good for a liveaboard: Exploring Hawaii by liveaboard allows divers to explore the best of each island more easily and to reach the more remote island dive sites, all during one safari.

Details: Hawaii diving is suitable for all experience levels. The water temperature varies from 75 to 79 F (24 to 26 C). Hawaii is easily accessible from various international airports.

When to go: Diving is possible year-round but the best time to dive is during the winter months as mentioned, when divers may hear humpback whale songs as dive.

This article was written by divers and writers of Liveaboard.com

The post Top Five South Pacific Dive Destinations appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

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mrbobgove · 6 years ago

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Top Five South Pacific Dive Destinations

Micronesia

Where is it: Western Pacific

French Polynesia

Where is it: South Pacific

Papua New Guinea

Where is it: Southwestern Pacific

When to go: Diving is good all year and the high season is between May and November. The climate is hot and humid year-round.

Marovo Lagoon

Where is it: Solomon Islands, South Pacific

When to go: Diving is possible year-round. The rainy season falls from November to April and cyclones rarely occur in this area.

Hawaii

Where is it: United States, North Pacific

Why it’s good for a liveaboard: Exploring Hawaii by liveaboard allows divers to explore the best of each island more easily and to reach the more remote island dive sites, all during one safari.

Details: Hawaii diving is suitable for all experience levels. The water temperature varies from 75 to 79 F (24 to 26 C). Hawaii is easily accessible from various international airports.

When to go: Diving is possible year-round but the best time to dive is during the winter months as mentioned, when divers may hear humpback whale songs as dive.

This article was written by divers and writers of Liveaboard.com

The post Top Five South Pacific Dive Destinations appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life https://ift.tt/2LHzNm2

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temeculalove951-blog · 7 years ago

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Temecula - An Overview

Who am I?

Julie Croughton, fifty six, a retired real estate agent from Temecula, Calif.

Starting this blog out to talk about all things Temecula from Old Town, to the wineries, to our favorite spots to eat in town. Some more info about me......

I am accustomed to cooking on gasoline burners, and I don't have numerous alternatives on the massive Island considering that the houses are inclined to possess electric powered stoves. I assumed it would be great if we bought a barbecue grill having a gasoline burner around the side. My partner, David, went to your shop in Temecula, arrived back again and explained to me which i must have a have a look at among the floor products. This kitchen area is totally loaded. We informed the seller that if they might get it into a container for shipping to Hawaii it was ours. The kitchen area has two significant countertops that sit parallel to each other. Set up was definitely an effort and hard work -- these countertops weigh 2,000 pounds each and had to be brought in on the flatbed truck. The outside kitchen area operates much like a significant galley kitchen. It's got a double burner, a wok, a griddle plus a huge grill with a place to sear meat. There's also a small counter-height refrigerator along with a sink, which is great due to the fact I can certainly rinse my fingers off Once i'm cooking. We also have a crafted-in wine cooler as well as a beer fridge. On the island there is an excellent microbrewery wherever we acquire smaller kegs to sit down while in the refrigeration device. It really is like you are inside of a bar. I like to Cook dinner, but my complete most loved issue regarding the out of doors kitchen area is that it's a accumulating location. The sights are remarkable. It overlooks an expanse of ocean and has a stereo technique plus a Cover that can be extended to include the bar in which people today sit. When We now have functions, friends are hanging around the bar and i am not separated within the team. What’s New In the Temecula Housing Marketplace

Four-bedroom house HOW MUCH -- $475,000 This two-12 months-previous dwelling on Greers Ferry Lake has an out of doors kitchen with a gazebo overlooking the lake. The kitchen area contains a sink with very hot drinking water, a fridge, a grill, a gasoline burner, a deep fryer, cupboards and tile countertops. Your house is 3,two hundred sq. ft and it has hardwood flooring, fourteen-foot ceilings, four bogs, a wine refrigerator and an connected three-vehicle garage. Fairfield Bay is a well-liked vacation location 85 miles north of Minor Rock. Agent (and owner): Linda Streib-Butts, A few Chimneys Realty

5-Bed room house Exactly how much $498,500 A protected patio at this wine-state dwelling provides a kitchen having a grill, different burners, a refrigerator and also a sink. An outdoor sitting location includes a fireplace. The house is 6,seven hundred sq. ft and has an hooked up three-motor vehicle garage, four and half bogs, three indoor fireplaces in addition to a wine place. Brokers: Lynn Moore and Terry Wundelich This out of doors kitchen is on a big covered patio. It has a stainless-steel grill using a burner, black granite countertops, a sink as well as a refrigerator. Nearby are an out of doors fireplace in addition to a swimming pool with a few waterfalls. You will find a glass-walled shower within the learn toilet that opens on to a private patio. There are actually a few other comprehensive and two 50 % bogs. Inbuilt 2004, the house is within a gated golfing Neighborhood. It is offered furnished. Agents: James Roessle and Jody Rentz, John R. Wooden Realtors The out of doors kitchen at this five,five hundred-sq.-foot residence is with a included veranda. It's got a gasoline grill with a rotisserie, a stainless-steel oven, a sink, a refrigerator and an ice maker. An outside fireplace, a swimming pool as well as a sizzling tub which has a waterfall are close by. Your home provides a wine cooler, four and a 50 percent bathrooms and two fireplaces with stone mantels. The learn toilet contains a steam shower. The indoor kitchen has a 6-burner stove. This outside kitchen is in a screened patio area and has cabinets, a refrigerator, a freezer, a sink, a substantial countertop and higher-powered gasoline burners suitable for heating oil for fish fries. Inbuilt 2002 utilizing recycled 200-year-previous timbers, the home is 3,695 square toes and it has a few bathrooms, granite counters, a swimming pool, a hot tub and a three-motor vehicle hooked up garage. High desert surrounds the outdoor kitchen area on this two-acre house. The kitchen contains a stainless-steel grill, a designed-in fridge and stone countertops. French doorways open up right into a match area. The home is 3,800 sq. toes and is also a few decades aged. It's travertine flooring, eucalyptus cupboards, granite counters, a few bogs, a stone fireplace, a swimming pool and expansive desert views.

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ds4design · 8 years ago

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Inside the U.S.'s Only Ocean Exploration Ship

Pearl Harbor, Dawn. Credit: Jennifer Frazer

I happened to be in Hawaii last month at the same time that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA)'s ship of exploration, the Okeanos Explorer -- of live-streaming, ocean-esplorin’ fame -- was docked in Pearl Harbor. There are several ships that do that, but only one belongs to the American people. This one.

On a whim, I wrote to see if I might get a tour of the ship while I was around. Considering the events of the last few weeks, I’m glad I did it while I had the chance. I got to see NOAA Mission Control, the bridge, and the ship’s faithful ROV Deep Discoverer (nicknamed D2)… sort of. When on board, it lives under a protective cover inside a garage. But I was so close to the sampling baskets on the front that I could have reached out and touched one. And I’m kinda sorry now I didn’t!

Anyhow, if you’re a regular reader of this blog you’re no doubt aware that I am a booster for ocean exploration. I regularly argue it is every bit as important – perhaps more -- as exploring space. This is our home, after all, and exoplaneteers notwithstanding, it’s the only one we’ve got. I’ve often featured clips from the voyages of the Explorer here on my blog, and I’ve spent hours watching their live feed as they explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new ecosystems, and boldly go where no one has gone before. ‘Cause that’s their actual job.

Here she is the morning I saw her, which happened to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

That actually presented a problem in getting me in to a military base on a holiday, but fortunately an employee of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (also located in Pearl Harbor) offered to give me a lift. Thank you kind sir!

I was met by MeMe Lobecker and Mike White, physical scientists and hydrographers who work on the Explorer's mapping projects.

Here is the "Wet Lab":

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

It's long and skinny. On the left is a fume hood for sousing specimens in preservative chemicals. On the right toward the rear are dissection lights. On the floor are coolers for the preserved specimens. Can you imagine staring into a microscope here with the smell of formalin in the air (the fume hood never gets it all) while the ship pitches and rolls? Paging Dr. Dramamine.

The samples add up fast. Deep Discoverer can retrieve two to three biological samples per dive, so they may end up with around 40 samples by mission end. All those specimens must be properly preserved and documented.

By the end of the expedition, Lobecker said, they may also have several hundred pounds of rocks, which have the advantage of needing significantly less dissection and preservation. [Seasick biologists give geologists a slanty eyed side squint]

The spirit of Star Trek really does permeate this ship -- and at the captain's behest, no less, according to Lobecker. Here, for example, is the door to Mission Control:

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

While we were there, we heard this sound followed by a message about an upcoming drill. Do you know it? It's the intercom whistle from the original Star Trek TV series. When he came aboard, the current commanding officer asked for the ship to sound like Star Trek, and the crew Made It So.

Here is Okeanos Explorer Mission Control. Everything is swathed in black.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

Here is the front row where the ROV pilot and copilots sit. And those wooden boxes, buttons, and joysticks, my friends, are how you drive an ROV.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

Note the ropes, which I assume are battening mechanisms to prevent those control panels from going anywhere unauthorized while at sea.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

Long hours at sea probably provide ample time for the fashioning of a lucky crane ...

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

...or for the drawing of the ocean invertebrate Glaucus atlanticus, which I wrote about on this blog long ago. This one was spotted on a black dry erase board at the back of Mission Control. Note also the poem, which I assume is an original composition by one of the crew or science team, since a google search turned up nothing like it on the interweb. In case you can't read it, it says,

Larger than cities,

but on maps there's no mark

Your mission gives light

to our home in the dark

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

Here is the back row where the mission scientists sit. There are usually two or three, and they chat with dozens of participating scientists on shore as the mission unfolds. There is a mere two second delay between the observations of Deep Discoverer on the bottom of the ocean and their appearance on the screen at mission control, while only five to ten seconds separates what D2 sees from what scientists in America see (where they may sitting up in their jammies in the middle of the night).

The three scientists listen to what the shore-side scientists are telling them seems interesting or worth investigating, confer among themselves, and then tell the ROV pilots in the row in front of them what objects and critters should get a closer look.

Mapping, the line of work that Lobecker and White are in, although not as sexy in this biologist's opinion as ROV diving, is another of the ship's missions and among the most important. As recently as 2000, up to 95% of the ocean remained unexplored. Lobecker told me scientists have estimated that in the Pacific Ocean there are over 100,000 seamounts -- underwater peaks rising in excess of 1,000 meters from the seabed -- that remain unmapped by any modern equipment.

The Navy must be nettled by this, because they created something called the "Red Dot Program" in which they list seamounts they'd really love to have mapped if Okeanos Explorer, you know, ever happens to be in the neighborhood. Lobecker said she has no idea how the Navy picks them. "We don't ask," she said. "We just map."

Any data generated by the ship, whether biological, geological, or cartographic, becomes available to the public. We paid for it, after all.

Going bow-ward from Mission Control through a hall lined with two to four person "state rooms" where the scientists live while at sea and up two flights of stairs (past the officers' quarters) brought me to the bridge. Here is the floor mat that greets you there.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

I also spotted this important control panel stuck to the wall toward the rear. I think half of America feels a desperate urge to hit that yellow button right now.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

Here is where you drive the ship.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

That machine Lt. Aaron Colohan is standing behind is an extremely expensive piece of equipment originally designed for oil tankers and supply ships called a "Dynamic Positioning System". It can hold the 2000-ton ship in position on the open ocean to within one meter. One meter! In theory, it's no more complex than the trolling motor on my dad's fishing boat, which can accomplish the same feat. In practice: probably a lot more complex. You can imagine how important the ability to nail the ship down, so to speak, might be if you've got a $3.5 million dollar ROV armed with Superbowl-quality cameras trying to do extreme close-ups while plucking delicate creatures from the seabed at the end of a 4,000 meter tether.

In high enough seas, the system will eventually fail. It is the captain and crew's job to determine when things are getting dicey enough that it's time to pull the ROV out of the pool. Extraction takes a mere two hours if the ROV is at 4,000 meters, so they'd better choose well.

It could be even longer, since D2's max depth is 6,000 meters, much deeper than the 3,700 meter average depth of the ocean. To put that in perspective, 6,000 meters is nearly 20,000 feet -- 6,500 feet or so higher than the elevation of the tallest mountain in Colorado -- and about four miles deep.

Without the dynamic positioning system, Colohan said, it would be impossible to do ROV dives unless the sea were like glass. The ROV itself can take a beating, but the delicate instruments on it not so much.

This is the most important feature on the ship: the captain's chair.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

I note that it lacks cup holders. I saw an uncannily similar one on the bridge of the USS Missouri, also docked in Pearl Harbor. I guess Naval captain's chair technology has not advanced much in 70 years. I also note the convenient proximity of the equal-opportunity toilet. Which is better than the House of Representatives could say, until recently.

This is the antenna farm, way up at the top there.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

Lobecker said that sometimes when they notice they're getting screwy data, they go out to have a look at the farm and there's a bird standing on it.

Note also the Hawaii flag.

This is how you get internet at sea:

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

It's called the VSAT bubble, and there's a tracking antenna in there that moves as the ship pitches and rolls to stay locked on to the nearest satellite 25,000 miles above. This antenna also beams the ship's data to shore.

Here we have Deep Discoverer's camera sled Seirios. They are joined by a tether. Seirios hovers over D2 like a big brother, keeping an eye on the ROV and offering a wider perspective on the scene to the ROV pilots and scientists. As I mentioned, it's wearing its PJs.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

Here's what it looks like while at sea:

Credit: NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, Our Deepwater Backyard: Exploring Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts 2014

This is the crane used to catch and release Deep Discoverer.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

On the end is a truck tire that has been repurposed as a "swing arrestor". When Deep Discoverer is hauled in, it hits that tire which dampens any lateral motion and allows the ROV to be more safely deposited on deck.

Here's what it looks like (note the obvious treads on the tire):

Credit: NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, Our Deepwater Backyard: Exploring Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts

Here it is from the front:

Credit: NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, Gulf of Mexico 2014 Expedition

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see Deep Discoverer uncovered either. But seeing it in person, even covered, did enable me to make one observation. The ROV is enormous! It's the size of a large room...

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

... and much bigger than the dinky ROVs I've seen in the movies. In this image, the row of hard hats in the background should give you the scale.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

On the bottom left you can see the rugged plastic biological specimen collection basket. That is the one I got to stand next to and could have reached out and touched. On the right side of the ROV is a similar looking rock box. Lobecker observed that rocks that look small on camera frequently emerge from the ocean not so wee. I guess Objects in Camera Are Larger Than They Appear.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

Here is D2 in its garage. You can see the railroad that can be used to slide it in and out. No comment on the enormous ... buoys.

Credit: Jennifer Frazer

Thus ended my tour. I asked my guides what their most surprising, scary, or favorite moments aboard Okeanos Explorer had been. Lobecker recalled a time that oil workers alerted them to a suspected shipwreck of potential archaeological importance. To their surprise, they encountered a nine-foot wide asphalt extrusion/artform on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. Only one or two such structures had ever been seen in the world before -- and not in the gulf -- and they had never even been given a name. They dubbed it the "tar lily".

Credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Okeanos Explorer Gulf of Mexico 2014 Expedition

White recalled retrieving a device intended to measure the speed of sound in local water -- a shiny silver probe at the end of a long line. To the crew's shock, just as they were pulling it out, a nine-foot swordfish leapt from the water, no doubt perturbed the lunch it had tracked all they way back to the ship had somehow made a miraculous escape. The crew was pleased the swordfish hadn't chomped it first. "What are you going to do [if] you hook a 2,000 pound fish that pulls 10,000 pounds?" White observed.

But more mundane moments aboard Explorer also have the abiity to thrill. Nighttime Deep Discoverer retrievals are popular spectator events aboard ship, Lobecker said, as a glow gradually suffuses the deep before the whole contraption is hoisted dripping and lights ablaze to deck. It must be magical.

Space is not the final frontier, at least not yet. Nor is it the only one still capable of inspiring surprise and wonder. Let us not, in our understandable haste to reach for the stars, forget that.

You can follow the explorations of Okeanos Explorer here. Their live-streaming feed of any explorations in progress is here.

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