#river flow/lava reef | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

roamanddiscover · 2 years ago

Text

Queensland

If you're looking for sun, sand, and adventure, look no further than Queensland, Australia's Sunshine State. This sprawling state is the second-largest in the country, and it's home to a wealth of natural wonders, from tropical rainforests to the world-famous Great Barrier Reef. Queensland is a place of stunning contrasts, where rugged wilderness meets modern cities and where the traditions of Australia's Indigenous peoples blend with the cultures of immigrants from around the world. Whether you're a nature lover, a foodie, a history buff, or an adrenaline junkie, you're sure to find something to love in this diverse and vibrant state. Never short on surprises and explosions, Queensland is a state that will leave you breathless with its beauty and grandeur. So pack your bags and get ready to discover all that Queensland has to offer. The name "Queensland" was first used by the colonial government of New South Wales in the mid-19th century to designate the territory north of the Brisbane River. The name was chosen in honor of Queen Victoria, who was reigning at the time, and the state's capital city, Brisbane, was named after the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane. The first use of the name in an official capacity was in a proclamation issued by Governor George Bowen on 10 December 1859, announcing the separation of Queensland from New South Wales. The proclamation described Queensland as "that portion of New South Wales which lies to the northward of the twenty-sixth degree of south latitude." Queensland has a rich and complex history, dating back thousands of years to the time when Indigenous peoples first arrived in the region. The state has been shaped by a wide range of forces, from colonial expansion and gold rushes to devastating natural disasters like floods and cyclones. Before the arrival of Europeans, many different Indigenous nations and language groups inhabited the area that is now Queensland. These groups had their own distinct cultures, traditions, and ways of life, and they had been living on the land for tens of thousands of years. Today, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Queensland continue to work to preserve their cultures, traditions, and communities. The first Europeans to arrive in Queensland were Dutch navigators in the 1600s, but it was not until the late 18th century that European settlement began in earnest. The area was first claimed by the British in 1770, when Captain James Cook sailed up the east coast of Australia and claimed it for Great Britain. The first British settlement in Queensland was established in 1824, when a group of convicts and soldiers were sent to Moreton Bay to establish a penal colony. Over the next century, Queensland grew rapidly, driven by industries like mining, agriculture, and tourism. Today, the state is a vibrant and bustling place, known for its diverse cultures, its stunning natural landscapes, and its entrepreneurial spirit. Queensland is home to a wide range of geological wonders, from vast plains and mountains to ancient lava flows and sparkling geodes. One of the most remarkable geological features of Queensland is the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system and one of the most biodiverse places on earth. The reef is made up of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, covering an area of more than 344,000 square kilometers. It is home to thousands of species of fish, coral, and other marine life, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other notable geological features in Queensland include the volcanic peaks of the Glass House Mountains, the ancient lava flows of the Undara Volcanic National Park, and the towering sandstone cliffs of Carnarvon Gorge. Queensland is known for its diverse and stunning landscapes, ranging from tropical rainforests and mangrove swamps to dry savannas and towering mountains. The state is home to several distinct regions, including the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast in the southeast, the tropical far north around Cairns and the Daintree Rainforest, and the outback in the west. Queensland also boasts a number of national parks and conservation areas, including the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site, which covers over 8,940 square kilometers of rainforest, and the Simpson Desert, which spans over 170,000 square kilometers of arid wilderness. Queensland is home to a dazzling array of ecosystems, from lush rainforests and mangrove swamps to vast grasslands and arid deserts. One of the most biodiverse places on earth, the state is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else on earth. Queensland is also a major center of conservation, with a number of national parks and protected areas that are dedicated to preserving the state's natural heritage. Some of the most notable ecosystems in Queensland include the wetlands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, the rainforests of the Daintree and the Wet Tropics, and the desert plains of the Outback. The state is also home to a number of endangered species, including the iconic koala, the southern cassowary, and the dugong. Queensland is renowned for its incredible biodiversity, which is due in part to its unique geography and climate, as well as its long history of isolation from other land masses. The state is home to a staggering 70% of Australia's marsupial species, as well as a wide range of other animals, including reptiles, birds, and insects. Many of these species are found nowhere else on earth Queensland is also home to more than 18,000 plant species, including some of the world's oldest and rarest plants. The state's forests, grasslands, and wetlands are important habitats for a wide range of species, and the conservation of these habitats is a top priority for the state's government and its people. Queensland's climate varies widely depending on the region, with tropical to subtropical conditions in the north and more temperate conditions in the south. The state has two main seasons: summer (December to February) and winter (June to August). Summer is hot and humid, with temperatures often reaching 30 degrees Celsius or higher, while winter is generally cool and dry, with temperatures dropping to around 15 degrees Celsius in some areas. Queensland is also known for its extreme weather events, including tropical cyclones, floods, and bushfires. These events can be devastating, but they are also an integral part of the state's ecology and history. Like many other places around the world, Queensland faces a range of environmental challenges, from climate change to habitat loss to water pollution. One of the biggest environmental issues facing Queensland is the degradation of the Great Barrier Reef. The reef is under threat from a range of factors, including climate change, ocean acidification, and pollution. The state's government and its people are working hard to protect and preserve the reef, but much more needs to be done to save this incredible natural wonder. Other environmental issues in Queensland include deforestation, the spread of invasive species, and the impact of climate change on the state's ecosystems and natural resources. The state of Queensland is governed by a unicameral parliament, which is made up of one chamber of members elected by the people. The government is led by the Premier, who is the leader of the party that holds the most seats in parliament. The major political parties in Queensland are the center-left Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the center-right Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP). The state also has a number of minor parties and independent members of parliament. Queensland has a long history of political controversy and upheaval, with the state often at the forefront of national political debates. Issues like Aboriginal land rights, environmental conservation, and workers' rights have all played a major role in shaping the state's political landscape. Queensland has a diverse and prosperous economy, driven by a range of industries, including tourism, agriculture, and mining. Tourism is one of the state's major industries, generating billions of dollars in revenue each year. The state's natural beauty and cultural attractions offer an endless array of opportunities for travelers, from scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef to exploring the art galleries and museums of Brisbane. Queensland is also a major producer of agricultural products, including beef, dairy, sugar, and fruit. The state's fertile soils and favorable climate make it an ideal location for farming, and agricultural exports are an important part of Queensland's economy. The state is also home to a wealth of mineral resources, including coal, natural gas, and bauxite. Mining is a major industry in Queensland, and it contributes significantly to the state's economy. Queensland has a modern and well-developed infrastructure system, with many major cities and towns connected by roads, railways, and air routes. Brisbane, the state's capital city, is a major transport hub, with an extensive network of roads, railways, and waterways that connect it to other parts of the state and the country. The city also has a large international airport, making it a gateway to the rest of the world. Other major cities in Queensland, including the Gold Coast, Cairns, and Townsville, also have well-developed infrastructure networks, with airports, ports, and highways that make travel easy and convenient. Queensland is a hub of scientific and technological innovation, with a number of world-class research institutions and universities that are at the forefront of cutting-edge research. The state is home to a vibrant and growing biotechnology sector, as well as a number of other high-tech industries, including telecommunications, aerospace, and information technology. Queensland is also committed to investing in research and development, and the state's government has launched a number of initiatives to support innovative companies and researchers. Queensland has produced a number of notable figures over the years, from politicians and writers to actors and musicians. Some of the most famous people from Queensland include former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, novelist and poet David Malouf, singer-songwriter Troy Cassar-Daley, and actress and model Margot Robbie. Queensland is a diverse and multicultural state, with a population of over 5 million people. The state has a relatively young population, with a median age of just 36 years. It is also a growing population, with the state's government projecting that the population will reach 6 million by 2036. Queensland's population is also diverse in terms of ethnicity and religion. The state has a large Indigenous population, as well as significant numbers of people from Asian and European backgrounds. Christianity is the dominant religion in Queensland, but there is also a significant Muslim population, as well as smaller communities of Buddhists, Hindus, and Sikhs. English is the official language of Queensland, but there are many other languages spoken in the state, including Indigenous languages, Chinese, Italian, and Vietnamese. The Indigenous languages of Queensland are an important part of the state's cultural heritage, and efforts are being made to preserve and promote them. Some of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages in Queensland include Kala Lagaw Ya, Yugambeh, and Wik-Mungkan. Queensland has a modern and well-funded health care system, with a wide range of hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities throughout the state. Many of these facilities are located in Brisbane, the state's capital city, but there are also many medical centers and clinics in regional and rural areas. The state's government is committed to improving access to health care for all Queenslanders, and it has launched a number of initiatives to support this goal. Queensland is a vibrant and multicultural state, with a rich and diverse cultural heritage that is influenced by its Indigenous roots and its history as a British colony. The state's culture is characterized by a strong sense of community and a passion for outdoor activities and the natural world. Outdoor festivals and events, such as the Woodford Folk Festival and the Bluesfest, are a major part of Queensland's cultural scene, as are art galleries, museums, and theaters. Queensland is also home to a number of unique cultural traditions, such as the Indigenous practice of bush tucker, and it is famous for its laid-back, easy-going lifestyle.

Etymology of Queensland

The name Queensland was given to the state when it was first declared a separate colony in 1859. The name was chosen in honor of Queen Victoria, who was the reigning monarch of Great Britain at the time. The name was proposed by Sir George Ferguson Bowen, the first Governor of Queensland. However, the origins of the word "Queensland" have been the subject of much debate over the years. Some historians believe that the term was first used by an indigenous language group in the north of the state, the Nugu people, who referred to their land as "Kwilaan-gaba". Others suggest that the name may have come from the Spanish word "Querencia", which means "place of refuge". Despite the different theories about the origin of the name, its meaning is clear - it was named after the Queen of England. Since then, the name has become synonymous with one of the most beautiful and diverse states in Australia.

History of Queensland

Queensland's history is both rich and complex, beginning long before European colonization. The indigenous people of the state, who had lived there for over 40,000 years, were the first to call it home. It wasn't until the arrival of British colonizers in the late 18th century that Queensland's history became more closely tied to the rest of the world. The first British settlement in the state was established in 1824 at Redcliffe, near Brisbane, and was later moved to the site of present-day Brisbane itself in 1825. In 1859, Queensland officially became a separate colony from New South Wales and soon saw a population boom, largely due to the discovery of gold. The late 19th century was also marked by the forced removal of indigenous children from their families, a practice that would continue until 1969. The 20th century brought with it many changes to Queensland, including the construction of important infrastructure projects like the Story Bridge and the establishment of major industries like tourism and agriculture. Throughout the 20th century, Queensland also played a major role in Australia's political landscape, with many key political figures hailing from the state. In particular, the National Party of Australia (formerly the Country Party) has historically been a powerful political force in rural Queensland. Today, Queensland remains an important part of Australia's cultural, economic, and political life. Its diverse and unique history has shaped the state into what it is today, and continues to inform its future.

Geology of Queensland

Queensland's geology is incredibly diverse, with a range of unique geological features that have evolved over millions of years. The state's landscapes are shaped by a complex interplay of rock types, tectonic movements, and climatic forces. One of the most prominent geological features of Queensland is the Great Dividing Range, a massive mountain chain that runs along the entire eastern coast of Australia. The range is made up of a variety of rocks, including granite, sandstone, and shale, and has been shaped by tectonic movements and erosion over tens of millions of years. Another important geological feature of Queensland is the Great Artesian Basin, one of the largest groundwater reserves in the world. This vast underground reservoir covers more than a fifth of the Australian continent, including much of Queensland, and plays a crucial role in supporting the state's agricultural industry. The state also boasts one of the world's largest and most accessible meteorite impact sites. The meteorite struck the Earth around 200 million years ago, creating a crater that measures over two kilometers in diameter. Today, visitors to the site can explore the unique geological formations left behind by the impact, including layers of rocks that were jolted into place by the force of the impact. In addition to these major geological features, Queensland is also home to a myriad of smaller but no less fascinating geological formations. Examples include towering volcanic plugs, extensive lava fields, and underground limestone caverns. Many of these features are protected in national parks and other conservation areas, providing visitors with a unique glimpse into Queensland's geological history. To fully appreciate the geological wonders of Queensland, it's worth taking a guided tour with an experienced geologist or signing up for a geology course. These opportunities can provide a deeper understanding of the forces that have shaped the state's landscape, as well as a chance to explore some of the lesser-known geological gems hidden throughout the state.

Geography of Queensland

Queensland is known for its stunning and diverse geography, with a wide range of natural landscapes and ecosystems to explore. From the tropical rainforests of the north to the arid interior, the state offers a wealth of natural beauty and ecological wonders. The Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's most famous natural wonders, lies off the coast of Queensland. This vast coral ecosystem spans over 2,000 kilometers and is home to an incredible diversity of marine life. Visitors can explore the reef through snorkeling, diving, and boat tours, and experience the wonder of this precious natural resource up close. Inland, Queensland boasts a range of other natural wonders, including the ancient sandstone formation of Uluru. This landmark is considered sacred by many indigenous communities and is an important cultural site. Visitors can take guided tours and learn about the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the region. The state is also home to a number of national parks, including the Daintree Rainforest and Lamington National Park. These protected areas offer visitors the chance to experience pristine wilderness and see rare wildlife including kangaroos, wallabies, and diverse birdlife. Queensland's land is also utilized for agriculture, with vast fields of sugar cane and crops grown across the state's fertile plains. The state is also home to a thriving mining industry, with rich deposits of coal, gold, and other minerals found in the interior. the diverse geography of Queensland is one of its most defining features, offering visitors a wealth of natural wonders to explore and experience. From tropical rainforests to the Great Barrier Reef, the state has something to offer everyone who appreciates the beauty and diversity of the natural world.

Ecology of Queensland

Queensland is a state of incredible ecological diversity. From the turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef to the lush rainforests of the Wet Tropics, there is a world of natural wonder to explore here. Read the full article

#Queensland #Queenslandtours #QueenslandTravel #TravelTheWorld #visitQueensland

0 notes

evolutionsvoid · 4 years ago

Photo

While volcanic deserts present some of the harshest conditions to be found in the world, these cursed landscapes are far from barren. Even with nonstop storms, blade filled dunes and rivers made of flowing lava, life finds a way to thrive in this cruel ecosystem. Just like any other habitat, everything relies on the bottommost rung of the food chain, which usually consists of plants. Here, however, plants struggle to prosper, as the hot, dry chaos combined with stormy skies hits many of their weaknesses. If plants cannot be producers here, then what fills that role? The answer to that is: fungi! What feeds this entire system are fungi that grow along the banks of lava flows, basking in the blistering heat and soaking in those noxious fumes! They do not rely on sunlight or decomposing leaf litter for nutrients, instead they pull their food from the superheated river that lazily rolls between them. While I curse being in this miserable habitat, I do admit that the sight of these flourishing rivers is quite marvelous! You would never expect to see such a thing, placed right in the heart of the most agonizing place ever! The fungi practically clog the shores of these lava flows, and their branching colorful bodies can bring to mind a sort of coral reef! These gorgeous shorelines serve as the bedrock of this whole ecosystem, as they pull nutrients and food from the lava and turn it into something somewhat digestible! The creatures of this land then feed off this fungus, then bigger species feed off them and so on and so on! It is quite incredible, though I don't recommend trying a bite yourself. These things feed on toxic materials and inedible fragments, which means their own flesh is pretty horrid to anything not designed to eat them. I am not sure if you will die eating some of these, but it sure won't be pleasant! Here are some of the fungal species you may find along the banks of these lava flows: 1. Fume Stalk - The most common of all fungus species here in the volcanic desert, the Fume Stalk is a major player in supplying food to the whole ecosystem. Fume Stalks feed off the heat of the lava, able to turn this sweltering aura into some kind of food! As it absorbs more heat, it grows taller and taller, easily reaching high above your head! While its name partly comes from the chimney look of the fungus and its location near these rivers, another part of it is the copious amount of spores it breaths out! Fume Stalks seem to release spores almost all-year round, with billowing clouds flowing from their vent-like bulbs. These spores hope to land near a place that has some heat, that way they can grow into more Fume Stalks! If they do not, these spores can last for quite a bit of time, hibernating and hoping that an errant flow may come their way and awaken them. However, a huge portion of these spores don't even make it to the ground, as other fungi and critters feed on them. Volcanic deserts have a whole lot of filter feeders, and it is these spores they are after! Fun fact: The flesh of a Fume Stalk has once been described as: "trying to eat a crusty moldy apple that is filled with glass." Let this be another warning about trying to eat these things! 2. Helicortress - A species that took quite some time to fully accept it being a fungus, the Helicortress is another heat-eater in this landscape. The scales that cover its body absorbs the heat and light that is emitted by the lava, and then transforms them into nutrients. These coverings also serve for defense, as the Helicortress will compress its body and snap its orifices shut when grazers approach. This turns it into an armored pillar that many will find hard to chew. It too spews out its spores from pores at the top of its stalk, while waste is spit out from its fleshy inner rings. Rumor says that it is so heavy and dense, that a falling Helicortress can give you a concussion if it nails you in the head! 3. Bone Lyre - A fungus that often gets mistaken for skeletal remains, the Bone Lyre is a filter feeder found along the shoreline. These fungi actually feed off their surrounding fungi, as they capture spores and waste expulsions. The rib-like protrusions are covered in fine hairs for catching food, and the surrounding arms are meant to direct the wind right towards these growths! Due to their shape and feeding method, Bone Lyres actually make a sound when the wind flows through them. Depending on the wind speed, the Bone Lyre can sound like a low howl, but then turn to a piercing screaming whistle when gusts blast through their bodies! A beautiful structure, but a rather horrifying sound to listen too! Can you see why so many people think these lands are cursed?

4. Cursed Urchin - A species of fungi I have yet to be within thirty feet of, the Cursed Urchin is probably one of the most dangerous species along these shores. This is because this fungi leeches the toxic metals that can be found in and around the environment, and these poisons are built up within its flesh. Its metallic, fracturing stalks are covered in fine edges and spines, making them incredibly sharp. Touching one with your bare hands will practically guarantee a cut, and the toxic residue will slip right into your body. Symptoms of poisoning occur within hours, and it isn't long after that the victim dies. I would tell you to not even stand near it, as limbs can fracture and fall to the ground, covering the surrounding area in toxic caltrops. That isn't including the chance that a gust of wind can snap pieces off and shoot them right into your face! With that, I have kept a whole lot of distance between me and them. Some say that assassins have been known to collect shards of Cursed Urchin and turn them into daggers. I have found no evidence of this, probably because said assassins died trying to craft these things. Poison it pretty cheap and easy to find, guys, no need to wander to the ends of the earth to fetch some. 5. Maiden's Hair - This species of fungus was given its name due to it looking like a "maiden with her hair billowing in the breeze." If the discoverer's vision is indeed working correctly, I would like them to draw out what their version of a maiden looks like. This species is a filter feeder that actually traps whipped up sand particles and sifts through them for food. Bits that float off the heat of the lava rivers are also captured too and filtered for food. The "hair" of this species is often consumed by local wildlife, while its brittle body is left undisturbed. As long as a few tendrils remain, the Maiden's Hair will easily survive and grow these stolen appendages back. 6. Gas Pot - A bulbous species of fungi that feeds exclusively on the gas that is emitted from the river and surrounding volcanic vents. Its top bundle of tendrils suck up these fume and then stores them in its huge body. The parts that nourish it are absorbed, while the gaseous waste is left to sit in its body. If it gets too full, special orifices on its body will open up and spew out some of the gas to relieve the pressure. Gas Pots remain this bloated at all times as a defensive measure. Those that would feed on this species will have a hard time getting in their proboscis as the pressure keeps blowing it out. In some cases, a Gas Pot may be so filled that a puncture can cause the whole thing to explode, splattering the feeder across the sands. While this kills the Gas Pot, it also sprays their spores across the landscape, where more will soon grow. Even if they are not popped by a predator, older Gas Pots will eventually rupture on their own. With this in mind, keep a safe distance from this species when studying them and only take samples from the younger, more deflated ones. 7. Plume Tree - A branching fungi that tastes the wind with feathery tendrils, the Plume Tree may be another unsettling species, next to the Maiden's Hair. This is because the tendrils that emerge from the hardened tubes do not flow with the wind, rather they move on their own accord. They slither and squirm about in the air, hunting for tasty particles. They will also reach out to passing creatures and crawl along the skin in search of food. They will catch spores and particles that cover one's hide, and some say they even remove parasites! It is a neat adaptation, but a tad creepy to watch. When I went to collect samples from a Plume Tree, its feathery tongues swarmed me. It tickled like crazy, but it wasn't all that fun when those tendrils tried to get in my eyes and mouth. I wound up bringing back a bigger sample than expected, as I ended ripping a whole chunk of it off as I struggled to escape its grasp! 8. Mortared Slab - A thick-bodied relative of the Fume Stalk, the Mortared Slab feeds on heat by catching the light and fire with its wide stalks. Despite their sturdy look, the Mortared Slab is capable of slightly rotating it body to help deflect the wind when powerful gales kick up. Due to their armored bodies, the remains of this species last a whole lot longer than other fungi that perish when a lava stream dies out. By looking for the petrified remains of Mortared Slabs, you can tell where old rivers used to flow. These same monoliths also fed into the conspiracy that a hidden civilization lived somewhere in these volcanic regions. Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian --------------------------------------------------------------------- Wanted to draw some fungi and that is what I did! Felt like one wasn't enough for an entry, so why not eight?

#fungus #fungi #mushroom #volcano #art #drawing #lava #magma #flora #biome

67 notes · View notes

newstfionline · 4 years ago

Text

Monday, March 22, 2021

Under Biden, A New Kind of Family Separation (Politico) The door to the U.S. has been shut tight to asylum seekers since last March, when the Trump administration issued an order at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic that every migrant—child or adult—would be immediately “expelled” back to Mexico or their home country if they attempted to cross the border, without even a chance to make a case that the persecution they face qualifies them to stay. After he took office this year, Joe Biden kept the policy largely in place, but began to admit unaccompanied minors even while continuing to expel both adults and children who enter with families. Since the shift in policy, some parents and guardians have made the devastating decision, calculated only out of desperation, to send their children off ahead of them, alone, to cross the border. The result is a new form of family separation—but instead of happening at the hands of federal agents in American government facilities, it’s taking place family by family. The fact that minors won’t be expelled like everyone else has rapidly spread by word of mouth across the length of the border. And while many families choose to stick together, the pressure to separate weighs heaviest on the most vulnerable—families who fear death, whether from persecutors who have followed them to the border, or from extreme hunger. One immigration official said, “This kind of information spreads like wildfire: If you hear about a child successfully making it, and your kids are desperate or sick or in danger, there are a lot of reasons why you would make that incredibly difficult decision.”

US businesses near border struggle with boundaries’ closure (AP) Evan Kory started calling brides in Mexico’s northern Sonora state last March, asking if they wanted to get their wedding gowns from his Arizona store just before the U.S. closed its borders with Mexico and Canada because of the coronavirus. His namesake shop in the border town of Nogales was popular among brides-to-be in northern Sonora for its large, affordable inventory, said Kory, the third-generation proprietor. Located steps from the border fence, Kory’s has been in business for half a century but has been closed for a year because of the pandemic, with its main customer base—Mexican day-trippers—largely unable to come to the U.S. and shop. In border towns across the U.S., small businesses are reeling from the economic fallout of the partial closure of North America’s international boundaries. Restrictions on nonessential travel were put in place a year ago to curb the spread of the virus and have been extended almost every month since, with exceptions for trade, trucking and critical supply chains. Small businesses, residents and local chambers of commerce say the financial toll has been steep, as have the disruptions to life in communities where it’s common to shop, work and sleep in two different countries.

Miami Beach mayor declares emergency as ‘wall-to-wall’ crowds descend on city, sparking virus fears (The Week) Miami Beach, Florida, Mayor Dan Gelber on Saturday declared a state of emergency, set an 8 p.m. curfew, and closed roads in the entertainment district as large crowds arrived in the city, sparking fears of another coronavirus surge. Law enforcement officials said people flocked to Miami Beach because they were looking for a place with fewer pandemic restrictions—Florida reopened earlier than most states—but city leadership thinks it’s gone too far, The New York Times reports. “Too many people are coming, really, without the intention of following the rules, and the result has been a level of chaos and disorder that is just something more than we can endure,” Gelber told CNN, adding that at night the city “feels like a rock concert, wall-to-wall people over blocks and blocks.” Raul Aguila, the interim city manager, said “you couldn’t see pavement, you couldn’t see grass.”

Eruption of Iceland volcano easing, not affecting flights (AP) The eruption of a long-dormant volcano that sent streams of lava flowing across a small valley in southwestern Iceland is easing and shouldn’t interfere with air travel, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said Saturday. The eruption is “minor” and there were no signs of ash or dust that could disrupt aviation, the agency said. In 2010, an eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland sent clouds of ash and dust into the atmosphere, interrupting air travel between Europe and North America because of concerns the material could damage jet engines. More than 100,000 flights were grounded, stranding millions of passengers.

Protesters Across Europe Clash With Police Over COVID-19 Lockdowns (NPR) Anger at restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic swept into the streets of Europe on Saturday. German police used water cannons, pepper spray and clubs on protesters rallying over the coronavirus lockdown in the town of Kassel in central Germany where demonstrators numbered some 20,000. Protests against government measures to rein in the pandemic were also reported in Austria, Britain, Finland, Romania and Switzerland. Protesters held placards that read, “Fear Westmonster, Not the Virus, and “Stop Destroying Our Kids’ Lives” as they marched in central London along Oxford Street, the Embankment and Parliament Square before heading up to Whitehall.

Europe’s COVID-19 setbacks risk another summer travel washout (Reuters) Europe’s airlines and travel sector are bracing for a second lost summer, with rebound hopes increasingly challenged by a hobbled COVID-19 vaccine rollout, resurgent infections and new lockdowns. Airline and travel stocks fell on Friday after Paris and much of northern France shut down for a month, days after Italy introduced stiff business and movement curbs for most of the country including Rome and Milan. The setbacks hit recovery prospects for the crucial peak season, whose profits typically tide airlines through winter, when most carriers lose money even in good times. Airlines that have already racked up billions in debt face further strain that some may not survive without fresh funds.

Massive religious gathering worries India as COVID-19 cases surge (Reuters) India’s health ministry warned on Sunday that a huge gathering of devotees for a Hindu festival could send coronavirus cases surging, as the country recorded the most new infections in nearly four months. The ministry said up to 40 people were testing positive for COVID-19 daily around the site of the weeks-long Mahakumbh that began this month and peaks in April in the Himalayan holy town of Haridwar, next to the Ganges. The festival is held only once every 12 years. Organisers have said here more than 150 million visitors are expected, as many Hindus believe bathing in the river during this period absolves people of sins and bring salvation from the cycle of life and death.

Myanmar Protesters Answer Military’s Bullets With an Economic Shutdown (NYT) Bank tellers’ windows are gathering dust. Cargo at the port sits uncollected. And in grand government ministries in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar, stacks of documents are curling in the humidity. There are few people to process all the paperwork. Since the military seized power in a coup last month, an entire nation has come to a standstill. From hospitals, railways and dockyards to schools, shops and trading houses, much of society has stopped showing up for work in an attempt to stymie the military regime and force it to return authority to a civilian government. While demonstrators continue to brave bullets—at least 220 people have been killed since the Feb. 1 coup, according to a local group that monitors political imprisonments and deaths—the quiet persistence of this mass civil disobedience movement has grown into a potent weapon against the military. For all the planning that went into the putsch, the generals seem to have been utterly unprepared for the breadth and depth of resistance against them. The effect of millions of people refusing to do their jobs has been dramatic, even if the military is built to withstand pressure. Up to 90 percent of national government activity has ceased, according to officials from four ministries.

N. Korean diplomats leaving Malaysia after ties are severed (AP) North Korean diplomats vacated their embassy in Malaysia and prepared to leave the country Sunday, after the two nations cut diplomatic relations in a spat over the extradition of a North Korean criminal suspect to the United States. Ties between North Korea and Malaysia have been virtually frozen since the 2017 assassination of the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Two days after Kuala Lumpur extradited a North Korean man to the U.S. to face money laundering charges, a furious North Korea on Friday announced it was terminating ties with Malaysia. Malaysia denounced the decision and in a tit-for-tat response, gave North Korean diplomats 48 hours to leave.

Strong quake shakes Japan; minor injuries, no major damage (AP) A strong earthquake struck Saturday off northern Japan, shaking buildings even in Tokyo and triggering a tsunami advisory for a part of the northern coast. No major damage was reported, but several people had minor injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey put the strength of the quake at magnitude 7.0 and depth at 54 kilometers (33.5 miles). The shaking started just before 6:10 p.m. The quake was centered off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, in the country’s rugged northeast, which was heavily damaged during the huge earthquake and tsunami of 2011 that left more than 18,000 people dead. The strong temblor caused a temporary blackout in some areas and suspended bullet train services in the area, according to the East Japan Railway Co.

Wary Philippines says 200 Chinese vessels at disputed reef (AP) The Philippine government expressed concern after spotting more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels it believed were crewed by militias at a reef claimed by both countries in the South China Sea, but it did not immediately lodge a protest. A government body overseeing the disputed region said late Saturday that about 220 Chinese vessels were seen moored at Whitsun Reef on March 7. It released pictures of the vessels lying side by side in one of the most hotly contested areas of the strategic waterway. The reef, which Manila calls Julian Felipe, is a boomerang-shaped and shallow coral region about 175 nautical miles (324 kilometers) west of Bataraza town in the western Philippine province of Palawan. It’s well within the country’s exclusive economic zone, over which the Philippines “enjoys the exclusive right to exploit or conserve any resources,” the agency said in a statement. China, the Philippines and four other governments have been locked in a tense territorial standoff over the resource-rich and busy waterway for decades.

Heavy rains in Australia’s east bring worst floods in 50 years (Reuters) Heavy rains along Australia’s east coast over the weekend have brought the worst flooding in half a century in some areas, authorities said on Sunday, forcing thousands to evacuate and damaging hundreds of houses. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the downpour across the state, Australia’s most populous with 8 million people, was worse than initially expected, especially for low-lying areas in Sydney’s northwest. People in parts of Sydney’s northwest were ordered to flee their houses in the middle of the night as fast-moving waters caused widespread destruction. Late on Sunday, about another 1,000 people were asked to evacuate, after Berejiklian said that some 4,000 people may be asked to leave their houses.

Pope Struggles to Contain Conservative-Liberal Tensions in Catholic Church (WSJ) Pope Francis is struggling to manage powerful bishops in the U.S. and Germany, two groups at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, as he tries to advance his progressive agenda without jeopardizing the unity of the Catholic Church. The election of President Biden, a progressive Catholic whom some U.S. bishops want to censure for his support of abortion rights, has exacerbated longstanding tensions between the pope and the largely conservative American episcopate. U.S. church leaders have resisted promoting the pope’s priorities of social and economic justice and care for the environment over opposition to abortion and defense of religious freedom. On the left, the pope is trying to rein in German bishops who—encouraged by the pope’s liberalizing gestures on topics including sexuality, ecumenism and the role of women—are pressing for changes that go further than Pope Francis is comfortable with, and that conservatives warn could cause a schism. Each country presents “a different set of issues, a different set of struggles but I think some of the underlying dynamics are the same,” said Adam DeVille, a professor of theology at Indiana’s University of Saint Francis. “In both cases, the pope I think is really trying to say, ‘come on guys, let’s rein it in here, let’s get back into the same lane all together.’”

#headlines #news

7 notes · View notes

talesofsea-index · 4 years ago

Text

Bali Tour Service And Tourism Activities In Bali

When traveling to Bali for a holiday, it is never a case of what are you going to find to do on your vacation, however rather what number of weeks vacation can you take to get pleasure from all that Bali has to supply. Many people think of seashores and white sand when considering of Bali and affiliate is a being mainly a seaside holiday. Although there are various resorts alongside the beachfront to calm down at, this is solely a small part of all the Bali excursions and actions available. There are very few accommodations and resorts in Bali that won't have both in house tours of Bali or be able to prepare some tour by way of an unbiased tour company for you to get pleasure from.

With so many activities obtainable it is tough to choose the perfect to advocate, however based mostly on the popularity of the next these appear to be the most exciting issues to do when considering one of many many Bali excursions accessible.

Recommended Bali Water Activities

Bali Marine Walk

Have you ever all the time wanted to experience the ocean floor, the garden underneath water that's teaming with marine life filled with brilliant colors and gorgeous fish, however have been afraid to dive or usually are not a particularly great swimmer? Then this can be a must for you to try out once you go to Bali. This is a revolutionary diving system which you could experience even when you can’t swim; all you want to have the ability to do is stroll. The concept behind it is extremely simple; an open ended helmet permits the wearer to stroll on the ocean mattress by just placing it over their head. There may be an inbuilt defogging mechanism that stops the front “window” from becoming steamed up. There's a hose which is related to the scuba tanks permitting free motion whereas playing with the fish and feeding them out of your hand. That is actually a must do exercise when visiting Bali. Marine walk have their very own boat that can take you to Lembongan Island where you may take pleasure in a day exploring the depths of the ocean.

White Water Rafting

Bali Journey Rafting gives a five star service that's renowned because the safest family rafting company in Bali. Age just isn't an element with this firm, youngsters from as younger as 5 have been rafting down the Ayung River. The expertise is exhilarating and the views are breathtaking. The tour is on a stretch of river 8 kilometers long and contains 27 class II and sophistication III rapids wandering by way of unspoiled rain forests, towering gorges and sculptured rice fields. All the guides are professionally trained and have tons of expertise to pilot the rafts by means of some dramatic drops, waterfalls and rivers making your white water expertise protected however awesome.

The entire trip will last roughly one and a half hours, relying on how fast the river is flowing. At the end of the journey there are hot showers and altering rooms for you to refresh in, adopted by a scorching gourmand buffet at a personal restaurant with views of majestic mountains and rice fields. The distinctive services and having the longest course on the island has attracted Hollywood celebrities like Claudia Schiffer, Jean-Claude Van Damme and David Copperfield. Access is fairly simple, solely an hour’s drive from nearly all of the resorts in the south of Bali.

Waterbom Park

Waterbom Park is positioned within the resort village of Kuta; it is a large 4 hectares in size with tropical vegetation making up the amazing panorama. World class water slides are located throughout the park and are obviously the main attraction, however are many other recreational services located inside the large grounds. You might have the choice of dong some wall climbing, water volley ball, bungee jumping, and getting blasted with the water blaster. For the more relaxing vacationer, the park offers a spa, many swimming pools to chill out in, the Wantilan Restaurant has a swim up bar facility, or just watching the kids enjoy the Kiddies Park. This park is run by an Australian concern and the safety standards are exceptionally excessive. There is a strict maintenance regime as well as supervision from licensed lifeguards which might be consistently on responsibility allowing mother and father to let their youngsters splash away with none worries.

Advisable Inland Activities

Bali Quad Discovery Tours

One of many oldest mountain villages of Bali, Payangan, is home to Bali Quad and buggy discovery excursions. The amenities are only 15 kilometers south of Kintamani on the slopes of mount Batur near Ayung river valley. The tour is thru very isolated countryside, the place you'll not come across other vacationers whereas driving your personal 4 wheel quad bike. The groups are restricted to six to be able to not make an excessive amount of of a disruption to the locals and to ensure that guides are able to give private help. Groups are divided according to skill level, not essentially age, however if you wish to have your personal group composed of individuals of all talent ranges then that may be arranged. The one requirement that's wanted is that you just be in good physical form as the terrain may be very demanding.

Kintamani Volcano Tour

It is a highly regarded tour in Bali as it wanders by way of many various areas of the Bali countryside allowing you to experience the diversity of Balinese culture and ends up with you standing on the sting of the crater of mount Batur. Among the places and actions that are visited and experienced on the way is the well-known Barong Dance located in Batubulan, the village of Celuk famend for its silver and goldsmiths, the talented village of Mas with their exquisite wooden carvings, the cultural capital of Bali, Ubud that's overflowing with cultural activities and beautiful art work.

Elephant Safari Park Tour

The Elephant Safari Park situated in Taro, Tegallalang is a must do for all visitors that come to Bali as it is the only complete elephant safari expertise on this planet. The unique park is the house to the only Mammoth Skeleton in South East Asia and is acclaimed as the world’s best elephant park that's set in a picturesque tropical setting. In between using, sightseeing, hand feeding, touching them, taking images with them, you possibly can study their ancestry and diversity on the huge historic and graphic displays that the park has. The parks amenities additionally embrace a reception and data heart, a complete museum with many elephant memorabilia.

Overlooking a powerful lake is the restaurant that is able to maintain over 200 people and has a unbelievable worldwide menu making it ideally suited not only for a go to, but is an ideal location to carry a marriage or other occasion. The gift shop has an incredible array of elephant themed items that embody work, ivory (watch out when buying this, make sure that it won't be confiscated at your individual international locations airport), wood and carvings, clothes and plenty of different souvenirs.

Regardless that the park may be very tourist orientated the primary purpose of the park is the safety of those elephants that have all been rescued because of the deforestation that's occurring in Southern and Central Sumatra and this park has change into a sanctuary for this endangered and guarded species. Elephants are very clever creatures and at certain instances of the day there are displays of the elephant’s capabilities including portray. The park is nice for all types of vacationers and will probably be a spotlight of your Bali excursions. As a customer you will be able to the touch and hand feed the elephants, watch as they playfully bathtub within the huge lakes, have private photos taken with you driving on the elephants, witness the intelligence of these giant however light creatures and study their historical past, facts about them and the concerns for his or her future. The park additionally provides mini rides for the kids.

Bali Paragliding Journey

Bali has a mountain chain that stretches throughout the island giving paragliding lovers spectacular views and a wide range of totally different locations to launch from. The preferred locations are , Timbis, Gunung Payung, Mount Batur and Candi Dasa.

Timbis

Bali’s hottest flight zone and training center is positioned right here, close to the spectacular Bali Cliff resort. The rugged cliffs, white seashores, clear blue seas, Hindu temples and crashing waves over the coral reefs make this the perfect spot to learn how to paraglide. There are facilities for food and drinks in case you prefer just to calm down and watch the more adventurous vacationers jump off the cliffs. After your flight there are Balinese employees who will pack your canopy away simply as you need it.

Gunung Payung

East of Timbis, maybe 15 minutes drive, Gunung Payung presents a launch area for the extra experienced paraglider as at high tide there isn't any backside landing and you'll have to soar and steer your approach eastward to avoid crashing in the water.

Mount Batur. Mount Batur is an active smoldering volcano with four craters at an elevation of 1,717m which final erupted in 2000. There isn't any better place to get your coronary heart pumping before takeoff, and in case you are fortunate sufficient to not get bombarded with showering lava, the view is breathtaking. Mount Batur is positioned in Kintamani, north of Ubud.

Candi Dasa

Candi Dasa has a small take off area and due to this fact top touchdown will not be doable, the positioning is a 250m high ridge. The thermals are superior right here and it is often attainable to achieve cloud base, 600-750 meters. The stroll to take off from the black sand backside landing seashore is 20-30 minutes relying on how fit you're. There are Balinese porters in the event you want assistance.

There are a lot of trusted car rental in Bali with driver in addition to tour service who will in a position to drive visitors or vacationers to those attention-grabbing spots.

#bali tour #bali car rental #bali vacation #bali travel #bali car hire #bali car hire with driver

2 notes · View notes

xtruss · 4 years ago

Text

TripAdvisor’s 7 top National Parks

— The Mercury News | By Jackie Burrell | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group

— Published: February 15, 2021

A caldera-forming volcano supplies the heat for the hydrothermal features in Yellowstone National Park. (Jonathan Newton/Washington Post)

The United States’ National Parks offer such varied and vibrant treasures, why would anyone rank them? They’re all magnificent.

But when TripAdvisor asked its users to choose their favorites, they were quick to comply, handing out Travelers Choice 2021 bragging honors to 10 National Parks from coast to coast. Here are the top seven. (Find all the Travelers Choice honorees, along with details, at www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice.)

A road trip through Wyoming isn’t complete without a visit to Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park. (Getty Images)

1- Grand Teton National Park

Wyoming’s spectacular, 310-,000-acre Grand Teton National Park lies south of Yellowstone and north of the charming town of Jackson. The National Park Service calls the park’s peaks “mountains of the imagination.” Those craggy peaks, lush valleys, alpine meadows and surging Snake River offer plenty of recreational possibilities, making it a favorite of hikers, rafters, campers and outdoors lovers. Learn more at www.nps.gov/grte.

A general view of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, on February 13, 2017. (Rhona Wise/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images) Rhona Wise/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images

2– Grand Canyon National Park

Arizona’s immense National Park includes 277 miles of stunning landscape, including the Colorado River and, of course, the Grand Canyon itself, which is a mile deep and, at its widest point, 18 miles wide. You can raft the river, hike the trails or simply gawk from the top at the colorful rock layers that represent millions of years of geologic activity. Learn more at www.nps.gov/grca.

Hikers take pictures at the entrance of the famous Narrows hike along the North Fork of the Virgin River in Zion National Park on May 15, 2020. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)

3– Zion National Park

Utah is home to five National Parks, including Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Arches and Zion, a favorite among TripAdvisor users. The park is known for its rugged red rocks, incredible geologic formations and canyons carved by river water. Read more at www.nps.gov/zion.

The rugged peaks of the Alaska Range are an ever-present backdrop to DenaliNational Park, but it’s the 20,320-ft Denali that steals the show.(Thinkstock)

4– Denali National Park and Preserve

The showpiece of this National Park in Alaska is Denali — “The Great One” — or Mount McKinley, which at 20,320 feet is the highest peak in North America. The park and preserve encompass a stunning 6 million acres of wilderness — and one road. Find more information at www.nps.gov/dena.

Tourists take pictures of the Blue Star spring near Old Faithful Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on June 11, 2019. – Old Faithful has erupted every 44 to 125 minutes since 2000. (Daniel Slim/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

5– Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful, the otherworldly Grand Prismatic Spring, boiling mud pots, roaming bison and stunning landscapes make this Wyoming park, which straddles the Montana and Idaho borders, one of the most popular in the world. Read more at www.nps.gov/yell.

Texan Larry Greaves takes in the scenery from his kayak on Kintla Lake in Glacier National Park in Montana, in this Sept. 28, 1998 file photo. The outdoors doesn’t get much bigger than western Montana, home of Glacier National Park, the Flathead Valley, several national forests and vast wilderness areas. When planning a trip to the area, the World Wide Web can be a useful resource. (AP Photo/Daily Inter-Lake, Mark Goldstein, File)

6– Glacier National Park

Alpine meadows, lakes, forests and the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road draw visitors to this rugged Montana wilderness, which runs all the way to the Canadian border. The park offers more than 700 miles of trails, plus camping, hiking and cross-country skiing. Learn more at www.nps.gov/glac.

Visitors watch as steam and gas rise from Kilauea’s summit crater in Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, Wednesday, May 9, 2018. Geologists warned Wednesday that Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano could erupt explosively and send boulders, rocks and ash into the air around its summit in the coming weeks. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

7– Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

The Big Island’s heady mix of rainforests, lava flows, simmering volcanos and spectacular hiking trails have long been a tourist draw. The National Park is at the southern end of the ever-increasing island, whose land creation is fueled by the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes. Read more at www.nps.gov/havo.

2 notes · View notes

baltimorehorsescycling · 4 years ago

Text

Bali Tours And Activities

When traveling to Bali for a holiday, it's never a case of what are you going to find to do in your vacation, but fairly how many weeks vacation can you take to take pleasure in all that Bali has to supply. Many people consider beaches and white sand when thinking of Bali and affiliate is a being mainly a seashore holiday. Though there are many resorts alongside the beachfront to relax at, that is only a small a part of all the Bali tours and activities out there. There are only a few motels and resorts in Bali that will not have both in home excursions of Bali or be capable to organize some tour by way of an unbiased tour firm for you to take pleasure in.

With so many activities accessible it's tough to select the best to suggest, however based mostly on the recognition of the following these seem to be the most exciting issues to do when considering one of the many Bali excursions out there.

Well known Water Activities in Bali

Bali Marine Stroll

Have you ever always wished to experience the ocean flooring, the backyard underneath water that's teaming with marine life full of vivid colors and gorgeous fish, but have been afraid to dive or aren't a very great swimmer? Then it is a must so that you can check out whenever you visit Bali. This is a revolutionary diving system that you would be able to experience even should you can’t swim; all you need to have the ability to do is stroll. The concept behind it is extremely simple; an open ended helmet allows the wearer to stroll on the sea mattress by just placing it over their head. There's an inbuilt defogging mechanism that prevents the front “window” from turning into steamed up. There's a hose which is linked to the scuba tanks permitting free motion while enjoying with the fish and feeding them from your hand. This is truly a must do activity when visiting Bali. Marine walk have their very own boat that will take you to Lembongan Island where you'll be able to enjoy a day exploring the depths of the ocean.

White Water Rafting

Bali Adventure Rafting affords a 5 star service that is famend because the safest household rafting firm in Bali. Age is not an element with this firm, children from as younger as 5 have been rafting down the Ayung River. The experience is exhilarating and the views are breathtaking. The tour is on a stretch of river 8 kilometers lengthy and includes 27 class II and class III rapids wandering by way of unspoiled rain forests, towering gorges and sculptured rice fields. All the guides are professionally skilled and have tons of experience to pilot the rafts by means of some dramatic drops, waterfalls and rivers making your white water experience secure however superior.

The whole trip will final approximately one and a half hours, depending on how briskly the river is flowing. On the finish of the journey there are hot showers and altering rooms so that you can refresh in, followed by a sizzling connoisseur buffet at a non-public restaurant with views of majestic mountains and rice fields. The distinctive facilities and having the longest course on the island has attracted Hollywood celebrities like Claudia Schiffer, Jean-Claude Van Damme and David Copperfield. Access is fairly easy, solely an hour’s drive from the majority of the resorts in the south of Bali.

Waterbom Park

Waterbom Park is situated in the resort village of Kuta; it is a massive 4 hectares in size with tropical vegetation making up the amazing panorama. World class water slides are situated all around the park and are clearly the main attraction, but are many different recreational services situated throughout the massive grounds. You've gotten the choice of dong some wall climbing, water volley ball, bungee leaping, and getting blasted with the water blaster. For the more stress-free tourist, the park presents a spa, many swimming swimming pools to loosen up in, the Wantilan Restaurant has a swim up bar facility, or just watching the children enjoy the Kiddies Park. This park is run by an Australian concern and the safety requirements are exceptionally high. There is a strict maintenance regime as well as supervision from certified lifeguards which might be continually on duty allowing mother and father to let their children splash away with none worries.

Inland Activities

Bali Quad Discovery Tours

One of many oldest mountain villages of Bali, Payangan, is house to Bali Quad and buggy discovery tours. The facilities are solely 15 kilometers south of Kintamani on the slopes of mount Batur close to Ayung river valley. The tour is through very remoted countryside, where you will not come across other tourists whereas driving your own 4 wheel quad bike. The teams are limited to six to be able to not make an excessive amount of of a disruption to the locals and to make sure that guides are able to give personal assistance. Groups are divided in line with talent stage, not necessarily age, however if you wish to have your own group composed of people of all skill ranges then that may be arranged. The only requirement that's needed is that you just be in good bodily form as the terrain can be very demanding.

Kintamani Volcano Tour

This is a very popular tour in Bali as it wanders by way of many alternative areas of the Bali countryside allowing you to expertise the variety of Balinese tradition and finally ends up with you standing on the edge of the crater of mount Batur. Among the locations and actions which might be visited and experienced on the best way is the well-known Barong Dance located in Batubulan, the village of Celuk famend for its silver and goldsmiths, the talented village of Mas with their beautiful wood carvings, the cultural capital of Bali, Ubud that is overflowing with cultural actions and beautiful paintings.

Elephant Safari Park Tour

The Elephant Safari Park located in Taro, Tegallalang is a must do for all visitors that come to Bali as it's the solely complete elephant safari expertise in the world. The unique park is the home to the only Mammoth Skeleton in South East Asia and is acclaimed as the world’s finest elephant park that's set in a picturesque tropical setting. In between using, sightseeing, hand feeding, touching them, taking photos with them, you possibly can study their ancestry and variety at the huge historic and graphic shows that the park has. The parks facilities additionally include a reception and information heart, a complete museum with many elephant memorabilia.

Overlooking an impressive lake is the restaurant that is able to hold over 200 folks and has a improbable international menu making it ideally suited not only for a visit, but is a perfect location to carry a wedding or different occasion. The gift store has an unimaginable array of elephant themed objects that embrace paintings, ivory (be careful when shopping for this, make it possible for it is not going to be confiscated at your individual nations airport), wooden and carvings, clothing and plenty of other souvenirs.

Though the park could be very tourist orientated the primary purpose of the park is the protection of those elephants which have all been rescued because of the deforestation that is happening in Southern and Central Sumatra and this park has grow to be a sanctuary for this endangered and guarded species. Elephants are very intelligent creatures and at certain instances of the day there are displays of the elephant’s capabilities together with portray. The park is great for every type of vacationers and will be a spotlight of your Bali excursions.

As a customer you will be able to the touch and hand feed the elephants, watch as they playfully bathtub within the massive lakes, have private photographs taken with you driving on the elephants, witness the intelligence of those large however gentle creatures and study their historical past, information about them and the considerations for their future. The park also gives mini rides for the children.

Bali Paragliding Journey

Bali has a mountain chain that stretches throughout the island giving paragliding lovers spectacular views and a wide range of different locations to launch from. The preferred locations are , Timbis, Gunung Payung, Mount Batur and Candi Dasa.

Timbis

Bali’s hottest flight zone and coaching middle is located right here, near the spectacular Bali Cliff resort. The rugged cliffs, white seashores, clear blue seas, Hindu temples and crashing waves over the coral reefs make this the perfect spot to discover ways to paraglide. There are facilities for meals and drinks when you prefer just to loosen up and watch the extra adventurous tourists soar off the cliffs. After your flight there are Balinese staff who will pack your cover away simply as you need it.

Gunung Payung

East of Timbis, possibly 15 minutes drive, Gunung Payung affords a launch area for the extra skilled para-glider as at high tide there is no such thing as a bottom touchdown and you'll have to soar and steer your means eastward to keep away from crashing in the water. Mount Batur. Mount Batur is an active smoldering volcano with four craters at an elevation of 1,717m which last erupted in 2000. There is no higher place to get your heart pumping earlier than takeoff, and if you're lucky enough to not get bombarded with showering lava, the view is breathtaking. Mount Batur is positioned in Kintamani, north of Ubud.

Candi Dasa

Candi Dasa has a small take off area and subsequently high landing isn't doable, the location is a 250m high ridge. The thermals are awesome here and it's typically possible to succeed in cloud base, 600-750 meters. The walk to take off from the black sand backside touchdown seashore is 20-30 minutes relying on how fit you are. There are Balinese porters for those who want assistance.

There are lots of trusted Bali car rental with driver as well as tour service who will in a position to drive visitors or vacationers to those attention-grabbing spots.

#bali tour #bali tourism activities #bali vacation #holiday in Bali

1 note · View note

savenysublets · 4 years ago

Text

Bali Tours And Great Things To Do In Bali

When traveling to Bali for a vacation, it is by no means a case of what are you going to search out to do on your trip, however moderately what number of weeks vacation can you're taking to take pleasure in all that Bali has to offer. Many people think of beaches and white sand when considering of Bali and associate is a being primarily a beach holiday. Although there are various resorts alongside the beachfront to calm down at, this is solely a small part of all the Bali tours and activities obtainable. There are very few motels and resorts in Bali that won't have both in house excursions of Bali or be capable of organize some tour via an unbiased tour company for you to take pleasure in.

With so many activities accessible it's difficult to pick the best to advocate, but based mostly on the recognition of the next these appear to be the most exciting issues to do when considering one of many many Bali excursions out there.

Really useful Bali Water Activities

Bali Marine Walk

Have you ever always needed to experience the ocean ground, the backyard below water that's teaming with marine life full of brilliant colors and gorgeous fish, however had been afraid to dive or are not a particularly nice swimmer? Then this is a should so that you can try out whenever you go to Bali. This can be a revolutionary diving system you could experience even in the event you can’t swim; all you want to be able to do is stroll. The concept behind it is very easy; an open ended helmet permits the wearer to walk on the ocean bed by just putting it over their head. There is an inbuilt defogging mechanism that stops the entrance “window” from changing into steamed up. There is a hose which is related to the scuba tanks allowing free movement whereas enjoying with the fish and feeding them from your hand. This is really a should do exercise when visiting Bali. Marine walk have their own boat that will take you to Lembongan Island the place you'll be able to enjoy a day exploring the depths of the ocean.

White Water Rafting

Bali Journey Rafting presents a five star service that is renowned as the safest household rafting company in Bali. Age will not be an element with this firm, children from as younger as five have been rafting down the Ayung River. The experience is exhilarating and the views are breathtaking. The tour is on a stretch of river 8 kilometers lengthy and includes 27 class II and class III rapids wandering by means of unspoiled rain forests, towering gorges and sculptured rice fields. All of the guides are professionally trained and have tons of experience to pilot the rafts by some dramatic drops, waterfalls and rivers making your white water experience safe however awesome.

The entire trip will last roughly one and a half hours, depending on how fast the river is flowing. At the finish of the adventure there are sizzling showers and altering rooms so that you can refresh in, followed by a hot gourmand buffet at a private restaurant with views of majestic mountains and rice fields. The unique amenities and having the longest course on the island has attracted Hollywood celebrities like Claudia Schiffer, Jean-Claude Van Damme and David Copperfield. Entry is pretty straightforward, only an hour’s drive from the majority of the resorts within the south of Bali.

Waterbom Park

Waterbom Park is positioned within the resort village of Kuta; it's a large 4 hectares in measurement with tropical vegetation making up the amazing landscape. World class water slides are situated throughout the park and are clearly the main attraction, however are many other recreational services located inside the large grounds. You've gotten the choice of dong some wall climbing, water volley ball, bungee leaping, and getting blasted with the water blaster. For the more relaxing tourist, the park affords a spa, many swimming swimming pools to loosen up in, the Wantilan Restaurant has a swim up bar facility, or simply watching the youngsters benefit from the Kiddies Park. This park is run by an Australian concern and the security requirements are exceptionally high. There's a strict upkeep regime as well as supervision from certified lifeguards which are consistently on obligation allowing mother and father to let their youngsters splash away with none worries.

Really helpful Inland Actions

Bali Quad Discovery Tours

One of many oldest mountain villages of Bali, Payangan, is residence to Bali Quad and buggy discovery tours. The amenities are solely 15 kilometers south of Kintamani on the slopes of mount Batur near Ayung river valley. The tour is thru very isolated countryside, the place you will not come throughout other vacationers while driving your individual 4 wheel quad bike. The groups are restricted to 6 with a view to not make too much of a disruption to the locals and to ensure that guides are in a position to give personal help. Teams are divided based on talent degree, not essentially age, but if you want to have your personal group composed of people of all ability ranges then that can be organized. The one requirement that is needed is that you just be in good physical form as the terrain may be very demanding.

Kintamani Volcano Tour

It is a extremely popular tour in Bali as it wanders by many alternative areas of the Bali countryside permitting you to experience the range of Balinese culture and finally ends up with you standing on the edge of the crater of mount Batur. Some of the locations and activities which might be visited and skilled on the way is the well-known Barong Dance situated in Batubulan, the village of Celuk renowned for its silver and goldsmiths, the proficient village of Mas with their exquisite wood carvings, the cultural capital of Bali, Ubud that is overflowing with cultural actions and beautiful artwork.

Elephant Safari Park Tour

The Elephant Safari Park situated in Taro, Tegallalang is a must do for all visitors that come to Bali as it's the solely full elephant safari expertise on the planet. The distinctive park is the house to the only Mammoth Skeleton in South East Asia and is acclaimed because the world’s finest elephant park that's set in a picturesque tropical setting. In between using, sightseeing, hand feeding, touching them, taking photographs with them, you may learn about their ancestry and diversity on the huge historical and graphic shows that the park has. The parks services additionally embody a reception and data center, a complete museum with many elephant memorabilia.

Overlooking a powerful lake is the restaurant that is ready to hold over 200 folks and has a implausible worldwide menu making it superb not only for a go to, however is a perfect location to carry a wedding or other event. The present store has an incredible array of elephant themed objects that embrace work, ivory (be careful when buying this, make it possible for it won't be confiscated at your individual nations airport), wood and carvings, clothes and lots of other souvenirs.

Although the park could be very tourist orientated the principle objective of the park is the safety of those elephants which have all been rescued because of the deforestation that's taking place in Southern and Central Sumatra and this park has turn into a sanctuary for this endangered and guarded species. Elephants are very clever creatures and at certain times of the day there are displays of the elephant’s capabilities together with portray. The park is great for every type of vacationers and might be a highlight of your Bali excursions.

As a visitor it is possible for you to to the touch and hand feed the elephants, watch as they playfully bath within the large lakes, have private photographs taken with you riding on the elephants, witness the intelligence of these giant however mild creatures and find out about their historical past, facts about them and the issues for his or her future. The park also presents mini rides for the youngsters.

Bali Paragliding Adventure

Bali has a mountain chain that stretches across the island giving paragliding lovers spectacular views and quite a lot of totally different places to launch from. The preferred locations are , Timbis, Gunung Payung, Mount Batur and Candi Dasa.

Timbis

Bali’s hottest flight zone and training heart is located here, close to the spectacular Bali Cliff resort. The rugged cliffs, white seashores, clear blue seas, Hindu temples and crashing waves over the coral reefs make this the perfect spot to learn to paraglide. There are amenities for food and drinks in the event you prefer just to chill out and watch the more adventurous vacationers bounce off the cliffs. After your flight there are Balinese employees who will pack your cover away simply as you want it.

Gunung Payung

East of Timbus, maybe 15 minutes drive, Gunung Payung offers a launch area for the more skilled paraglider as at excessive tide there isn't any bottom landing and you will have to soar and steer your way eastward to avoid crashing in the water.

Mount Batur. Mount Batur is an energetic smoldering volcano with 4 craters at an elevation of 1,717m which last erupted in 2000. There is no such thing as a better place to get your coronary heart pumping before takeoff, and in case you are fortunate enough not to get bombarded with showering lava, the view is breathtaking. Mount Batur is positioned in Kintamani, north of Ubud.

Candi Dasa

Candi Dasa has a small take off space and therefore high landing is not attainable, the site is a 250m excessive ridge. The thermals are awesome right here and it is usually attainable to reach cloud base, 600-750 meters. The walk to take off from the black sand backside landing seashore is 20-Half-hour relying on how match you're. There are Balinese porters if you want assistance.

There are a lot of trusted Bali automotive rental as well as tour service who will capable of drive visitors or vacationers to these fascinating spots.

#bali tour #bali activities #bali car rental

1 note · View note

mellifera38 · 7 years ago

Text

Mel’s Big Fantasy Place-Name Reference

So I’ve been doing lots of D&D world-building lately and I’ve kind of been putting together lists of words to help inspire new fantasy place names. I figured I’d share. These are helpful for naming towns, regions, landforms, roads, shops, and they’re also probably useful for coming up with surnames. This is LONG. There’s plenty more under the cut including a huge list of “fantasy sounding” word-parts. Enjoy!

Towns & Kingdoms

town, borough, city, hamlet, parish, township, village, villa, domain

kingdom, empire, nation, country, county, city-state, state, province, dominion

Town Name End Words (English flavored)

-ton, -ston, -caster, -dale, -den, -field, -gate, -glen, -ham, -holm, -hurst, -bar, -boro, -by, -cross, -kirk, -meade, -moore, -ville, -wich, -bee, -burg, -cester, -don, -lea, -mer, -rose, -wall, -worth, -berg, -burgh, -chase, -ly, -lin, -mor, -mere, -pool. -port, -stead, -stow, -strath, -side, -way, -berry, -bury, -chester, -haven, -mar, -mont, -ton, -wick, -meet, -heim, -hold, -hall, -point

Buildings & Places

castle, fort, palace, fortress, garrison, lodge, estate, hold, stronghold, tower, watchtower, palace, spire, citadel, bastion, court, manor, house

altar, chapel, abbey, shrine, temple, monastery, cathedral, sanctum, crypt, catacomb, tomb

orchard, arbor, vineyard, farm, farmstead, shire, garden, ranch

plaza, district, quarter, market, courtyard, inn, stables, tavern, blacksmith, forge, mine, mill, quarry, gallows, apothecary, college, bakery, clothier, library, guild house, bath house, pleasure house, brothel, jail, prison, dungeon, cellar, basement, attic, sewer, cistern

lookout, post, tradepost, camp, outpost, hovel, hideaway, lair, nook, watch, roost, respite, retreat, hostel, holdout, redoubt, perch, refuge, haven, alcove, haunt, knell, enclave, station, caravan, exchange, conclave

port, bridge, ferry, harbor, landing, jetty, wharf, berth, footbridge, dam, beacon, lighthouse, marina, dockyard, shipyard

road, street, way, row, lane, trail, corner, crossing, gate, junction, waygate, end, wall, crossroads, barrier, bulwark, blockade, pavilion, avenue, promenade, alley, fork, route

Time & Direction

North, South, East, West, up, down, side, rise, fall, over, under

Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, solstice, equanox, vernal, ever, never

dusk, dawn, dawnrise, morning, night, nightfall, evening, sundown, sunbreak, sunset

lunar, solar, sun, moon, star, eclipse

Geographical Terms

Cave, cavern, cenote, precipice, crevasse, crater, maar, chasm, ravine, trench, rift, pit

Cliff, bluff, crag, scarp, outcrop, stack, tor, falls, run, eyrie, aerie

Hill, mountain, volcano, knoll, hillock, downs, barrow, plateau, mesa, butte, pike, peak, mount, summit, horn, knob, pass, ridge, terrace, gap, point, rise, rim, range, view, vista, canyon, hogback, ledge, stair, descent

Valley, gulch, gully, vale, dale, dell, glen, hollow, grotto, gorge, bottoms, basin, knoll, combe

Meadow, grassland, field, pasture, steppe, veld, sward, lea, mead, fell, moor, moorland, heath, croft, paddock, boondock, prairie, acre, strath, heights, mount, belt

Woodlands, woods, forest, bush, bower, arbor, grove, weald, timberland, thicket, bosk, copse, coppice, underbrush, hinterland, park, jungle, rainforest, wilds, frontier, outskirts

Desert, dunes, playa, arroyo, chaparral, karst, salt flats, salt pan, oasis, spring, seep, tar pit, hot springs, fissure, steam vent, geyser, waste, wasteland, badland, brushland, dustbowl, scrubland

Ocean, sea, lake, pond, spring, tarn, mere, sluice, pool, coast, gulf, bay

Lagoon, cay, key, reef, atoll, shoal, tideland, tide flat, swale, cove, sandspit, strand, beach

Snowdrift, snowbank, permafrost, floe, hoar, rime, tundra, fjord, glacier, iceberg

River, stream, creek, brook, tributary, watersmeet, headwater, ford, levee, delta, estuary, firth, strait, narrows, channel, eddy, inlet, rapids, mouth, falls

Wetland, marsh, bog, fen, moor, bayou, glade, swamp, banks, span, wash, march, shallows, mire, morass, quag, quagmire, everglade, slough, lowland, sump, reach

Island, isle, peninsula, isthmus, bight, headland, promontory, cape, pointe, cape

More under the cut including: Color words, Animal/Monster related words, Rocks/Metals/Gems list, Foliage, People groups/types, Weather/Environment/ Elemental words, Man-made Items, Body Parts, Mechanical sounding words, a huge list of both pleasant and unpleasant Atmospheric Descriptors, and a huge list of Fantasy Word-parts.

Color Descriptions

Warm: red, scarlet, crimson, rusty, cerise, carmine, cinnabar, orange, vermillion, ochre, peach, salmon, saffron, yellow, gold, lemon, amber, pink, magenta, maroon, brown, sepia, burgundy, beige, tan, fuchsia, taupe

Cool: green, beryl, jade, evergreen, chartreuse, olive, viridian, celadon, blue, azure, navy, cerulean, turquoise, teal, cyan, cobalt, periwinkle, beryl, purple, violet, indigo, mauve, plum

Neutral: gray, silver, ashy, charcoal, slate, white, pearly, alabaster, ivory, black, ebony, jet

dark, dusky, pale, bleached, blotchy, bold, dappled, lustrous, faded, drab, milky, mottled, opaque, pastel, stained, subtle, ruddy, waxen, tinted, tinged, painted

Animal / Monster-Related Words

Bear, eagle, wolf, serpent, hawk, horse, goat, sheep, bull, raven, crow, dog, stag, rat, boar, lion, hare, owl, crane, goose, swan, otter, frog, toad, moth, bee, wasp, beetle, spider, slug, snail, leech, dragonfly, fish, trout, salmon, bass, crab, shell, dolphin, whale, eel, cod, haddock

Dragon, goblin, giant, wyvern, ghast, siren, lich, hag, ogre, wyrm, kraken

Talon, scale, tusk, hoof, mane, horn, fur, feather, fang, wing, whisker, bristle, paw, tail, beak, claw, web, quill, paw, maw, pelt, haunch, gill, fin,

Hive, honey, nest, burrow, den, hole, wallow

Rocks / Metals / Minerals

Gold, silver, brass, bronze, copper, platinum, iron, steel, tin, mithril, electrum, adamantite, quicksilver, fool’s gold, titanium

Diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, topaz, opal, pearl, jade, jasper, onyx, citrine, aquamarine, turquoise, lapiz lazuli, amethyst, quartz, crystal, amber, jewel

Granite, shale, marble, limestone, sandstone, slate, diorite, basalt, rhyolite, obsidian, glass

Earth, stone, clay, sand, silt, salt, mote, lode, vein, ore, ingot, coal, boulder, bedrock, crust, rubble, pebble, gravel, cobble, dust, clod, peat, muck mud, slip, loam, dirt, grit, scree, shard, flint, stalactite/mite

Trees / Plants / Flowers

Tree, ash, aspen, pine, birch, alder, willow, dogwood, oak, maple, walnut, chestnut, cedar, mahogany, palm, beech, hickory, hemlock, cottonwood, hawthorn, sycamore, poplar, cypress, mangrove, elm, fir, spruce, yew

Branch, bough, bramble, gnarl, burr, tangle, thistle, briar, thorn, moss, bark, shrub, undergrowth, overgrowth, root, vine, bracken, reed, driftwood, coral, fern, berry, bamboo, nectar, petal, leaf, seed, clover, grass, grain, trunk, twig, canopy, cactus, weed, mushroom, fungus

Apple, olive, apricot, elderberry, coconut, sugar, rice, wheat, cotton, flax, barley, hops, onion, carrot, turnip, cabbage, squash, pumpkin, pepper

Flower, rose, lavender, lilac, jasmine, jonquil, marigold, carnelian, carnation, goldenrod, sage, wisteria, dahlia, nightshade, lily, daisy, daffodil, columbine, amaranth, crocus, buttercup, foxglove, iris, holly, hydrangea, orchid, snowdrop, hyacinth, tulip, yarrow, magnolia, honeysuckle, belladonna, lily pad, magnolia

People

Settler, Pilgrim, Pioneer, Merchant, Prospector, Maker, Surveyor, Mason, Overseer, Apprentice, Widow, Sailor, Miner, Blacksmith, Butcher, Baker, Brewer, Barkeep, Ferryman, Hangman, Gambler, Fisherman, Adventurer, Hero, Seeker, Hiker, Traveler, Crone

Mage, Magician, Summoner, Sorcerer, Wizard, Conjurer, Necromancer,

King, Queen, Lord, Count, Baron, Guard, Soldier, Knight, Vindicator, Merchant, Crusader, Imperator, Syndicate, Vanguard, Champion, Warden, Victor, Legionnaire, Master, Archer, Footman, Gladiator, Barbarian, Captain, Commodore,

Beggar, Hunter, Ranger, Deadman, Smuggler, Robber, Swindler, Rebel, Bootlegger, Outlaw, Pirate, Brigand, Ruffian, Highwayman, Cutpurse, Thief, Assassin

God, Goddess, Exarch, Angel, Devil, Demon, Cultist, Prophet, Hermit, Seer

council, clergy, guild, militia, choir

Climate, Environment, & The Elements

Cold, cool, brisk, frosty, chilly, icy, freezing, frozen, frigid, glacial, bitter, biting, bleak, arctic, polar, boreal, wintry, snowy, snow, blizzarding, blizzard, sleeting, sleet, chill, frost, ice, icebound, ice cap, floe, snowblind, frostbite, coldsnap, avalanche, snowflake

Hot, sunny, humid, sweltering, steaming, boiling, sizzling, blistering, scalding, smoking, caldescent, dry, parched, arid, fallow, thirsty, melting, molten, fiery, blazing, burning, charring, glowing, searing, scorching, blasted, sun, fire, heat, flame, wildfire, bonfire, inferno, coal, ash, cinder, ember, flare, pyre, tinder, kindling, aflame, alight, ablaze, lava, magma, slag,

Wet, damp, dank, soggy, sodden, soaked, drenched, dripping, sopping, briny, murky, rain, storm, hail, drizzle, sprinkle, downpour, deluge, squall, water, cloud, fog, mist, dew, puddle, pool, current, whirlpool, deep, depths, tide, waves, whitewater, waterfall, tidal wave, flow, flood, leak, drain

Wind, breeze, gust, billow, gail, draft, waft, zephyr, still, airy, clear, smokey, tempest, tempestuous, windswept, aerial, lofty, torrid, turbulent, nebulous, tradewind, thunder, lightning, spark, cyclone, tornado, whirlwind, hurricane, typhoon

Man-made Item Words

Furnace, forge, anvil, vault, strap, strip, whetstone, brick, sword, blade, axe, dagger, shield, buckler, morningstar, bow, quiver, arrow, polearm, flail, staff, stave, sheath, hilt, hammer, knife, helm, mantle, banner, pauldron, chainmail, mace, dart, cutlass, canon, needle, cowl, belt, buckle, bandana, goggles, hood, boot, heel, spindle, spool, thread, sweater, skirt, bonnet, apron, leather, hide, plate, tunic, vest, satin, silk, wool, velvet, lace, corset, stocking, binding

Plow, scythe, (wheel) barrow, saddle, harrow, brand, collar, whip, leash, lead, bridle, stirrup, wheel, straw, stall, barn, hay, bale, pitchfork, well, log, saw, lumber, sod, thatch, mortar, brick, cement, concrete, pitch, pillar, window, fountain, door, cage, spoke, pole, table, bench, plank, board

Candle, torch, cradle, broom, lamp, lantern, clock, bell, lock, hook, trunk, looking glass, spyglass, bottle, vase, locket, locker, key, handle, rope, knot, sack, pocket, pouch, manacle, chain, stake, coffin, fan. cauldron, kettle, pot, bowl, pestle, oven, ladle, spoon, font, wand, potion, elixir, draught, portal, book, tome, scroll, word, manuscript, letter, message, grimoire, map, ink, quill, pen, cards, dice

Coin, coronet, crown, circlet, scepter, treasure, riches, scales, pie, tart, loaf, biscuit, custard, caramel, pudding, porridge, stew, bread, tea, gravy, gristle, spice, lute, lyre, harp, drum, rouge, powder, perfume, brush

bilge, stern, pier, sail, anchor, mast, dock, deck, flag, ship, boat, canoe, barge, wagon, sled, carriage, buggy, cart

Wine, brandy, whiskey, ale, moonshine, gin, cider, rum, grog, beer, brew, goblet, flagon, flask, cask, tankard, stein, mug, barrel, stock, wort, malt

Body Parts

Head, throat, finger, foot, hand, neck, shoulder, rib, jaw, eye, lips, bosom

Skull, spine, bone, tooth, heart, blood, tears, gut, beard

Mechanical-Sounding Words

cog, fuse, sprocket, wrench, screw, nail, bolt, lever, pulley, spanner, gear, spring, shaft, switch, button, cast, pipe, plug, dial, meter, nozzle, cord, brake, gauge, coil, oil, signal, wire, fluke, staple, clamp, bolt, nut, bulb, patch, pump, cable, socket

torque, force, sonic, spark, fizzle, thermal, beam, laser, steam, buzz, mega, mecha, electro, telsa, power, flicker, charge, current, flow, tinker

Atmospheric Words

Unpleasant, Dangerous, Threatening

(nouns) death, fury, battle, scar, shadow, razor, nightmare, wrath, bone, splinter, peril, war, riptide, strife, reckoning, sorrow, terror, deadwood, nether, venom, grime, rage, void, conquest, pain, folly, revenge, horrid, mirk, shear, fathom, frenzy, corpselight/marshlight, reaper, gloom, doom, torment, torture, spite, grizzled, sludge, refuse, spore, carrion, fear, pyre, funeral, shade, beast, witch, grip, legion, downfall, ruin, plague, woe, bane, horde, acid, fell, grief, corpse, mildew, mold, miter, dirge

(adjectives) dead, jagged, decrepit, fallen, darkened, blackened, dire, grim, feral, wild, broken, desolate, mad, lost, under, stagnant, blistered, derelict, forlorn, unbound, sunken, fallow, shriveled, wayward, bleak, low, weathered, fungal, last, brittle, sleepy, -strewn, dusky, deserted, empty, barren, vacant, forsaken, bare, bereft, stranded, solitary, abandoned, discarded, forgotten, deep, abysmal, bottomless, buried, fathomless,unfathomable, diseased, plagued, virulent, noxious, venomous, toxic, fetid, revolting, putrid, rancid, foul, squalid, sullied, vile, blighted, vicious, ferocious, dangerous, savage, cavernous, vast, yawning, chasmal, echoing, dim, dingy, gloomy, inky, lurid, shaded, shadowy, somber, sunless, tenebrous, unlit, veiled, hellish, accursed, sulfurous, damned, infernal, condemned, doomed, wicked, sinister, dread, unending, spectral, ghostly, haunted, eldritch, unknown, weary, silent, hungry, cloven, acidic

(verb/adverbs): wither (withering / withered), skulk (skulking), whisper, skitter, chitter, sting, slither, writhe, gape, screech, scream, howl, lurk, roil, twist, shift, swarm, spawn, fester, bleed, howl, shudder, shrivel, devour, swirl, maul, trip, smother, weep, shatter, ruin, curse, ravage, hush, rot, drown, sunder, blister, warp, fracture, die, shroud, fall, surge, shiver, roar, thunder, smolder, break, silt, slide, lash, mourn, crush, wail, decay, crumble, erode, decline, reek, lament, taint, corrupt, defile, poison, infect, shun, sigh, sever, crawl, starve, grind, cut, wound, bruise, maim, stab, bludgeon, rust, mutilate, tremble, stumble, fumble, clank, clang

Pleasant, Safe, Neutral

(nouns) spirit, luck, soul, oracle, song, sky, smile, rune, obelisk, cloud, timber, valor, triumph, rest, dream, thrall, might, valiance, glory, mirror, life, hope, oath, serenity, sojourn, god, hearth, crown, throne, crest, guard, rise, ascent, circle, ring, twin, vigil, breath, new, whistle, grasp, snap, fringe, threshold, arch, cleft, bend, home, fruit, wilds, echo, moonlight, sunlight, starlight, splendor, vigilance, honor, memory, fortune, aurora, paradise, caress

(adjectives) gentle, pleasant, prosperous, peaceful, sweet, good, great, mild, grand, topic, lush, wild, abundant, verdant, sylvan, vital, florid, bosky, callow, verdurous, lucious, fertile, spellbound, captivating, mystical, hidden, arcane, clandestine, esoteric, covert, cryptic, runic, otherworldly, touched, still, fair, deep, quiet, bright, sheer, tranquil, ancient, light, far, -wrought, tidal, royal, shaded, swift, true, free, high, vibrant, pure, argent, hibernal, ascendant, halcyon, silken, bountiful, gilded, colossal, massive, stout, elder, -bourne, furrowed, happy, merry, -bound, loud, lit, silk, quiet, bright, luminous, shining, burnished, glossy, brilliant, lambent, lucent, lustrous, radiant, resplendent, vivid, vibrant, illuminated, silvery, limpid, sunlit, divine, sacred, holy, eternal, celestial, spiritual, almighty, anointed, consecrated, exalted, hallowed, sanctified, ambrosial, beatific, blissful, demure, naked, bare, ample, coy, deific, godly, omnipotent, omnipresent, rapturous, sacramental, sacrosanct, blessed, majestic, iridescent, glowing, overgrown, dense, hard, timeless, sly, scatter, everlasting, full, half, first, last

(verb/adverbs) arch (arching / arched), wink (winking), sing, nestle, graze, stroll, roll, flourish, bloom, bud, burgeon, live, dawn, hide, dawn, run, pray, wake, laugh, wake, glimmer, glitter, drift, sleep, tumble, bind, arch, blush, grin, glister, beam, meander, wind, widen, charm, bewitch, enthrall, entrance, enchant, allure, beguile, glitter, shimmer, sparkle twinkle, crest, quiver, slumber, herald, shelter, leap, click, climb, scuttle, dig, barter, chant, hum, chime, kiss, flirt, tempt, tease, play, seduce

Generic “Fantasy-Sounding” Word Parts

A - D

aaz, ada, adaer, adal, adar, adbar, adir, ae, ael, aer, aern, aeron, aeryeon, agar, agis, aglar, agron, ahar, akan, akyl, al, alam, alan, alaor, ald, alea, ali, alir, allyn, alm, alon, alor, altar, altum, aluar, alys, amar, amaz, ame, ammen, amir, amol, amn, amus, anar, andor, ang, ankh, ar, ara, aram, arc, arg, arian, arkh, arla, arlith, arn, arond, arthus, arum, arvien, ary, asha, ashyr, ask, assur, aster, astra, ath, athor, athra, athryn, atol, au, auga, aum, auroch, aven, az, azar, baal, bae, bael, bak, bal, balor, ban, bar, bara, barr, batol, batar, basir, basha, batyr, bel, belph, belu, ben, beo, bere, berren, berun, besil, bezan, bhaer, bhal, blask, blis, blod, bor, boraz, bos, bran, brath, braun, breon, bri, bry, bul, bur, byl, caer, cal, calan, cara, cassa, cath, cela, cen, cenar, cerul, chalar, cham, chion, cimar, clo, coram, corel, corman, crim, crom, daar, dach, dae, dago, dagol, dahar, dala, dalar, dalin, dam, danas, daneth, dannar, dar, darian, darath, darm, darma, darro, das, dasa, dasha, dath, del, delia, delimm, dellyn, delmar, delo, den, dess, dever, dhaer, dhas, dhaz, dhed, dhin, din, dine, diar, dien, div, djer, dlyn, dol, dolan, doon, dora, doril, doun, dral, dranor, drasil, dren, drian, drien, drin, drov, druar, drud, duald, duatha, duir, dul, dulth, dun, durth, dyra, dyver,

E - H

ea, eber, eden, edluk, egan, eiel, eilean, ejen, elath, eld, eldor, eldra, elith emar, ellesar, eltar, eltaran, elth, eltur, elyth, emen, empra, emril, emvor, ena, endra, enthor, erad, erai, ere, eriel, erith, erl, eron, erre, eryn, esk, esmel, espar, estria, eta, ethel, eval, ezro, ezan, ezune, ezil, fael, faelar, faern, falk, falak, farak, faril, farla, fel, fen, fenris, fer, fet, fin, finar, forel, folgun, ful, fulk, fur, fyra, fallon, gael, gach, gabir, gadath, gal, galar, gana, gar, garth, garon, garok, garne, gath, geir, gelden, geren, geron, ghal, ghallar, ghast, ghel, ghom, ghon, gith, glae, glander, glar, glym, gol, goll, gollo, goloth, gorot, gost, goth, graeve, gran, grimm, grist, grom, grosh, grun, grym, gual, guil, guir, gulth, gulur, gur, gurnth, gwaer, haa, hael, haer, hadar, hadel, hakla, hala, hald, halana, halid, hallar, halon, halrua, halus, halvan, hamar, hanar, hanyl, haor, hara, haren, haresk, harmun, harrokh, harrow, haspur, haza, hazuth, heber, hela, helve, hem, hen, herath, hesper, heth, hethar, hind, hisari, hjaa, hlath, hlond, hluth, hoarth, holtar, horo, hotun, hrag, hrakh, hroth, hull, hyak, hyrza

I - M

iibra, ilth, ilus, ilira, iman, imar, imas, imb, imir, immer, immil, imne, impil, ingdal, innar, ir, iriae, iril, irith, irk, irul, isha, istis, isil, itala, ith, ithal, itka, jada, jae, jaeda, jahaka, jala, jarra, jaro, jath, jenda, jhaamm, jhothm, jinn, jinth, jyn, kado, kah, kal, kalif, kam, kana, kara, karg, kars, karth, kasp, katla, kaul, kazar, kazr, kela, kelem, kerym, keth, keva, kez, kezan, khaer, khal, khama, khaz, khara, khed, khel, khol, khur, kil, kor, korvan, koll, kos, kir, kra, kul, kulda, kund, kyne, lae, laen, lag, lan, lann, lanar, lantar, lapal, lar, laran, lareth, lark, lath, lauth, lav, lavur, lazar, leih, leshyr, leth, lhaza, lhuven, liad, liam, liard, lim, lin, lirn, lisk, listra, lith, liya, llair, llor, lok, lolth, loran, lorkh, lorn, loth, lothen, luen, luir, luk, lund, lur, luth, lyndus, lyra, lyth, maal, madrasm maera, maer, maerim, maes, mag, magra, mahand, mal, malar, mald, maldo, mar, mara, mark, marl, maru, maruk, meir, melish, memnon, mer, metar, methi, mhil, mina, mir, miram, mirk, mista, mith, moander, mok, modir, modan, mon, monn, mor, more, morel, moril, morn, moro, morrow, morth, mort, morum, morven, muar, mul, mydra, myr, myra, myst

N - S

naar, nadyra, naedyr, naga, najar, nal, naal, nalir, nar, naruk, narbond, narlith, narzul, nasaq, nashkel, natar, nath, natha, neir, neth, nether, nhall, nikh, nil, nilith, noan, nolvurm nonthal, norda, noro, novul, nul, nur, nus, nyan, nyth, ober, odra, oghr, okoth, olleth, olodel, omgar, ondath, onthril, ordul, orish, oroch, orgra, orlim, ormath, ornar, orntath, oroch, orth, orva, oryn, orzo, ostel, ostor, ostrav, othea, ovar, ozod, ozul, palan, palad, pae, peldan, pern, perris, perim, pele, pen, phail, phanda, phara, phen, phendra, pila, pinn, pora, puril, pur, pyra, qadim, quar, quel, ques, quil, raah, rael, ran, ranna, rassil, rak, rald, rassa, reddan, reith, relur, ren, rendril, resil, reska, reth, reven, revar, rhy, rhynn, ria, rian, rin, ris, rissian, rona, roch, rorn, rora, rotha, rual, ruar, ruhal, ruil, ruk, runn, rusk, ryn, saa, saar, saal, sabal, samar, samrin, sankh, sar, sarg, sarguth, sarin, sarlan, sel, seld, sember, semkh, sen, sendrin, septa, senta, seros, shaar, shad, shadra, shae, shaen, shaera, shak, shalan, sham, shamath, shan, shana, sharan, shayl, shemar, shere, shor, shul, shyll, shyr, sidur, sil, silvan, sim, sintar, sirem, skar, skell, skur, skyr, sokol, solan, sola, somra, sor, ssin, stel, strill, suldan, sulk, sunda, sur, surkh, suth, syl, sylph, sylune, syndra, syth

T - Z

taak, taar, taer, tah, tak, tala, talag, talar, talas, talath, tammar, tanar, tanil, tar, tara, taran, tarl, tarn, tasha, tath, tavil, telar, teld, telf, telos, tempe, tethy, tezir, thaar, thaer, thal, thalag, thalas, thalan, thalar, thamor, thander, thangol, thar, thay, thazal, theer, theim, thelon, thera, thendi, theril, thiir, thil, thild, thimir, thommar, thon, thoon, thor, thran, thrann, threl, thril, thrul, thryn, thuk, thultan, thume, thun, thy, thyn, thyr, tir, tiras, tirum, tohre, tol, tolar, tolir, tolzrin, tor, tormel, tormir, traal, triel, trith, tsath, tsur, tul, tur, turiver, turth, tymor, tyr, uder, udar, ugoth, uhr, ukh, ukir, uker, usten, ulgarth, ulgoth, ultir, ulur, umar, umath, umber, unara, undro, undu, untha, upir, ur, ursa, ursol, uron, uth, uthen, uz, van, vaar, vaelan, vaer, vaern, val valan, valash, vali, valt, vandan, vanede, vanrak, var, varyth, vassa, vastar, vaunt, vay, vel, velar, velen, velius, vell, velta, ven, veren, vern, vesper, vilar, vilhon, vintor, vir, vira, virdin, volo, volun, von, voon, vor, voro, vos, vosir, vosal, vund, war, wara, whel, wol, wynn, wyr, wyrm, xer, xul, xen, xian, yad, yag, yal, yar, yath, yeon, yhal, yir, yirar, yuir, yul, yur, zail, zala, zalhar, zan, zanda, zar, zalar, zarach, zaru, zash, zashu, zemur, zhent, zim, ziram, zindala, zindar, zoun, zul, zurr, zuth, zuu, zym

A lot of places are named after historical events, battles, and people, so keep that in mind. God/Goddess names tied to your world also work well. Places are also often named after things that the area is known for, like Georgia being known for its peaches.

My brain was fried by the end of this so feel free to add more!

I hope you find this reference helpful and good luck world-building!

-Mel

#worldbuilding #d&d #dnd #writing resources #fantasy #word list #dungeons and dragons

10K notes · View notes

starshipmatanui · 5 years ago

Text

Year 1 Setting: Outer Okoto

Okoto is the only known island on the endless ocean. The legends of the Matoran as told by the Turaga tell of Okoto as a paradise, though by the time we see it in story it has passed its glory days. The landscape is treacherous, stalked by vicious beasts. Matoran cluster in fortified villages. The landscape is divided into seven regions, the six regions roughly aligned with the elements, and the mountainous highlands. During the First Year story, the Toa only briefly enter the highlands and focused their efforts in the lowlands.

The regions explored were:

Kanae Rainforest: Most of the rivers pass through this region, and the sparse ash flowing in from the Tren Krom Break keeps the region fertile, allowing for a massive rainforest to sprout up. Once this was a region of beauty where the bulk of the island’s food could be harvested from the trees. Now, it is waterlogged swamp with no crossable path beyond climbing through the branches. Beasts lurk in the waters and even more stalk the skies. The Le-Matoran have to keep safe in the understory in the branches. Their village is Tesara, initially a series of spherical huts beneath the canopy, now carved into the trees themselves, above the Hura-Mafa River so that in case of evacuation the Le-Matoran can follow the river in boats and make their way to Mahri.

Ihu Drifts: A mountainous region technically part of the same geological structure as the highlands, though excluded from it due to its clear association with elemental ice. Once, the Drifts were a wondrous place, with beautiful taiga and calm snowfall that only lightly caked the surface. Now, the ground is too cold for trees to grow beyond a few twisted deformities, the snow comes down in constant blizzards creating a layer of snow a metre thick. The Ko-Matoran initially lived in igloos across the surface. Now it’s too cold even for them, and they are forced to fortify themselves in Tajun, located in a cave beneath layers of ice, where the temperature is brought to livable levels by a geothermal vent.

Leva Bay: A region near the rainforest, a shallow sea with coral reefs and beaches and cliffs. Once a beautiful tropic place where the sea provided bountiful resources for the Matoran and a destination for holidays. Now the region is battered with storms, the beaches have corroded, and the coral has been bleached. It is home to the Ga-Matoran village of Mahri, which floats on the water some distance from the shore. It is anchored to the seabed and each building is pressurised, allowing the entire village to sink beneath the water for safety during storms at the expense of putting them at risk of aquatic attack.

Tren Krom Break: Technically refers to a lava river, but in recent history is used to refer to the region surrounding the Valmai volcano. Once this was a fertile land fed by the volcanic ash, being a forest as lush as Kanae. In recent years, Valmai had been erupting more and more, with great intensity in each eurptions, choking the environment in layers of ash. The whole regions remains barren, layered in ash, and bombarded with tephra. The Ta-Matoran make their home in the fortress of Stelt, built on an island on the lava river underground. It is set high to avoid the wrath of lava floods, and its dangerous location otherwise keeps renegade Rahi totally at bay.

Nihu Tunnels: A great series of underground tunnels ringing around outer Okoto, but not beneath the highlands. These started out as mine dug by the early Matoran city. After the Matoran spread out to the fortified villages, the Onu-Matoran hid underground for safety in the subterranean village of Nynrah. The Nihu Tunnels can be as dangerous as any other region, but there is a perceived safety due to a lack of ambush points. Due to this, the Onu-Matoran set up a series of underground highways between the villages. These have kept the villages able to cooperate despite their state of siege.

Tiro Desert: A desert to the north-east of the island. This has always been there, though it was much smaller and supported an ecosystem of xeric lifeforms. As the centuries have gone on the desert has expanded and has grown more and more inhospitable. Though this means its difficult for them to live as well, the Po-Matoran have seen the Tiro Desert as an opportunity to establish a village safe from Rahi. Their village, Motara, is carved into the sides of a canyon. Sandstorms tend to batter the desert, and the Po-Matoran spend a great deal of effort trying to clean the canyon of sand. The expansion of Tiro continues to be a concern for the other regions.

Spoilers beneath the cut:

After the GSR crashed in the ocean, its face was left above water where its occupants were able to evacuate. The first to leave were the terraforming tools, which created an island as per their programming. After the Matoran evacuated, they made their homes in the elemental regions. The growing hostility of the island, though blamed on the Makuta, is in fact the result of its unstable foundations of the island atop the GSR’s face interfering with the tiny microclimates of the island.

#year 1 #setting

1 note · View note

tripstations · 6 years ago

Text

24 of the world’s most unusual landscapes

(CNN) — While there are plenty of awe-inspiring man-made destinations around the globe, nothing is as creative as nature.

From trees that resemble monsters, to colorful sinkholes, towering rock formations and waterfalls of molten lava, these are some of the most unusual and fascinating landscapes in the world.

Kingley Vale, Sussex, United Kingdom

Gnarled and twisted over centuries, the yew trees of Kingley Vale could have been lifted straight from a Gothic fairy tale. Some are believed to be the oldest living things in Britain, dating back 2,000 years.

Yew tree groves were decimated in the 15th century, their wood used for longbows, making this stand of trees truly unique.

Fairy Chimneys, Turkey

These unusual fairy chimney rock formations can be found in the Cappadocia region of Goreme, Turkey.

Courtney Bonnell/AP

The Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia in central Turkey are a geological marvel.

The hard basalt columns are the result of the surrounding, softer rock eroding over thousands of years, creating towers that appear otherworldly.

What makes them truly special, however, is the cave systems and cities dug out beneath them by persecuted early Christians and used whenever invaders passed along nearby trading routes.

Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

The Giant’s Causeway became Northern Ireland’s first World Heritage Site in 1986.

Paul Faith/PA Wire/AP

On the wild north Atlantic Coast of Northern Ireland, Giant’s Causeway is the stuff of actual legend.

The story goest that it was created by the giant Finn McCool to face off against his Scottish rival Benandonner, and destroyed by the latter as he retreated home.

While the reality is a touch less fantastical, it’s no no less amazing. The pillars are the result of lava cooling and contracting over millions of years.

Sister formations can be found at Fingal’s Cave in Staffa, Scotland, all part of the same lava flow.

Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand

The Moeraki Boulders lie scattered along Koekohe Beach in New Zealand’s South Island.

Kai Schworer/dpa/AP

The large, spherical Moeraki Boulders could easily be mistaken for man-made creations that have washed up on Koekohe Beach on the North Otago coast.

Local Maori legend claims they are the remnants of fishing baskets and fruits that came ashore when their Araiteuru Canoe was wrecked bringing their ancestors to New Zealand’s South Island.

In truth, these two-meter-high stones were created by mudstone hardening over five million years, before appearing as surrounding rocks were eroded.

Great Blue Hole, Belize

This huge underwater sinkhole is positioned off the coast of Belize.

The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images

At 300 meters wide and around 125 meters deep, the Great Blue Hole is the biggest sinkhole in the world.

Part of the Belize Barrier Reef System, the hole was formed as sea levels rose thousands of years ago, flooding its deep caves.

Made famous by renowned marine explorer Jacques Cousteau, recent submarine trips have created new 3D sonar maps, showing never-before-seen mineral formations close to the hole’s bottom.

Cano Cristales, Colombia

Cano Cristales is often referred to as the “River of Five Colors.”

Kike Calvo/AP

In the brief period between Colombia’s wet and dry seasons, the waters of Cano Cristales become a riot of red, yellow and green.

This vibrant occurrence is due to Macarenia clavigera, a plant found on the riverbed.

It only turns red between September and November, which is after the fast-flowing water of the wet season abates, but before the dry season evaporates too much water for it to keep its colorful look.

Swimmers are allowed in certain sections, but can’t wear sunscreen in order to protect the fragile ecosystem.

Dead Vlei, Namibia

Dead Vlei — one of the most intriguing places in Namibia.

Matthias Toedt/dpa/AP

Dead Vlei, literally dead marsh, sits among the tallest sand dunes in the world, with some as high as 400 meters.

Once abundant, the now almost barren area is home to a vast stand of dead Camel Thorn trees, dried out because of an intense change in climate 900 years ago.

The dry weather means they cannot decompose, creating a truly eerie landscape.

Chocolate Hills, Philippines

The Chocolate Hills — a fascinating natural wonder.

Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

The rolling Chocolate Hills of Bohol in the Philippines could easily be mistaken for a child’s landscape drawing.

But these 1,268 hills are very much a natural phenomenon: conical limestone peaks formed through the actions of water and erosion over thousands of years.

Their name derives from their grass covering, which turns brown during the dry season, with December to March the best time to visit. Legend has it the hills are the dried tears of a heartbroken giant. While the truth is more prosaic, the views are still spectacular.

Kilauea, Hawaii

Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

U.S. Geological Survey/AP

The most active volcano on the island of Hawaii, Kilauea is in a state of near constant eruption, molten lava oozing down roads and destroying homes and holiday resorts.

Its 2018 eruption saw vents explode, rivers of lava flowing into the Pacific Ocean and sending toxic fumes into the air.

Believed to be between 210,000 and 280,000 years old , it surfaced above sea level on the southern eastern shore of the island around 100,000 years ago.

Lake Hillier, Australia

Australia’s “pink lake” is 600 meters long and 250 meters wide.

Shutterstock

Just a few meters from the sand and surf on the coast of Middle Island, in Australia’s Recherche Archipelago, Lake Hillier’s brash pink water is in stark contrast to the bright blue of the nearby ocean.

Its color is thought to be derived from algae called Dunaliella salina, which produces a pigment that turns the salty water a seemingly unnatural hue.

Halophilic bacteria in the salt crusts that surround its banks are also considered to be behind the phenomenon.

Devils Tower, Wyoming

Devils Tower — the first U.S. national monument.

Mladen Antono/AFP/Getty Images

Protruding high from the prairie into the Wyoming sky, Devils Tower (the apostrophe omitted ever since it was given the name in the 19th century) is sacred to several Native American tribes.

A butte rising some 385 meters above the Belle Fourche River, it was formed by surrounding sedimentary rocks eroding, leaving the igneous rocks to stand sentinel over the area.

The Lakota believe Devils Tower rose to protect two girls from a chasing bear, the marks surrounding the tower left by its claws.

Sci-fi aficionados will recognize it as the alien rendezvous point from Steven Spielberg’s 1977 movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Dallol, Ethiopia

The Dallol region is the hottest place on the planet.

Carl Court/Getty Images

With temperatures averaging a blistering 94 degrees Fahrenheit, Dallol is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth.

Close to the border with Eritrea, its ethereal, Martian landscape sits within the Danakil Depression.

Besides its ungodly heat, Dallol is best known for its colorful hydrothermal fields, with aquamarine green pools and yellow rocks appearing like a surrealist painting against the florid red rock formations.

The bright colors are due to inorganic iron oxidation.

The Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania

The Richat Structure can be seen from space.

George Steinmetz/Corbis Documentary/Getty Images

Known also as the Richat Structure, the Eye of the Sahara looks pretty much like any other part of this continent-straddling desert from the ground. But from up in space, this 40-kilometer wide geological marvel is something else.

Believed to be an eroded dome, rather than an impact crater, it resembles a fossilized ammonite when seen from Earth’s orbit.

Snow Monsters, Mount Zao, Japan

Mount Zao is home to Japan’s spectacular snow monsters.

Kyodo/AP

High in Japan’s northern Tohoku region, Mount Zao is home to this vast swathe of icy sculptures. As winter comes on hard and harsh, Siberian winds blow across the Zao range and snow falls and freezes on the mountain’s trees.

The trees then freeze into interesting forms, resembling creatures straight out of a manga comic.

Regular light shows help add to their allure after dark, although a cable car across their peaks in daylight is just as fascinating.

Valley of the Moon, Argentina

This remote valley is based in a protected area of the South American country.

Insights/UIG/Getty Images

The clue’s in the name of this vast area in northern Argentina: lunar landscapes of wind blasted rock, where the night skies are illuminated by billions of stars and the moon glows.

Also known as the Ischigualasto Provincial Park, its most famous sights include The Sphinx, which resembles its Ancient Egyptian namesake.

There’s also The Mushroom, a tower that blooms out into a wide formation at its summit and the Bowling Field, where spherical rocks dot the landscape.

Vermilion Cliffs, Arizona

The Vermillion Cliffs span the Utah-Arizona border.

Prisma by Dukas/UIG/Getty Images

Just south of the Utah state line, Vermilion Cliffs is one of the most visually arresting places in the United States.

The area’s swirling sandstone canyons and arches are ripe for exploration, with few visitors likely to be encountered.

The vast cliffs themselves, which run for 48 kilometers and range between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, can be seen in all their glory from Highway 89A.

Haukadalur geothermal field, Iceland

The oldest account of these geothermal fields date back to 1294.

Mikel Bilbao/VW PICS/UIG/Getty Images

Iceland’s geothermic wonders make it a paradise for seekers of weird and wonderful landscapes.

Most famous for its Geysir and Strokkur erupting hot springs, this vast area, 60 kilometers east of Reykjavik, is worth taking time to explore, especially as there’s a handy campsite close by.

Mentions of the bubbling, geothermal fields here date back to 1294, when they were activated by an earthquake.

Trollkirka Caves, Norway

The Trollkirka — one of Norway’s longest limestone caves.

Shutterstock

Norway’s Trollkirka Caves, literally Troll Church Caves, aren’t places of worship in the traditional sense. Instead, they’re marble and limestone marvels that intrepid visitors can enter after a strenuous hike.

The key attraction here is the 70-meter main cave, which boasts a waterfall. Smaller grottoes play home to sparkling pools, the water bright and clear against the white rock, which appears to have folded in on itself over million years.

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park’s rocks look red, orange and white against the sky.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Far less popular than nearby Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon is arguably every bit as extraordinary.

It appears red, white and yellow against the bright blue sky thanks to the “hoodoos” that stand to attention for miles in every direction.

These columns, made of soft rock at the bottom and harder rock at the top, are the result of millennia of weathering and erosion. They sit within a series of huge natural amphitheaters that look spectacular at sunset.

Dead Sea, Israel

The Dead Sea is positioned between Israel and Jordan.

Ahmad Abdo/AFP/Getty Images

The lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea is more than nine times saltier than the sea.

Thought to be part of a rift zone that extends north into Turkey, it’s believed to have once been part of a lagoon connected to the Mediterranean.

Salt deposits on its bottom ensure that bathers remain buoyant, while the water’s rejuvenating properties have made it a go to for health tourists for centuries.

Spotted Lake, Canada

Canada’s Spotted Lake — a remarkable sight.

Shutterstock

In the heart of British Columbia, Spotted Lake looks like your average body of freshwater during winter. But as temperatures rise and the water evaporates, it becomes something wholly different.

Huge blue, yellow and green spots appear, the result of deposits of magnesium sulphates, sodium sulphates and calcium.

The Okanagan First Nations people believed the spots to have different curative properties, they have owned the surrounding land since 2001.

Blood Falls, Antarctica

This incredible natural phenomenon was discovered by Australian geologist Griffith Taylor in 1911.

Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

Flowing from Alaska’s Taylor Glacier, Blood Falls’ ghoulish color is rooted in deep time.

In 2017, scientists discovered the scarlet hue is due to oxidized iron in brine saltwater, which has taken one and a half million years to get to the falls, rather than discoloration by algae as previously thought.

When the water makes contact with oxygen, it oxidizes and turns red.

A brine lake underneath the glacier, exposed to iron rich rocks, is believed to be the water’s source.

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, China

The “Rainbow Mountains” cover an area of 322 square kilometers.

Han jiajun/Imaginechina/AP

The “Rainbow Mountains” of the Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park are striking examples of what millions of years geological activity can do to a landscape.

Made up of layers of sandstone, mudstone and multicolored sedimentary rocks laid down over millions of years, their sharp tilt is due to the movement of the tectonic plates which also formed the Himalaya.

River erosion helped form the deep gorges and high peaks, with purple, green, yellow and red strata creating a brash and bright vista.

Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan

The Darvaza Gas Crater sits in the middle of the Karakum Desert.

Giles Clarke/Getty Images

Known by locals as the Door to Hell, the Darvaza Gas Crater is a natural phenomenon brought about by man less than half a century ago.

While searching for oil, Soviet engineers discovered a natural gas pocket that soon collapsed, consuming their equipment.

Panicked by the release of methane potentially killing wildlife in the surrounding Karakum Desert, scientists set the gas crater alight in the hope it would soon burn out.

Today, it still burns brightly, to a depth of 30 meters, and has become a major draw for tourists heading to this little-visited country in Central Asia.

The post 24 of the world’s most unusual landscapes appeared first on Tripstations.

from Tripstations http://bit.ly/2wDRrla via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Tripstations

2 notes · View notes

silvokrent · 7 years ago

Text

An excerpt from the zoological text The Hunter’s Encyclopedia of Animals (First Edition).

Chapter VI: Plesioth

The plesioth (Plesichthys coxa) is a species of pelagic wyvern found off intertropic coasts across the globe. At a weight of 4.7 tons and a length averaging 26 meters, it contends for the title of largest marine predator. The plesioth’s physiology is adapted to a life spent transitioning between land and water — it is capable of diving to depths of 450 meters at speeds of 54 km/h (34 mph), and remaining submerged for 40 minutes at a time. The plesioth’s ability to fly was forfeited early in its evolutionary history, replaced by adaptations that allow it to withstand extreme deep-sea pressure and low concentrations of dissolved O2. Its vestigial wings, meanwhile, underwent exaptation and have been jury-rigged into fin-like appendages that assist in swimming. According to one study, the plesioth’s lifespan is approximately 50 years.

The plesioth has few natural predators as a result of its venomous spines. Laterally-visible, horizontal orange stripes advertise the neurotoxin to any potential predators. Every so often, juveniles are susceptible to predation by sympatric predatory megafauna. In addition to its aposematic coloration, the plesioth can ward off predators by forcefully ejecting a fluid from a pair of glandular sacs inside its mouth. This liquid projectile can be accurately sprayed as far as 5 meters (16 feet). The fluid is miscible in water, and therefore exclusively used on land. Both of the aforementioned adaptations are utilized as antipredator mechanisms and have no function in hunting. Rather, the plesioth is an ambush predator that kills its prey through a combination of stunning (tail-slaps, high-velocity breaches) and drowning. Countershading obliterates its outline in the water, with its dark dorsal scales making it inconspicuous to animals looking down on it from above. The bulk of its diet is comprised of fish, and as the plesioth matures it begins to incorporate larger prey species such as pinnipeds, pseudophids, and ornithischians. Because of the plesioth’s moderate fecundity and wide distribution, its conservation status is classified as least concern.

The plesioth has a recurring presence in the cultures of seafaring people. Although it doesn’t actively hunt humans or wyverians, plesioths have been known to follow ships at a distance. They scavenge on bycatch and waste jettisoned from vessels, and occasionally raid nets and fishing lines for an easy meal. As a consequence of conditioning them to associate boats with food, plesioths are the most likely culprits of attacks on shipwreck victims. Their ghostly white, translucent third eyelids, in conjunction with their habit of congregating near sunken ships, may have influenced the myth of plesioths being psychopomps. A number of equatorial communities honor the plesioth through week-long ceremonies and parties. Such festivals are accompanied by the custom of mounting a plesioth’s skull or severed head on an ornately-carved pole, not unlike a Mari Lwyd. Anthropologists speculate that a misunderstanding led to the belief that the mounted head was actually a hammer. Traditional dishes include a ceviche marinated in citrus, and rotten flesh fermented in lactic acid. In medicine, the plesioth’s venom has potential as an anesthetic and a pharmaceutical drug for treating insomnia.

Other names for the plesioth include the plesio, water wyvern, and shark wyvern. The latter is a title it shares with the cephadrome (Selacharena alata) and anorupatisu (Pristocephale glaciesecans).

The plesioth’s name is an example of semantic drift. The word is originally derived from the clade Plesiosauroidea, a group of long-necked marine reptiles. Plesiosaurus is a compound of the Greek words plēsíon “near” and saûros “lizard,” and refers to the group’s resemblance to limbed squamates. Over time, the prefix plesio- was recontextualized to have the meaning “like or similar to a plesiosaur.” Thus, the plesioth was named for its resemblance to plesiosaurs, and was assigned the suffix -ioth to maintain the naming convention already established in the common names of other animals (like the lavasioth and epioth). Ironically, the genus Plesichthys is a portmanteau of plēsíon and ikhthús “fish,” and was named for the plesioth’s near fish-like appearance.

Taxonomy and evolution

Fossil evidence suggests that the plesioth evolved from a unique lineage of diving wyverns 10 million years ago. Unlike other vivernans of that period, the plesioth’s ancestor Marincola marincola [†] was semiaquatic, roosting in small colonies on seaside bluffs. Its streamlined body reduced drag when plunging from flight, allowing it to hit the water at breakneck speeds exceeding 80 km/h (50 mph). Air sacs in the face and chest cushioned the impact, a feature which was later lost in its descendant (along with skeletal pneumaticity). The ancestral plesioth moved underwater via foot propulsion, with the wings used for steering. Today P. coxa primarily swims using a combination of its webbed feet and an undulatory locomotion reminiscent of BCF (body-caudal fin) swimming. A comparison of the foot morphology between the holotype M. marincola and modern gannets supports the diving → swimming transition theory, and proposes a convergence amongst semiaquatic theropods.

While the plesioth shares a common ancestor with flying wyverns, it has a long history of genetic independence from its closest relatives (raths, khezus, and other vivernans). Molecular systemic DNA research places the plesioth in a basal lineage of gymnopteronoid.

Subspecies

There are only 2 extant representatives of the family Marincolidae. Each subspecies is characterized by scale coloration, distribution, circadian rhythms, and preference for hunting techniques.

The oil-backed plesioth, or informally simplified to oil-back (P. c. coxa), is the nominate subspecies. Its range encompasses the subtropic and tropic coastlines of the West Dragon and East Dragon Oceans, and the interior seas of South Elde: Jyuwadore, Shikuse, and Moga. It inhabits seagrass meadows, kelp forests, coral reefs, and coastal alcoves which have a water temperature between 13°C and 29 °C (56°F and 85°F). Although P. c. coxa is active during the day it is primarily a crepuscular predator, and has greater success at hunting during the hours of dusk and dawn. It gets its name from the appearance of its dark blue scales when seen in clear water with low turbidity; the contrast gives it a resemblance to “an oil spill come to life.”

The green plesioth (P. c. viridis), unlike P. c. coxa, dwells in brackish ecosystems, including wetlands, swamps, and estuaries. They typically avoid venturing out into saltwater, although fishermen have reported seeing them as far as a mile from the nearest coast. It’s generally accepted that the presence of green plesioths in mangrove swamps (near Jumbo Village) and river mouths (like those of the Metape Jungle and Flooded Forest) reduces competition with the oil-back. P. c. viridus takes advantage of its green pigmentation by concealing itself amongst hydrophytic plants such as water lettuce and duckweed. Perhaps because of its greater reliance on camouflage, this diurnal subspecies almost never breaches when hunting.

Characteristics

Physical description

As a member of the clade Viverna, the plesioth’s body plan is largely representative of the wyvern archetype: a bipedal stance and horizontal posture with the tail held parallel to the ground. Where the skeletal structure differs is in the wings. While the thumb in other wyverns is short and supports the leading edge of the wing, all of the plesioth’s metacarpals and phalanges are elongated and involved in supporting the membrane. The pleated patagium can be tucked against the plesioth’s torso while swimming, thereby reducing surface area and contributing to its streamline, hydrodynamic shape. The wings range in color from white to cream, with orange spots on the outer edge of the dactylo- and iliopatagium. The backside of the torso and head are deep blue, while the underbelly features white scales. The ventral and dorsal regions are sharply delineated by lateral orange stripes that run from the conical snout to the tail along the frontal/coronal plane. Imbricate, ovate scales flow down the body in a head-to-tail configuration that allows for a smoother flow of water over the body to reduce drag. Their visual and functional similarity to cycloid scales on teleosts is homoplastic. The feet are totipalmate.

The plesioth partly owes its charismatic appearance to its white red-tipped semifins. The semifins are webbed structures supported by cartilaginous spines, attached to an endoskeletal base with associated muscles for movement. Being cartilaginous makes the semifins flexible and allows them to flare or collapse against the body. They are classified according to location on the body: dorsal, supercaudal, subcaudal, cranial, tarsal, and pseudopercular. The semifins’ spines are the site of venom conduction.

When submerged, the palatal valve at the back of the mouth creates a watertight seal which barricades the esophagus and trachea. This enables the plesioth to seize prey underwater without drowning, although it has to return to land in order to eat. When hunting, its cone-shaped, slightly recurved teeth allow it to tear through small and medium-sized fish. The carinae (edges of the teeth) are finely-serrated with denticles on the front and back, suited for biting prey outside of an exclusively piscivorous diet. The dentary and premaxilla/maxilla hold 36 teeth that are more densely-packed toward the front of the jaw, and that decrease in size toward the back of the mouth. During attacks, the nictitating membrane is drawn across the eye to protect it from abrasions.

The loss of tyrosinase function results in a genetic mutation called amelanism. Colloquially known as seabream plesioths (after fish in the genus Pagellus), individuals with this pigmentation abnormality don’t produce melanin and have white in lieu of their typical aegean coloration. Because the mutation only disrupts melanocytes, the chromatophores responsible for their orange and iridescent properties — erythrophores and iridophores — are still expressed. The continued production of light-reflecting and carotenoid pigments is what gives the seabream plesioth is distinctive white and reddish-orange look.

Venom

In total, the plesioth has 31 spines distributed across its body. They form part of the semifin, which occurs either in symmetric pairs, or along the medial region of the body. Although the semifins are superficially reminiscent of the ray-fins found in actinopterygians, they aren’t homologous. Semifins are classified into 6 categories according to body region, with the following spine distribution: 4 cranial, 8 pesudopercular, 7 dorsal, 4 tarsal, 4 subcaudal, and 4 supercaudal. The largest spines measure at 7’ 4” (2.2 meters) and are more than capable of penetrating the skin of the largest marine animals.

The primary structural element of the spines is cartilage, a supple and elastic tissue comprised of a dense network of collagen fibers embedded in a gelatinous ground substance. Its composition gives the spines tensile strength, enabling them to resist changes in weight and pressure while possessing greater flexibility than bone. Because cartilage is an aneural, avascular tissue, spines cannot be regrown if they’re damaged or removed. A protective integumentary sheath obstructs the opening of the spine. During envenomation, the sheath is pushed back as it enters the attacker. This process compresses the venom gland at the base of the spine, and allows the venom to diffuse into the puncture wound by travelling through shallow grooves in the now-exposed spine.

It’s thought that the semifins originally evolved as accessories for swimming, and that venom acquisition was a supplementary feature. The plesioth’s venom glands produce a subgroup of neurotoxins known as hypnotoxins, a soporific venom that depresses the central nervous system and affects the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at the GABAA receptor. Its symptoms are much like the effects of anesthesia, and can be divided into the same 4 stages of the Guedel’s classification: induction, excitement, subconsciousness, and overdose. At Stage 1, the victim progresses from analgesia without amnesia to analgesia with amnesia. It’s entirely possible that the lack of pain — coupled with memory impairment — can lead to the victim’s inability to recall the initial sting and recognize that they are in danger. Stage 2, arguably the most dangerous, is when life-threatening conditions occur, such as delirium, arrhythmia, vomiting, respiratory distress, pupillary dilation, and spastic movements. Species that lack gills can quickly become disoriented after envenomation and drown as a consequence of the respiratory system becoming compromised (through pulmonary aspiration, apnea, et cetera). Stage 3 is the cessation of the previous symptoms and the onset of subconsciousness. Branchial predators become incapable of pursuing the plesioth, while air-breathing predators at this stage are all but 100% guaranteed to drown. Stage 4 is incredibly rare, and usually occurs if the spines puncture the victim for a long enough duration, or if multiple spines are involved in envenomation. Overdose results in brainstem or medullary depression, followed by complete respiratory and cardiovascular arrest. Without medical intervention this stage is always fatal.

Additional health risks posed by envenomation include: pieces of the spine breaking off and embedding themselves in the wound, leading to infection; and anaphylactic reactions to the venom.

Water-spitting

Before the plesioth’s phylogeny was properly understood, a common misconception was that P. coxa had gills and was descended from an unknown clade of branchial tetrapods. Its ability to spit a high-pressure jet of water from its mouth was likened to various species of archerfish. Later studies proved that the plesioth is a theropod, which made the archerfish’s mode of liquid projectile an impossibility as it involves contracting the opercula (gill covers). Dissection and field observations led to the discovery of paired sacs at the back of the mouth. Dubbed the paralingual glands, these poorly-understood organs can expel up to a quart (32 ounces) of liquid at once and possess just enough of the chemical for 10 discharges (2.5 gallons’ worth), before the glands have to produce a new supply over the next fortnight. The expulsion release is controlled by muscles behind the jaws. There is insufficient data as to what the liquid is composed of, but preliminary chemical analysis suggests a high presence of hydrogen and oxygen.

Diving adaptations

Even though the plesioth is most frequently observed inhabiting the photic layer (the uppermost layer of the pelagic zone, 0 m — 200 m), it can also be found within the mesopelagic layer (200 m — 450 m). At these depths, pressure can be greater than 40 times that of the surface. A combination of stressful deep-sea conditions such as high pressure and low oxygen can cause mechanical barotrauma. To eliminate the risks of physical damage like decompression sickness and organ rupture, the plesioth’s bones became depneumatized. The loss of postcranial air-sacs in the skeleton makes the plesioth denser and prevents embolisms (from buildups of dissolved N2) by decreasing the total air volume in the body. Similarly, the presence of air-filled pockets in the skeleton would have increased buoyancy, a trait that would have been disadvantageous to a diving animal.

Enhanced anaerobic capacity and hypoxemic tolerance are essential for facilitating long dives. When submerged at certain depths, the heart rate is reduced to as low as 20 — 30 bpm. Bradycardia occurs when the plesioth exceeds its aerobic dive limit (ADL), at which point tissue perfusion and oxygen uptake are decreased in order to preserve respiratory and blood oxygen stores. Non-essential organs are shut down and muscles are isolated from circulation, which together cut down on oxygen depletion and extend dives for as long as 40 minutes. Hemoglobin in plesioths shows high cooperativity with oxygen, a phenomenon whereby the binding of one molecule of oxygen with hemoglobin facilitates the binding of the next oxygen molecule and so on up to binding four oxygen molecules by one hemoglobin. The degree of cooperativity hemoglobin has is expressed by the Hill coefficient, which is estimated to be well above 4 in P. coxa. High cooperativity increases the efficiency of the oxygen delivery to tissues. Without these traits, the plesioth wouldn’t be able to withstand the extreme demands placed on its respiratory and circulatory systems that would otherwise result in unconsciousness.

To compensate for diminished olfaction and the mesopelagic layer’s low visibility, the plesioth has evolved powerful visual acuity. Its emmetropic eyes possess a flattened cornea that makes the cornea’s refractive power in air and the corneal power loss in water negligible. Roughly 10% of the eyes’ refractive power is contributed by the cornea, unlike in humans, which contribute up to 70%. Instead, the lens performs the majority of the focusing. This feature minimizes the optical effect of submergence. Sharp images above and underwater are formed by plesioths changing the shape of the lens through muscle contractions.

Behavior

Intraspecific interactions

Plesioths do not routinely seek out conspecifics outside of the breeding season. When plesioths do encounter others in the water they tend to ignore each other, though they demonstrate a remarkably high tolerance for each other’s presence. Socialization isn’t unheard of, however; plesioths may engage in cooperative hunting behavior if two or more are pursuing the same target. Juveniles and subadults will sometimes swim in small bands of three as an added precaution against predators.

Hunting and diet

The plesioth is a predominantly piscivorous animal, with 60% of its diet featuring a large diversity of fish species that are obligate shoalers. Despite this, they are not fastidious in their food choice and readily vary their prey selection according to availability, as evidenced by the remains of other animals found in their stomachs and fecal matter. Juveniles are restricted to hunting fish and other small vertebrates, and only begin to diversify their diet around the age of three. Mature adults are slightly more opportunistic, having the required size to take on larger non-fish prey items. A 30-kilo (66 lbs) meal can sustain a plesioth for up to 5 to 9 days before it is required to hunt again. Scavenging on carcasses isn’t overly common, nor is venturing inland to hunt. Plesioths only go after terrestrial prey when it’s near the water’s edge and within striking range. There are three generally-accepted hunting tactics employed by plesioths, with a slight skewing of preference between the subspecies: ambush-drowning, breaching, and tail-slapping.

The preferred method of taking down non-aquatic animals involves the plesioth motionlessly dwelling along the waterfront. The blue (P. c. coxa) and green (P. c. viridis) dorsal coloration is cryptic for each subspecies’ respective habitat. Concealment allows the plesioth to remain undetected long enough for it to ambush prey. Its conical, recurved teeth are suited for preventing prey from escaping once it seizes them in its jaws. The blinding speed with which it strikes gives the plesioth enough time to drag its prey into deeper water, where it then holds it beneath the surface until it succumbs to a combination of exhaustion, blood loss, and oxygen deprivation.

Breaching is a tactic reserved for animals such as epioths, ludroths, and seals, and is almost exclusively seen in P. c. coxa. The oil-back slams into prey from the deeper water below, with the momentum often taking it partially or fully clear of the water (achieving a max height of 10 meters). At speeds of 54 km/h, the g-force behind the impact is sufficient enough to fully stun prey.

The final hunting strategy is a tail-slap deployed either overhead or sideways. A kinematic study of plesioths attacking bait balls found that the tail-slap occurred with such force that it caused dissolved gas to diffuse out of the water column, forming small bubbles. Due to acceleration of waterflow around the leading edge of the tail, turbulent pressure drops below the saturated vapor pressure, causing the aforementioned plume of bubbles. The associated shockwave is powerful enough to immobilize as many as 20 fish in one tail-slap, which cuts down on the energy costs of hunting active prey.

The diet of P. c. coxa includes a wide array of aggregating fish such as pin tuna, speartuna, glutton tuna, Moga tuna (Katsuwonus katsuo), knife mackerels, wanchovies, sardines, and blue cutthroats. Oil-backed plesioths may sometimes take medium-sized sharks (most commonly Centrinis armatus). Epioths (Cetuserpens repandus and Pseudophis nitidus), immature ludroths (Harpaga leo), and island narwhals (Monodon mysticus) are hunted in deeper waters. Qurupecos (Cantio sirenius) that fish along the shore and passing aptonoths (Parasaurolophus cristatus) are known to have been attacked as well.

The diet of P. c. viridis contains a variety of freshwater and euryhaline fish such as gajuas (Palustincola ferox), fen catfish (Palustincola gravis), silverfish, red-finned arowanas (Osteoglossum esculentum), and burst arowanas (Osteoglossum authothysia). The green plesioth’s proximity to biodiverse terrestrial ecosystems allows it to feed on animals such as slagtoths, immature ludroths (Harpaga blattea), otters, bullfangos (Ossispina taurus), epioths (Pseudophis esmeraldus), congas (Flovorator altilis), and assorted frog species.

Enemies and competitors

Very few attacks made on the plesioth are successful, and are only perpetrated by a handful of species. The venom glands are active at birth and even juvenile plesioths are capable of delivering a potent sting to would-be attackers. Nevertheless, there have been a few documented cases of immature plesioths being killed and consumed by sharks and adult ludroths. The remains of adult plesioths found in the digestive systems of lagiacrus (Heres jormungandrii), pliosaurs, and large placoderms suggests that these predators are capable of hunting them. A counterargument often made in response is that these remains are not the result of active predation, but rather scavenging on the carcasses of plesioths either adrift in water or washed up on shore.

Resources such as nesting sites are highly competed for. The caves and abandoned cliff dwellings of Moga in particular are sought after by both P. c. coxa and H. leo. As a conflict-avoidant organism, plesioths go to extreme lengths to ward off predators and rivals through complex agonistic signaling such as wing-flapping and stomping. If these threat displays fail, the plesioth may discharge a warning shot with its paralingual glands. Plesioths will only retreat and abandon a nest if it’s unoccupied by eggs or chicks, or if there are a significant number of intruders. The culprits behind nest raids are immature royal ludroths and jaggis (Magnaraptor ebrius) for P. c. coxa, and immature purple ludroths and wroggis (Magnaraptor paluster) for P. c. viridis.

Attacks on hunters

To date, there is still a lack of consensus over whether or not attacks on humans, wyverians, and lynians are motivated by predatory intent. While there is evidence to suggest a correlation — as testified by shipwreck survivors that watched plesioths bite passengers in the water — it could be possible that the plesioths are drawn by the sounds of struggling, and are merely exploiting an otherwise unusual opportunity to feed. Outside of narrow circumstances like capsizes and founderings, plesioths don’t actively engage people. Most hostile encounters appear to be the result of provocation by people, whether intentional or accidental. Divers that were unaware of their surroundings ,or that deliberately approached the animal, either spooked it or provoked it into envenoming them with its flared semifins. Spear-fishers have reported accounts of theft, where an emboldened plesioth (typically a juvenile or subadult) stole fish off the end of the spear tip but didn’t try to attack the person holding the equipment. On average, there are 10 deaths associated with plesioths every year, with 8 being attributed to envenomation and 2 to bites. This number excludes fatalities of hunters under the employment of the Guild, whose careers necessitate engaging these animals for the sole intent of combat.

Immunologists studying the venom of P. coxa have dispelled the myth that injections in successively larger doses can achieve mithridatism.

Reproduction and life cycle

Each spring, male plesioths return to the area where they hatched as chicks to participate in a lek. These yearly aggregations commence the start of the breeding season, in which males vie for mates through courtship displays. As many as 25 to 30 individuals — each guarding a territory a few meters in size — occupy the lek mating arena, which consists of shallow cliffs and the adjacent water. Competition manifests in the form of elaborate diving and breaching rituals, meant to demonstrate fitness and overall health to the observing females. Preferential selection by the female results in the formation of monogamous pair-bonds that only last for the duration of the spring and summer. After copulation, the pair retreats to land where they scrape out a saucer-shaped depression in the ground. If the materials are available, plesioths may line the perimeter of the nest with debris, vegetation, stones, shells, or driftwood. A clutch can contain up to 4 eggs, which are monitored and incubated in shifts by both parents until they hatch around 26 days. The eggs are buff, cream, or brown, marked with streaks or blotches of brown or gray to camouflage them. Plesioths that are unable to secure a nest site beneath an overhang or within a cleft must contend with the heat. On hot days, the brooding parent may dive into the water to wet its body before returning to its eggs, thus regulating the temperature. The nest site is defended by the mate that isn’t preoccupied with tending to the eggs or hatchlings. Intruding conspecifics are usually chased off from individual nest sites, while wandering chicks are tolerated. All of the adults in the colony will collectively repel potential predators.

Hatchlings are altirical, and have minimal motor coordination and thermoregulatory capacity. Over the next 12 weeks they undergo rapid development while under the care of their parents. They are fed a protein-rich diet of fish and are presented with suitably-proportioned stones to swallow. These stones become the young plesioths’ first gastroliths, which serve as ballast. By the twelfth week, the chicks are developed enough to now accompany their parents on hunting expeditions. At the onset of autumn and the end of the breeding season, the mated pair departs, as do the now-independent offspring.

Health

Diseases and parasites

The plesioth is a host for epibionts and ectoparasites across multiple taxonomic divisions. Some organisms — like algae and barnacles — have a minimal impact on the wellbeing of the plesioth, and only inconvenience it by increasing hydrodynamic drag. Other organisms that anchor themselves to the plesioth’s body have measurably more harmful effects. Isopod larvae of the family Gnathiidae have serrated, piercing mouthparts, including a pair of toothed mandibles and maxillules, grooved paragnaths, and strong maxillipeds. They feed on blood and tissue fluids at the site of attachment, and are transmission vectors for protists of the phylum Apicomplexa (haemogregarines) which parasitize red blood cells. Sea lice cause abrasion-like lesions on the skin as a result of physical and enzymatic damage. Feeding on epidermal tissue and blood creates a generalized chronic stress response in the plesioth. Monogenean flatworms use attachment organs called haptors, which are specialized structures in the shape of hooks and clamps that adhere them to the host. Infestations on the skin can cause lethargy, infection, scale loss, and respiratory distress.

To rid itself of hitchhikers, the plesioth solicits help from fish at cleaning stations. In a cleaning symbiosis, cleaner fish gather in conspicuous areas and advertise their services through bright hues and stripes. Convergent patterns/colorations amongst different cleaner species reinforce their recognizability to clients, a phenomenon known as Müllerian mimicry. When the plesioth approaches one of these stations it opens its mouth and flares its semifins to signal that it needs cleaning. Wrasses, tangs, and neon gobies maintain the health of the plesioth by removing dead flesh and parasites from its skin, nostrils, and mouth. The relationship is a mutualistic service in that the cleaners are provided a free meal without the threat of predation from the client, and the client is ridden of ectoparasites.

Outside of these accepted congregation sites plesioths have to rely on other means for treating their parasites. Remoras and pilot fish can usually be found in the company of P. coxa. In the case of the former, they are suctioned onto its body by a modified dorsal fin comprised of slat-like flexible membranes. Both groups of fish associate themselves with plesioths for not only protection from other predators, but for the particulate matter left over from the plesioth’s meals, and its nutrient-rich feces. In exchange for tolerating the presence of both species, the plesioth benefits from the removal of ectoparasite and loose flakes of skin.

Distribution and habitat

Plesioths are a common sight in the waters of the Moga Archipelago. The abandoned ruins that sculpt the cliffs are prime nesting grounds for them. The leeward side of the Deserted Island (the largest isle in the chain) is sheltered from the prevailing wind by the area’s elevation, making the ruins above the alcoves and beaches comfortably dry. The islands’ coral reefs and sunken ships teem with prey capable of supporting large numbers of plesioths. The nearby island of Tanzia is similarly rife with the habitats and resources needed to support them, but strangely, plesioths avoid the waters outside of the harbor. It’s thought that the hydrothermal vents and geothermal activity in the Tainted Sea exceed P. coxa’s temperature threshold. Other well-known plesioth congregation sites include Cheeko Sands and Sunsnug Isle.

A popular rumor that continues to circulate (much to the chagrin of the International Hunters’ Guild) is that there exists a colony of oil-backed plesioths in the Dede Desert. Allegedly cut off from the ocean by an isolated river system, these plesioths are believed to have acclimated to the biological, geological, and meteorological properties of their new environment. To date, no evidence exists of plesioths managing to venture upriver and permanently establish a colony there. More than likely the idea was proposed by travelers that were hallucinating as a result of heat exhaustion and dehydration. It’s possible that what looked like a plesioth lifting its head above the water was actually a piece of debris or a branch, making its origins a case of mistaken identity. Another more credible theory is that a cephadrome was somehow mistaken for a plesioth. Despite assurances from the scientific community that a plesioth couldn’t travel hundreds of miles from the sea and survive in a desert climate, dozens of undeterred hunters and explorers make the dangerous expedition each year in search of proof.

#monster hunter #monster hunter thought dump #plesioth #zoology #the hunter's encyclopedia of animals #speculative biology #my posts #i speak #mh dossier

146 notes · View notes