After taking a few Friday’s off, we’re getting back on pace with another edition of the Friday Smorgasbord. Leading off this week’s version with a pirouette is a unique and fascinating mashup. Looking at our aquariums, we are mesmerized with the dance nature provides us. For anyone that’s put on some great music (especially classical), pulled up a chair and was mesmerized by your aquarium, you will be interested in the project the Long Beach Ballet has with the Aquarium of the Pacific. Today and tomorrow, the ballet will perform “Guardians,” a ballet all about people, the ocean, and how we interrelate. For those of you looking for something fun to do, check it out. Tickets are $25-$35.
[via NBC LA]
This group of Alaskan shrimpers came across the distressing sight of an killer whale stranded on rocks in shallow water in Klakas Inlet near Ketchikan, Alaska. The three men saw the orca in distress and took a small boat over to the rocks to see what they could do. With it being a low tide, there wasn’t much they could do but the team stayed put for the next four hours keeping the whale wet and calm until the water was high enough to allow her to swim away. Thankfully one of the men, Jason Vonick, documented the event and shared the video. Read more about this amazing story here.
[via ABC News]
Researchers found the oldest living creature on the planet after inadvertently killing it. Known as Ming the Mollusk, the clam was dredged from the ocean in 2006 and then frozen for research later. Like trees, clams grow a ‘ring’ each year making it relatively easy for scientists to count the rings and age the creature. After the freeze, researchers recently counted 507 rings that would have put the critter at a spry 514 this year if he wasn’t frozen. Still hard to believe this animal was spawned back in 1499.
[via Geek]
This futuristic marine research vessel is not an image from the next Star Wars movie, but the vision of French architect Jacques Rougerie. Dubbed the SeaOrbiter, the 190-foot-tall vessel has been a dream of Rougeries for 12 years and is now finally is starting to become a reality thanks to a crowd-funding campaign through KissKissBankBank. Designed with multiple and amazing uses, the ship will float vertically and drift with the ocean currents but has two small propellers allowing it to modify its trajectory and maneuver in confined waters. station will have laboratories, workshops, living quarters and a pressurized deck to support divers and submarines.
[via Discovery]
Oh how we love our social media feeds. How else could be connect with our long-lost friends from second grade, that quirky third cousin you never knew you had or have your boss stalk care about what you do in your off time. The downside? As people tend to share the really bad (venting about their jobs or lack of money; how their WiFi isn’t connecting and keeping them from watching the last season of Breaking Bad; or their latest physical mishap) or the really good (selfies from the front row of rock concerts; images from someplace warm, sunny and serene while you are knee deep in snow and work; amazing food from places you will never be able to go to) you know the drill. So we have to be a little jealous excited when we ran across a few posts from our friend Rich Ross on Facebook. Seems Rich was tabbed to join the MBARI to do an ROV operation looking for cephalopods 1,300 meters below the surface. Definitely some of the more interesting pictures we have seen in our feed lately.
