Hidden Unseen: 2013-02-17

Glass Window Bridge, Eleuthera

Eleuthera is one of several islands that lies within the archipelago in The Bahamas, about 80 km east of the capital city Nassau. It is long – about 180 km – and thin - only about 1.6 km wide in places. The light blue waters of the shallow Caribbean Sea on one side of the island stand out in stark contrast to the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean thousands of feet in depth. One of the best places to see this extraordinary juxtaposition is at the Glass Window Bridge.

The Glass Window Bridge is about two miles east of Upper Bogue and joins Gregory Town and Lower Bogue at the narrowest point on the island. It is one of the few places on earth where you can compare the rich blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean on one side of the road and the calm turquoise-green waters of the Exuma Sound (Caribbean Sea) on the other side, separated by a strip of rock just 30 feet wide.

Over the natural rock bridge, a concrete bridge has been built that connects the northern and southern points of Eleuthera by a paved road. The Glass Window Bridge is one of the most visited places in the island.

For centuries, there was a natural stone bridge connection between north and south Eleuthera. Then in the 1940's, several hurricanes combined to destroy the land bridge and the concrete bridge was built as replacement. For decades, this bridge was kept functional by periodic repairs, but in 1992 and 1999 hurricane caused significant damage to the bridge. After the 1999 Hurricane Floyd, practically nothing of the original Glass Window Bridge remained. Although the bridge was repaired and Queen's Highway re-connected within a few months, the geography of Eleuthera was changed forever. Even after a decade, workers stay busy reinforcing the shoreline in order to re-pave the severely eroded asphalt.

One should take great care when visiting the Glass Window Bridge and the surrounding cliff areas. Rogue waves have been known to arrive unexpectedly and wash over the bridge and nearby cliffs. Since there are no immediate reefs along the ocean side to break up these rogue waves as they arrive, the waves can hit with great force and have been known to not only wash people out into the ocean, but vehicles as well.

Land is undergoing continuous erosion from the force of water that pounds from towering heights. On the left, approaching the bridge from the south, is a blow hole that spews water fantastically high, hinting at the power of the water beneath.

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Mystery of Super Mega Pod Dolphins off the Coast of San Diego

A group of over 100,000 dolphins spotted off the coast of San Diego caused a spectacle for nature watchers as they traveled together in an enormous pack.

'They were coming from all directions, you could see them from as far as the eye can see,' Joe Dutra said after seeing the spectacle first hand. Mr Dutra, who captains Hornblower Cruises, was out on his daily tour with a boat full of nature watchers when he spotted the massive group of dolphins.

Massive group of mammals: A ship captain spotted a group of 100,000 dolphins swimming together off the coast of San Diego on Thursday and experts are unable to give a specific reasoning for why such a large group would be there

'I’ve seen a lot of stuff out here… but this is the biggest I’ve ever seen, ever,' he told the local NBC affiliate. Dolphins typically travel in groups of anywhere between 15 and 200 which are called pods.
What Mr Dutra spotted on Thursday however is best described as a super mega pod given the astonishing size of the group. He estimated that the trail of dolphins was seven miles long and five miles wide, and he was able to steer the boat alongside them for over an hour.

Experts are unable to pinpoint any specific reason as to why so many of the mammals were traveling together on this particular night. 'They’re definitely social animals, they stick together in small groups. But sometimes, the schools come together,' marine expert Sarah Wilkin told NBC.

Spectacle: The group was supposedly seven miles long and five miles wide

While it does seem like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a very similar flock of thousands of dolphins were seen swimming together about this time last year. At the end of February in 2012, an unspecified group of dolphins was spotted swimming about 65 miles north of San Diego, implying that there may be an unacknowledged migratory pattern.

VIDEO MEGA pod of dolphins caught-on-camera off San Diego coast

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Mouthbrooder Cardinal Fish

If you don't like being left alone with the kids, spare a thought for this very modern male fish who is left to look after its babies - in its mouth.

The Cardinal Fish is a mouthbrooder, where the males carry all the eggs in their mouth for weeks, unable even to eat until they have hatched. Every few minutes the fish spits some of the eggs out to move them around before sucking them back in but lucky photographer Nicolas Terry was there to see some of them actually hatch.

Thoroughly modern: The Cardinal Fish is a mouthbrooder, where the males carry all the eggs in their mouth for weeks, unable even to eat until they have hatched

Rarely seen: Every few minutes the fish spits some of the eggs out to move them around before sucking them back in but lucky photographer Nicolas Terry was there to see some of them actually hatch

Mr Terry, 51, a retired policeman, took the shots on a night dive at Mosman, New South Wales in Australia. 'Located underneath rocks the Cardinal Fish hides to hatch out its eggs and this fish was no exception,' he said. 'I have been taking underwater photos at the site both during the day and night and this was the first time I ever came across a Cardinal Fish with eggs ready to hatch. 'I thought to myself "what a great find" so I settled on the sand and watched this little fish. 'I saw every so often it would spit out the eggs and suck them back in and a few eggs floated off and I then saw these eggs had tails and were hatching. I was very excited to find this and be able to capture the moment.'

Ready to pop: Mr Terry, 51, a retired policeman from the UK, took the shots on a night dive at Mosman, New South Wales in Australia

Mouthbrooder: Females release an egg mass close to the chosen male after the he fertilises the eggs, he will take them into his mouth to carry them during the incubation period, until the fry are ready to hatch

Normally the female will release an egg mass close to the chosen male and after the male fertilises the eggs, he will take them into his mouth to carry them during the incubation period, until the fry are ready to hatch.

As he incubates the eggs the male Cardinal Fish will open its mouth to rotate the egg mass from time to time, to keep them clean and aerated.

At times it will partially expel the eggs before sucking them back in. It is estimated that up to 30 per cent of the eggs are accidentally eaten.

Under threat: The Cardinal Fish could be vulnerable to global warming. Hotter seas are killing off coral and higher water temperatures mean they need to breathe more - difficult when your mouth is completely full of eggs

Despite using this method of breeding for the past 50 million years, the Cardinal Fish could be vulnerable to global warming.

They tend to stay in the same place under corals, but warming seas are killing off and bleaching the coral.

On top of this, increasing water temperatures mean they need to breathe more; difficult when your mouth is completely full of eggs.

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200 Calories in Various Foods

We all know some foods have a much higher Calorie content than others, but how many of us know what that difference actually looks like? Information website wiseGEEK sought to answer this question way back on January 3, 2007. The result was a fascinating article that compares over 71 foods!

The images below are sorted from low to high calorie density (a way of measuring the weight associated with a specified amount of a particular food). Keep in mind this shows Calories only, of which the average adult needs to consume about 2000-2500 daily. Important factors like nutritional value are also not addressed in this project.

All pictures were taken with the same camera on a plate that was 10.25″ (26 cm) in diameter and a bowl that was 6.25″ (16 cm) in diameter.

1. Celery (1,425 grams/50.27 ounces = 200 Calories)

2. Broccoli (588 grams/20.74 ounces = 200 Calories)

3. Baby Carrots (570 grams/20.11 ounces = 200 Calories)

4. Coca Cola (496 ml/17.50 ounces = 200 Calories)

5. Apples (385 grams/13.58 ounces = 200 Calories)

6. Canned Green Peas (357 grams/12.59 ounces = 200 Calories)

7. Grapes (290 grams/10.26 ounces = 200 Calories)

8. Sliced Smoked Turkey (204 grams/7.20 ounces = 200 Calories)

9. Eggs (150 grams/5.29 ounces = 200 Calories)

10. Cooked Pasta (145 grams/5.11 ounces = 200 Calories)

11. Avocado (125 grams/4.41 ounces = 200 Calories)

12. Canned Tuna in Oil (102 grams/3.6 ounces = 200 Calories)

13. Jack in the Box Cheeseburger (75 grams/2.65 ounces = 200 Calories)

14. Jack in the Box French Fries (73 grams/2.58 ounces = 200 Calories)

15. Blueberry Muffin (72 grams/2.54 ounces = 200 Calories)

16. Sesame Seed Bagel (70 grams/2.47 ounces = 200 Calories)

17. Hot Dogs (66 grams/2.33 ounces = 200 Calories)

18. Medium Cheddar Cheese (51 grams/1.8 ounces = 200 Calories)

19. Fruit Loops Cereal (51 grams/1.8 ounces = 200 Calories)

20. Snickers (41 grams/1.45 ounces = 200 Calories)

21. Doritos (41 grams/1.45 ounces = 200 Calories)

22. Fried Bacon (34 grams/1.2 ounces = 200 Calories)

23. Peanut Butter (34 grams/1.2 ounces = 200 Calories)

24. Salted Mixed Nuts (33 grams/1.16 ounces = 200 Calories)

25. Butter (28 grams/0.99 ounces = 200 Calories)

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Famous Tree Tunnels

A tree tunnel is a road, lane or track where the trees on each side form a more or less continuous canopy overhead, giving the effect of a tunnel. The effect may be achieved in a formal avenue lined with trees or in a more rural setting with randomly placed trees on each side of the route. It can create a beautiful setting.

1. Jacarandas Walk, South Africa

Over 10 million trees keep South Africa’s largest city green. According to several unofficial sources, Johannesburg is home to the world’s largest man-made forest.

There are at least 49 species of Jacaranda, most of them native to South America (particularly in Uruguay, Brazil, Peru & Argentina), and the Caribbean basin. The tropical trees were imported to South Africa over one hundred years ago. October is the month when the flowers of thousands of Jacaranda trees are in full blossom.

This spectacular tree tunnel is located either in Johannesburg or Pretoria, the Jacaranda City where 70,000+ Jacarandas add vivid splashes of purple-blue to the urban landscape.

2. Tunnel of Love, Ukraine

One of the most beautiful tree tunnels in World can be found near the city of Klevan in Ukraine - The Tunnel of Love. This is in fact a train tunnel of trees. It's the main attraction in the area and also one of the most beautiful places in Ukraine.

During the warm months of the year the trees planted next to each other form a fairy green tunnel along one kilometer (0.6 mi) long section of the railway. Not a lot of people seem to know very much about the tunnel, or have ever heard of it at all, making it a well-kept secret.

3. Cherry Blossom Tunnel, Germany

Cherry Blossom Tunnel (Heerstrabe) is located in the German city of Bonn. It is a peaceful street over which, a series of beautiful trees of cherry blossoms droop. Spring becomes alive when the blossoms are in full bloom overhead.

Two such roads in Bonn has cherry trees planted around but the mostly travelled is Heerstrabe. Cherry blossoms are said to last for 7- 10 days on average and it greatly depends on weather conditions.

4. The Dark Hedges, UK

This tunnel of beech trees is known locally as "the dark hedges" are thought to be around 300 years old. There are over 100 beech trees which line the Bregagh Road which is near the village of Stranocum in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. They form an arc over the road and there have been concerns that some of the trees present a risk to road users because of their condition.

It is a much photographed scene and is a popular location for Northern Ireland photographers and international visitors. It has featured in the UK Landscape Photographer of the Year book in each of the first 4 years. Regrettably the character of the site has now been spoiled by the recent construction of a bright green sheep fence built inside the tree line.

5. Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho, Brasil

A green tunnel, formed by the crowns of more then 100 trees of the tipuana species, is the main attraction of Gonçalo de Carvalho street, at the south side of Porto Alegre, which recently gained the nick name of the “most beautiful in the world”.

The status was given by a Portuguese biologist who, amazed by the pictures on the internet, wrote an excited post regarding the place. Now, with almost 500 wooded meters (1,640 ft), it is the newest tourist point in the city.

Whoever visits the city always wants to see the street, but very few know that the fight to preserve it was immense. Plans by various business to remove some of the trees for development have been thwarted by the active community and in 2006, the road was officially declared a Heritage Environment in Latin America, the first time such an honour has been bestowed on an urban street.

6. Oak Alley Plantation Tree Tunnel, USA

Oak Alley Plantation is a historic plantation located on the Mississippi River in the community of Vacherie, Louisiana. It is protected as a National Historic Landmark.

It is named after its distinguishing feature, an alley (tree tunnel) created by a double row of live oaks about 800 feet (240 meters) long that was planted in the early 18th century, long before the present house was built. The tree tunnel runs between the house and the Mississippi River.

7. Natural Tree Tunnel, USA

This amazing tree tunnel is located in Mendocino County, California. Through tunnel passes U.S. Highway 1, just north of Seaside beach. It is the most popular part of the highway between the local drivers.

8. Autumn Tree Tunnel, USA

This tree tunnel is simply astonishing. Its real beauty comes in autumn. Autumn Tree Tunnel is located on the way up to Smuggler’s Notch, a Vermont state park. The eye-catching foliage starts changing its color in the northern region, in response to many environmental factors, and spreads south as the fall season advances.

9. Ginkgo Tree Tunnel, Japan

Gingko biloba is a highly venerated tree in Japanese culture. Six ginkgo trees survived the Hiroshima bombing, continuing to grow despite facing so many challenges, and are still alive today. Therefore, the Japanese regard the gingko as “the bearer of hope”. It is also known as “the survivor” or “the living fossil.”

Around 65,000 ginkgoes grace Tokyo’s streets, gardens and parks today. According to some people who visited Tokyo, the tunnel you see in the above pictures is located in the outer garden of Meiji Shrine.

10. Yew Tree Tunnel, UK

The medieval Aberglasney House features one of the most beautiful gardens in Wales, UK. They have been an inspiration to writers since 1470. The Yew Tunnel is a popular tourist attraction in this area. Believe it or not, it took nine years of pruning to restore this unique archway.

The Yew Tunnel is thought to have been planted by the Dyer family during the eighteenth century, and it is possibly unique in the U.K. When they had grown tall they were bent over to form an extended arch. Their trunks have spread and their branches have fused so that today it is hard to count how many separate trees commingle in the vast mass of this venerable growing gallery.

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