Deep Water Exploration
A Lensography of What Lies Beneath the Waters of the World
A challenge to create 30 lenses in a new (to me) niche was a no-brainer. I am excited to explore the oceans and seas, deep water lakes and other mysterious realms in search of ancient artifacts, lost treasures, and jewels and gems of the deep that is only beginning to scratch the water's surface. We have so much to learn about this other side of the horizon. Deep canyons, sunken ships, ancient cities of the deep - all hold answers to mysteries we perhaps never even fathomed. Let us take a look at what the beauty and darkness have in store!
Peter Benchley on the Sea
"I take nourishment from the sea,
in reality or imagination.
It speaks to me of continuity,
of promise, of adventure."
Ocean Planet: Writings and Images of the Sea
1926 - Diving in the Sargasso Sea
"I dived and entered an ultramarine world, with sprigs of amber sargassum weed floating near the ceiling of that world. Tiny fish darted past, and once, even with the dullness of my aquatic vision, I saw a small school vanish from view - a group of timid flyingfish which took to wing and entered the air at sight of my strange appearance.
Free Diving
Nature Notes for Ocean Voyagers ... Alfred Carpenter
Read up on the Ocean's Mysteries
Ocean Buzz - What's happening in our fragile oceans?
- Climate change affecting oceans faster: study; News in Science (ABC Science)
Climate change is having a more pronounced effect on animals and plants in the world's oceans than scientists had previously anticipated, a new analysis shows. - New Map Shows Saltiness of Earth's Oceans
Salt levels in the water play a big role in the planet's climate.
If You Want to Build a Ship
If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.
— Antoine St. Exupery
Charles Lyell on the Principles of Geology
"It is probable that a greater number of monuments of the skill and industry of man will, in the course of the ages, be collected together in the bed of the ocean than will exist at any other time on the surface of the continents. ” Charles Lyell in "Principles of Geology,"
Oceanic Trivia
Courtesy of the Smithsonian
US Navy Ship Classification
Ammunition ships: for volcanos or names suggesting fire and explosives;
Battleships: after states of the union;
Destroyers: in honor of dead persons associated with the Navy or Marines;
Hospital ships: with "synonyms for kindness" or "other logical and euphonious words;"
Ocean tugs: for Indian tribes;
Provision storeships: for astronomical bodies;
Submarines: after fish and other sea life.
-Ninety percent of all volcanic activity occurs in the oceans.
-The oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth's surface and contain 97 percent of the Earth's water. Less than 1 percent is fresh water, and 2-3 percent is contained in glaciers and ice caps.
~ the phrase "Pooped out" originally described the condition of seamen caught on the poop or aft deck after a wave from heavy seas crashed down upon it.
~Chitin, a natural polymer in shellfish exoskeletons, has been made into water-resistant paper and edible food wrapping. But recent work has demonstrated that it also has antifungal properties and promotes healing.
It's not all about physical objects - Living Things are Treasures, Too!
As a lover of wildlife and a lover of water, I vow to include lenses on "treasures" which include living things in the ocean, seas, and fresh waters of the world. I will explore all kinds of precious gems of the deep. Some will be living, others will be not. The deep has plenty of space to discover all kinds of precious gems. I have 30 lenses to discover as many as I can. Let this challenge bring us closer to our underwater worldly friends.
Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean
Roll on, thou deep and dark
blue ocean--roll!
Ten thousand fleets sweep
over thee in vain;
Man marks the earth with ruin
--his control
Stops with the shore.
Lord Byron 1818
The full lens list - In order of creation
- 1. Blue Holes of the Bahamas
Blue Holes are simply openings to undersea caverns, found in the ocean. They are called 'blue holes' because they are distinctly darker blue, due to the dis - 2. Pannikin Plain Cave
The Movie 'Sanctum' was mostly fiction, but the premise was based on fact. There was an actual diving party who were trapped in an underwater cave due to a - 3. Russian Atlantis
Not to be confused with Space Shuttle Atlantis, Russian Atlantis is an actual place on earth: buried beneath the Black Sea off the Taman Peninsula. Under th - 5. Clive Cussler's Ocean Exploration
Most of Bestselling Author Clive Cussler's novels are centered around deep water mysteries. His real life experiences as an ocean explorer give him plenty o - 6. Jean-Michel-Cousteau
Jean-Michel Cousteau's work in ocean exploration and preservation began as a child, with he and his younger brother Philippe tagging along with their famous - 7. Ancient Alexandria
Beneath the waters of the Mediterranean lie ruins of the ancient city of Alexandria - 8. The Mariana Trench
The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean. - 9. Bimini Road
Ancient Underwater Road found near Bimini - 10. Dolphin Tale
The true story behind the hit movie about Winter The Dolphin - 11. Murphy the Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Loggerhead Sea Turtle released into the ocean - 12. Message in the Bottle
Ocean Currents and a Romantic - 13. Enceladus
Saturn's Icy Ocean Moon - 14. Life in the Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is not so Dead! - 15.Red Tide
Beautiful Luminescent Waves - 16. Tuvalu Island Nation
Climate Change causing small island nation to fall into the sea - 17. Diving with Sharks
Shark diving is a growing industry, and that is good news for sharks! Why? because the more interest and investment we put on observing these great and nearly prehistoric beasts of the ocean, the less is spent on killing them. - 18. Vampire Squid
The Most Haunting Deep Sea Animal - 19. The Kraken
New evidence supports possible existence of pre-historic Kraken-like beast - 20. Searching for Amelia Earhart
A collection of various theories about what might have happened to Amelia Earhart and her plane, somewhere over the Pacific Ocean - 21. The Giant Pumpkin Regatta
It's the kind of thing one might experience in a dream. It makes no sense, but seems perfectly logical at the time. Once a year, Giant Pumpkins, some elaborately decorated, are gently lowered (sometimes by crane) into a river or lake, gutted, and... - 22. The Coral Triangle
Living in the most delicate and protected sanctuary of the ocean - 23.Box Jellyfish
Facts about the deadliest Jellyfish, safety tips, causes of their exploding population - 24. Whale Songs
Baleen whales, generally larger than toothed whales, have vocal chords and are the whales we think of as "singing". Most scientists agree the songs are for mating. However, it is not clear why some sing when no mating activity is involved. These gent - 25. James Cameron's Environmental Crusade
Bringing Awareness to the Plight of our Oceans - 26. The Seahorse
Little Sweethearts of the Sea - 27.About Manatees
Save the Gentle Giants of the Ocean - 28. Samurai Crab
The legend of the Heike Samurai and their evolution in the face of a crab - 30. Baby Seals
Baby Seals, why they are so adorable, and the horrible way they are hunted and killed. Plus, what we can do to change it! There is a reason this one was last. It is an incredibly emotional topic to tackle!
