I love National Geographic because the photos are awe-inspiring and the articles full of depth. I just read a short bio about the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey! They inhabit the high (at 10,000 feet) mountains of Central China, enduring harsh winters with their shaggy coats. Their faces are almost alien-like, especially with the blue, and I can't help but thinking of mini Saskatchewans!
Just another reason for me to study abroad in China in the coming years :)
And this odd sea life wasn't in Nat Geo, but I've always been intrigued by the ocean sunfish, or Mola Mola. They are recorded to be the largest bony fish in the ocean, appearing like one of the first prehistoric fish, though according to oceansunfish.org, they are one of the more recently evolved fish! There are a few species, but the most common Mola Mola have enormous, disc-like bodies with planar fins and sand-paper scales covered in mucus. The name was derived from their habit of sunbathing at the surface of the water! The average sunfish weighs over 2 tons, (the largest ever caught weighed 3.5 tons) is 6 feet long and 10 feet tall subsisting off a diet of jelly-fish.
The mysterious ocean sunfish is a very docile creature. The only violence they've ever caused is when they jump out of the water and land on people, effectively squashing them :B. And I'm pretty sure this Pokemon was modeled after it...
Okay, and I just have to point out that I love manatees. I just want to give them a hug, they're so ridiculous! The poor things used to be mistaken for mermaids by sailors, and today they are rare in the U.S., threatened by boat motor accidents, habitat destruction and slow reproductive rates. I've had the fortune to see the shadows of a few in the Gulf of Mexico, and they appear to be lumbering blobs! These mammal herbivores reach lengths up to 13 feet and 3,500 feet (like that giant mola!) and can live to be 60 years old. Facts courtesy of manatees.net.
Alright, that's enough Animal Planet! I had a lovely afternoon with one of my best friends from high school and exercised my consumer power (of Christmas gift cards) at the mall. Score for "End of Season" sales!
And this odd sea life wasn't in Nat Geo, but I've always been intrigued by the ocean sunfish, or Mola Mola. They are recorded to be the largest bony fish in the ocean, appearing like one of the first prehistoric fish, though according to oceansunfish.org, they are one of the more recently evolved fish! There are a few species, but the most common Mola Mola have enormous, disc-like bodies with planar fins and sand-paper scales covered in mucus. The name was derived from their habit of sunbathing at the surface of the water! The average sunfish weighs over 2 tons, (the largest ever caught weighed 3.5 tons) is 6 feet long and 10 feet tall subsisting off a diet of jelly-fish.
Photo courtesy of Mike Johnson Marine Natural History Photography.
courtesy of The Pokemon Wiki :D
Okay, and I just have to point out that I love manatees. I just want to give them a hug, they're so ridiculous! The poor things used to be mistaken for mermaids by sailors, and today they are rare in the U.S., threatened by boat motor accidents, habitat destruction and slow reproductive rates. I've had the fortune to see the shadows of a few in the Gulf of Mexico, and they appear to be lumbering blobs! These mammal herbivores reach lengths up to 13 feet and 3,500 feet (like that giant mola!) and can live to be 60 years old. Facts courtesy of manatees.net.
I WANT TO PET ONE.
Alright, that's enough Animal Planet! I had a lovely afternoon with one of my best friends from high school and exercised my consumer power (of Christmas gift cards) at the mall. Score for "End of Season" sales!
1 comment:
nicole you're so professional with this i love it :D its funny i used to be so obsessed with marine life back in the day, now it sorta freaks me out. i even wanted to be a marine biologist. funny how drastically we can change in a period of time. anyways i love national geographic as well. i'm always so intrigued by the photographs too. i think it'd be a fantastic experience to work for them one day...hmm.
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