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Friday, August 29, 2008

A butterfly or a jewel?

Butterfly in the morning dew
©Alena Shevtsova

Almost a year ago I posted a gallery of pictures by Martin Amm about insects amazingly covered with the little drops of the morning dew. I still believe that it's one of the nicest thing I've posted and really worths a visit.

The one above instead is a picture by Alena Shevtsova, another photographer specialyzed in this interesting subject. I have to say that it is probably a world record of water droplets covering... the butterfly looks more like a glittering brooch covered in brilliants than a resting insect..

Thursday, August 28, 2008

The beached whale


Deadline Press & Picture Agency

Despite the best efforts of rescuers, this whale, which beached in the Firth of Forth, could not be saved.
This is indeed a wondeful picture despite the graphic rawness of the subject. You can almost feel the POWERLESSNESS of the rescuer facing the unavoidability of the tragedy.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Nils Olav, a penguin to protect the King of Norway

colonel-in-chief penguin Nils Olav
AFP/Getty Images
Nils Olav, an Edinburgh Zoo penguin and Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian King's Guard, an elite unit tasked with protecting the Norwegian royal family, inspects soldiers of his regiment as they visit him in Edinburgh, Scotland, Friday Aug. 15, 2008, where he was presented with a medal


Here we go again with one of those stories so bizarre to be hard to believe, those ones that makes me happy about writing this blog. First of all, if you have thought about Norwegian people as particular serious folks maybe now you'll change your mind:
This is a story of a penguin called Nils Olav waddled into the history books Friday when he was knighted by a visiting royal Norwegian regiment in Scotland. The king penguin became the first black-and-white pint-sized Norwegian Sir with wings after inspecting the Norwegian King's Guard, over for Edinburgh's annual Military Tattoo. Nils Olav already has medals for good conduct and long service. He made honorary colonel-in-chief of the elite Norwegian King's Guard in 2005. And on Friday he was knighted. Not bad for a 3-foot tall penguin. Nils Olav was made an honorary member of the King's Guard in 1972 after being picked out as the guard's mascot by lieutenant Nils Egelien. The king penguin was named after Egelien and Norway's then-King Olav V.
The knighthood ceremony began Friday morning with speeches and a fanfare before Nils arrived, under escort with the King's Guard Color Detachment. Nils then reviewed the troops lined up outside the penguin enclosure at the zoo, waddling down the row of uniformed soldiers, occasionally stopping to crane his neck and peer inquisitively at their crisp uniforms. Nils was then knighted by British Maj. Gen. Euan Loudon on behalf of Norway's King Harald V. Loudon dropped the king's sword on both sides of Nils's black-and-white frame, and the penguin's colonel-in-chief badge, tied to his flipper, was swapped for one symbolizing his knighthood. He's a "Sir" now..

colonel-in-chief penguin Nils Olav
Deadline Press & Picture Agency
King penguin Nils Olav walks past soldiers from the Norwegian King's Guard after he was given a Knighthood at Edinburgh Zoo August 15, 2008

colonel-in-chief penguin Nils Olav
REUTERS/David Moir
The Knightening

colonel-in-chief penguin Nils Olav
AFP/Getty Images

To tell the truth Nils Olav is not a penguin but three..
When the first penguin died he was replaced by a second penguin, who inherited Nils Olav's name and rank.
The current Nils Olav, the third penguin to serve as the guards' mascot, was promoted from honorable regimental sergeant major to honorary colonel-in-chief in 2005. So its complete name should be Sir Nils Olav III, Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian King's Guard...

colonel-in-chief penguin Nils Olav
AFP/Getty Images
Sir Nils Olav III, Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian King's Guard

Olympics at hand...


Photo by Carlo Borlenghi

The Olympic Games are finished. Probably this Beijing 2008 edition have been the most followed and so many millions of people had seen them through television, pictures, magazines, internet and every possible kind of media. Therefore it's very difficult to report them once again without becoming repetitive.. but Carlo Borlenghi has given us an original new way to do it: Narrating the Olympic Sailing through the hands of the people: The athletes, the public, the working people of this Games. Their feelings are perfectly disclosed by their hands... enjoy:




























all pictures by Carlo Borlenghi

Monday, August 25, 2008

The albino whale calf

White whale calf
Picture: Steve Mitchell, Naturaliste Charters

A rare two month old calf of southern right whale has been spotted in waters near Flinders Bay, Australia. What makes it very rare is that it is albino as you can see in these nice pictures:

White whale calf
Picture: Steve Mitchell, Naturaliste Charters
White whale calf

the 15 feet albino calf with its normal coloured mother:

Picture: Steve Mitchell, Naturaliste Charters
White whale calf
Picture: John Newton.
White whale calf
Picture: John Newton.

Visit PerthNow for more info and to partecipate to a poll to name the rare albino calf.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Still looking...

a frog looking
Photo by Micha T.G.

In these days I'm on vacations somewhere on the mountains that means that probably the blog will remain a little bit sleepy underwater... but don't worry the modern technocological tools still makes me able to be aware and looking at everything is happening in the world related to water... like the frog in these picture by Micha T.G.

In just a few days I'll be back with a lot of "wet" stuff"!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

When a whale calf is trying to suckle from your yacht

humpback whale calf tries to suckle from a yacht he thinks its mother
REUTERS/National Parks and Wildlife Service

Another incredible story about animals. The following video shows a lost humpback whale calf swimming near a yacht at Pittwater, near Sydney, August 18, 2008. The 1-to 2-month-old calf bonded with the yacht and tried to suckle from it after thinking it was its mother. Rescuers towed the yacht out to sea, and the calf finally detached from the boat but still swam nearby. The calf, which has been nicknamed "Colin" appears exhausted but rescuers hope it will continue out to sea and search for its mother or another pod of whales. "The outlook is not good, but we are giving the calf its only option. It can't be fed, and in fact we wouldn't know what to feed it" because it is not weaned, National Parks and Wildlife regional manager Chris McIntosh told ABC radio.



humpback whale calf tries to suckle from a yacht he thinks its mother
REUTERS/Reuters Tv
humpback whale calf tries to suckle from a yacht he thinks its mother
REUTERS/National Parks and Wildlife Service
humpback whale calf tries to suckle from a yacht he thinks its mother
REUTERS/Reuters Tv
humpback whale calf tries to suckle from a yacht he thinks its mother
REUTERS/National Parks and Wildlife Service

Monday, August 18, 2008

Olympics Sailing in Qingdao

Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi

As I've promised SeaWayBLOG is at the 2008 Olympics in Qingdao where sailors from all over the world are competing for the medals. Many of them have already been assigned and Carlo Borlenghi, as always, was there catching the action and all the emotions in his shots.

Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi
Olympics sail in Qingdao
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi