Giant foam attacks Australian coast

by Neil Woodburn on


I’m not sure how we missed this last August, but since it is now winter in the northern hemisphere and time to start thinking about heading south for some summer surfing, we thought we’d dig this up and share with our fine readers a rather bizarre phenomenon which recently occurred in New South Wales, Australia.

Dubbed “Cappuccino Coast” by Daily Mail correspondent Richard Shears, this 30-mile long swath of frothy bubbles consumed the coastline north of Sydney and gobbled up swimmers and surfers alike. The foam was created when powerful storms off the coast whipped up the ocean’s cocktail of impurities-“salts, chemicals, dead plants, decomposed fish and excretions from seaweed.”

The result was hardly what one would expect from one of this planet’s greatest surfing and diving nations. Nonetheless, it would still be fun to visit and frolic in that crazy foam. People pay big bucks to do this in Ibiza and I sure hope the Aussies took advantage of Mother Nature”s blender to throw a little party.

(Photo via Daily Mail – click here for more)

Underwater Florida: There’s a spring with your name on it

by Jamie Rhein on

A friend of mine moved to Florida recently and has discovered the wonders of Florida’s underwater scene. Actually, he hasn’t made it to any of the places that he’s salivating over whenever he browses the Web site underwaterflorida.com, but he’s planning upcoming outings for whenever he has time off from work.

He showed me the section of the Web site that lists many of Florida’s freshwater springs by region. If you click on each one, there’s a description about what makes a particular spring unique from another. For example, Rainbow Springs is one of the clearest in Florida. Here you can snorkel, canoe and swim. There is also a hiking trail and tropical gardens. As I’m sitting in gray, cold Ohio, tropical gardens sound divine.

DeLeon Springs caught my attention, but it has nothing to do with the fountain of youth. What it does have something to do with is the Civil War. There used to be a sugar mill here that was burned down twice by Confederate soldiers. Now you can canoe and scuba dive.

Hearing my friend talk about the places he’d like to go (he’s up in Ohio for the holidays) reminds me of what is so alluring about moving to a totally new state, country or even a new town. Although, there’s a certain coziness about living in one place for a long enough time that it’s as comfortable as an easy chair, and you’ve been to the same dentist or mechanic so many times that you don’t even have to remember how to get there anymore, there’s an edginess that’s missing.

That crackle of excitement when learning to navigate the unknown and making new discoveries is hard to come by when settled down–which is why travel is as necessary as breathing. Moving to Florida, particularly this time of year, makes sense to me, particularly when there are more than 30 springs listed with directions on how to get there. Of course, moving means packing and that’s another story. Still, Skybus flies to Florida and the next round of cheap seats should be posted soon.

WetPixel Quarterly offers Gadling readers a subscription deal

by Jamie Rhein on

Here’s some Gadling reader love from WetPixel Quarterly. Any Gadling reader that subscribes to the magazine will get the first issue (September, 2007) free and $5 off a yearly subscription. This slick publication is aimed towards folks who are interested in high quality underwater photography–whether you take photos yourself or you just love the ocean. WetPixel has been an on-line worldwide network for amateur and professionals for awhile, but the magazine fills another niche.

For those of you who love to pour over pages of gorgeous, glossy photos of the deep and stay abreast of the latest discussions about marine conservation and what-not, this is a magazine you will want to have arrive in your snail mail box four times a year. The premiere issue–September 2007 includes WetPixel’s World-Underwater photo contest winners, DEEP Indonesia photo contest winners and photos by Norbert Wu. This issue, the one pictured, is your freebie.

Norbert Wu’s photographs make me really hang my head in photo shame. He takes such wonderful shots underwater and I manage to take the worst picture of a bear from dry land that there ever was. Click here for a photo he took in Antarctica. Way high up on the Wow factor. You can buy Wu’s photos and others’ from the WetPixel Quarterly Web site. You can also submit your own.

To get this subscription deal use the Promocode GADLINGRULES when you subscribe via the Web site. If you subscribe by phone, call +1-415-449-1456. Remember to use GADLINGRULES.

The advantages of subscribing are that you get 30% off the newsstand price and access to the Web site’s Member’s Only section where there are more articles and information about the photographs. Wouldn’t this magazine subscription make a lovely gift? No time to have the first issue show up on time? Print off a copy of the homepage and put it in a gift box or gift bag with a note of what’s to come.

Better book those diving trips fast

by Jerry Guo on

This week’s issue of Science is devoted to coral reefs, specifically the dire condition they’re in and the dangers they face. Not sure if anyone else here reads the magazine as religiously as me (give me a shout-out if you do), but they do a great job in highlighting the fast-eroding plight of the world’s coral.

Did you know that global warming, disease, and humans have already destroyed 20% of the world’s coral reef? At the same time, coral generates $30 billion annually through tourism and fisheries. And it’s predicted that the rest of the reefs may collapse in two decades.

Indeed, coral is one of the most overlooked victims of climate change–polar bears are just more cuddly, what can I say. But I think they’re finally showing up on the international agenda. I’m still conflicted whether tourism will help preserve these wonderful underwater paradises. What do you guys think?

(The Science articles are behind a subscription wall)

Underwater pumpkin carving

by Martha Edwards on

I don’t know about you, but I often have a heck of a time trying to carve a pumpkin. Even the best-laid design is at the mercy of how well you can make a precise incision in the shell of that orange, goopy mess. So I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to do what these people are doing — carving pumpkins underwater.

Ok, so the lubrication of water might make cutting the pumpkin slightly easier, but consider this: Pumpkins float. And I’m not a diver but I suspect if I tried something like this, I might be too focused on, oh I don’t know, breathing than forming perfectly shaped eyebrows. But that’s just me — and I’m the farthest thing from a qualified Scuba diver.

Intrigued? Here are some instructions. And here are some great photos too!

(via Intelligent Traveler)