Aquarium crocodile swallows cell phone

by Sean McLachlan on

A visitor to an aquarium in the Ukraine was trying to take a picture of a crocodile with her cell phone when she dropped it right into the creature’s mouth, the BBC reports.

Last month at an aquarium in Dnipropetrovsk, Rimma Golovko reached her hand towards Gena the crocodile in order to get a good shot as it opened its mouth. She fumbled and the phone fell right into the Gena’s gullet. The reptile then gulped it down. She told the aquarium staff but at first they didn’t believe her. It was only after Gena’s tummy starting ringing that they realized the crocodile had, indeed swallowed the cell phone.

Funny? Well, yeah, but not for the croc. Gena has since lost its appetite and energy. Considering all the harmful chemicals involved in making a cell phone (they’re considered hazardous waste, after all) it’s not surprising the critter is feeling a little under the weather.

The aquarium’s vet has tried giving Gena laxatives-laced meat, but the it didn’t take the bait. Now he’s considering an operation.

And Ms. Golovko? She says she wants her Sim card back. Well, too damn bad, Ms. Golovko. I’m sympathizing with the giant predator on this one.

[Photo courtesy user MathKnight via Wikimedia Commons]

Help Wanted: one mermaid

by Sean McLachlan on

With the economy the way it is, it’s hard to get a job, so if you can’t find a position in your own field perhaps you should try a career change and become a mermaid.

That’s what the SeaQuarium in Rhyl, Wales, is offering. It wants one mermaid (or merman) to swim around with its fish during visitor hours. The applicant needs to wear a half-fish costume, have good hygiene, be a licensed scuba diver, and (here’s the downside) be willing to swim with the sharks.

Oh, and you have to clean the tanks too, so basically you’re a janitor with danger pay.

BBC reports that the company has been “flooded” with applicants, which says something about the state of the economy and the BBC’s sense of humor.

Hopeful merpeople must have their applications in by November 5. If the folks at SeaQuarium read Gadling, they wouldn’t be bothering with trying to hire humans; they’d go to Israel and get one of the real mermaids sighted there.

[Image of A Mermaid by John William Waterhouse, 1901, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]

Aquarium springs a leak in Dubai Mall

by Kraig Becker on

The giant fish tank inside the Dubai Mall sprang a leak Wednesday, pouring water out into the halls, and stranding some shoppers inside an elevator for 45 minutes, while others scrambled to reach dry ground. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene to repair the crack, as 100 retail shops near by closed for business and custodial personnel worked to contain the flooding.

Everything about the famous tank, which has been a big draw with visitors, is massive. It contains more than 2.6 million gallons of water and over 33,000 fish, including 400 sharks. It offers the largest acrylic viewing panel of any aquarium in the world, at roughly 892 square feet , and with a thickness of nearly 30 inches, it remains unclear how the crack developed.

Fortunately, the leak was patched relatively quickly, and no fish were harmed while the crews worked to contain the spill. Some of the nearby shops did sustain water damage however, and the area around the leak remained closed yesterday while maintenance crews evaluated the damage.

The initial leak was caught on video by a nearby witness, and while the resolution is poor, it still gives you an idea of what it was like when the water started flowing.