Un grand pavois est un étendage de pavillons de signalisation (alphabet et chiffres) reliés entre eux de l'avant à l'arrière d'un bateau, en passant par les mâts.

Pour les arrivées et les départs les hommes sont dans la mâture.

 

Great bulwark is a spreading of signal flags (alphabet and numbers) interconnected front to the back of a boat through the masts.

For arrivals and departures men are aloft.

 

At Coronado State Monument, you not only get to see the classic Kuaua Ruin, but also an impressive view of Rio Grande and Sandia mountains beyond it.

 

If you are into the Native American history, this place is well worth a visit. The prehistoric Pueblo Indian village of Kuaua was one of many large settlements established during the Classic Period (1325 to 1600 A.D.) of Anasazi Culture. The site, located on the west bank of the Rio Grande, includes the remains of 1,200 interconnected adobe-walled surface dwellings and storage rooms, six kivas and three ceremonial plazas. The design is considered to be a typical village plan of the period. Also located on the site is a Spanish Pueblo Revival style museum designed by noted New Mexico architect John Gaw Meem. [National Park Service]

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia.

 

Plitvice Lakes National Park is Croatia’s best-known national park, listed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage sites. It is a popular visiting destination all year round, and must-see for every visitor to Croatia.

 

Well known for its system of cascading lakes - whereby sixteen lovely lakes are interconnected by cascades and waterfalls. The park is simply beautiful. The main focus of park's beauty are sixteen lakes, divided into two parts - Gornja jezera (Upper lakes) and Donja Jezera (Lower Lakes), as well as numerous waterfalls and cascades.

 

For video, please visit youtu.be/6p-MI7efeCw

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes. Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia.

 

Plitvice Lakes National Park is Croatia’s best-known national park, listed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage sites. It is a popular visiting destination all year round, and must-see for every visitor to Croatia.

 

Well known for its system of cascading lakes - whereby sixteen lovely lakes are interconnected by cascades and waterfalls. The park is simply beautiful. The main focus of park's beauty are sixteen lakes, divided into two parts - Gornja jezera (Upper lakes) and Donja Jezera (Lower Lakes), as well as numerous waterfalls and cascades.

 

For video, please visit youtu.be/6p-MI7efeCw

Excerpt from scotiabankcontactphoto.com/2022/core/vid-ingelevics-ryan-...:

 

Since 2019, Toronto-based artists Vid Ingelevics and Ryan Walker have charted the progression of the Port Lands Flood Protection Project, one of the most ambitious civil works projects in North America. This third series of photographs, presented on wooden structures along the Villiers Street median, focuses on the extraordinary operation of building a new mouth for the Don River and the careful methodology employed in the naturalization of a massive industrial brownfield.

 

The first photographic series that Ingelevics and Walker produced about this site, titled Framework (2020), captured the buildings and structures demolished to make way for the river excavation. This demolition allowed for the massive movement of soil captured in the second series, A Mobile Landscape (2021). How to Build a River documents how this soil removal made way for the river to be constructed using bio-engineering practices. It reveals the innovative bioengineering techniques used to construct this complex ecology and its multiple engineering layers, which will soon be invisible—either submerged underwater or beneath park surfaces—when the project is finished.

 

As the excavation has proceeded and workers have brought materials to the site and carefully categorized, prepared, and positioned them, Ingelevics and Walker have witnessed the river’s path quickly taking shape. The images in this series follow the rigorous steps taken to protect the new riverbed and future ecosystem, with multiple layers of sand, charcoal, and impermeable geosynthetic clay liner added to block contaminants caused by almost a century of housing fuel storage tanks in the Port Lands. The photographs capture the ways in which the new riverbanks (known as “crib walls”) were stabilized with logs, tree trunks, rocks, and coconut fibre material, and track the meticulous creation of future habitats for fish and birds.

 

Fish Habitat (2019) shows the development of a new riparian habitat, which includes coloured streamers strung across the water to deter geese from landing and eating vegetation that will provide food for fish. In Stratified River Ingredients (2021) a worker strides past stepped blankets of biodegradable coconut fabric, which will help hold the riverbank soil together until plant root systems are in place. In this series the new river comes to life. Its plants and banks, its roots and rocks and sands can all be seen coming together in Meander (2021). All of these innovative bioengineering techniques have been employed in similar projects around the world where nature is fast-tracked, but it’s unusual to have so many techniques applied simultaneously, and on such a vast scale.

 

At times during this massive project, something as small as an unidentified plant can halt construction. Transplanting #1 and #2 (2021) show crews salvaging plants for storage after strange, bulrush-like plants sprouted unexpectedly after 100 years of dormancy underground. These were likely remnants of the site’s original wetlands, which germinated when sunlight hit the excavated mud. Some of the plants were taken to a greenhouse laboratory at the University of Toronto, and others were transplanted to the Leslie Street Spit, located nearby along the waterfront. Even with the most meticulously planned naturalization processes, nature can still surprise us.

 

Following their documentation of the processes of destruction and removal required to prepare the site, this third series of work in Ingelevics and Walker’s multi-year project allows viewers to witness the construction of these new, interconnected habitats and structures. Their photographs offer glimpses into the makings of a highly creative built ecology, one that has looked to nature in order to artificially recreate it.

Excerpt from Plitvice-lakes.info:

 

The group of Plitvice’s Upper Lakes consist of twelve lakes, interconnected and separated by natural travertine and tufa barriers.

 

Here is a list of all Upper Lakes:

 

1.Prošćansko

2.Ciginovac

3.Okrugljak

4.Batinovac

5.Veliko jezero

6.Malo jezero

7.Vir

8.Galovac

9.Milino jezero

10.Gradinsko

11.Burgeti

12.Kozjak

 

The water from the lowest lake in this group (Kozjak) eventually connects with Milanovac, the first lake in Lower Lakes group.

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

Kerala’s rich, fertile unique backwaters, South India, a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrihttps://www.flickr.com/photos/franck-chilli/52137451080/in/photostream/er islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

📌….The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

Excerpt from the plaque:

 

Ruohan Wang: Process

 

Ruohan Wang is renowned for her use of colour and her commitment to the concept of “Time and Energy Transformation,” which she uses to illustrate how everything in the universe is interconnected through being in a state of constant energy transformation. Protecting the planet is a recurring theme for Wang, and her work often includes depictions of positive interactions between humans, plants, animals, and nature.

 

In 2020, Nike invited Wang to collaborate on three sneakers using their new Flyleather material made of recycled leather fibers. Inspired by how Flyleather is made, Wang shredded her Embracing Our Earth artwork, then reordered the fragments to create the prototypes. The sneakers were released in September of that year.

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

 

Kerala’s rich in fish, fertile unique backwaters, South India, a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

 

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

📌….The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

Lift fishing nets are a type of stationary operated fishing nets, commonly known in India as "Chinese fishing nets", each installation is operated by a team of 4 to 6 fishermen.

In India they are mostly found in Kerala’s Backwaters & coastal areas around the cities of Kollam & Kochi, where they became besides for fishing also a tourist attraction & a beloved photo motive.

This for India unusual fishing method is almost unique to the area of Kerala,

This fishing method was introduced by Chinese explorers who landed there in the 14th century. One assumption of the city name Kochi is “co-chin”, the interpretation is meaning “like China”

 

The scenery of the Kerala Backwaters with the orange glimmering light of the sunset at dusk,

a vivacious day descends to the shadow & the calm of the night, punctuated at times by the screeching of birds.

 

📌….unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

 

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

The Perseus molecular cloud, located at the junction of Taurus, Aries, and Perseus, about 1,000 light-years away from the Earth. It contains over 10,000 solar masses of gas and dust covering an area of 6 by 2 degrees, is the closest giant molecular cloud actively forming large numbers of low to intermediate-mass stars. Unlike the Orion molecular cloud, Perseus molecular cloud is almost invisible apart from two clusters, IC 348 and NGC 1333, where low-mass stars are formed.

 

By accumulating a very-long-time of exposure, the dust and gas show up, exhibit a complex and chaotic structure consisting of dense cloud cores surrounded by an interconnected network of filaments and sheets. Many voids surrounded by partial arcs or nearly complete rings are also seen. This complicated structure is one possible signature of supersonic turbulence.

 

The eastern (upper) end of the cloud is associated with IC 348 that contains several hundred young stars. Most of the star formation in IC 348 took place within the last 3 Myr, but some stars in this region formed 10 Myr ago. The apparent age spread in IC 348 may be an indication that two episodes of star formation have occurred. IC 348 appears to be an example of a region that is at or near the end of its star-forming phase.

 

The western (lower) portion of the Perseus cloud contains the most active region of star formation in the Perseus molecular cloud, including the NGC 1333 cluster. It contains around 150 stars with a median age of a million years, is one of the most active sites of ongoing star formation in the sky within 1500 light-years of the Sun. The molecular ridge extending south (left) from NGC 1333 contains many Herbig–Haro objects, which are bright patches of nebulosity associated with newborn stars.

 

Between IC 348 and NGC 1333, right in the middle of this photo, there is an area that appears pinky, which is a low-surface brightness HII region surrounded by a dust ring G159.6-18.5, which appears to lie behind the obscuration of the Perseus molecular cloud. The intense ultraviolet light emitted by the central star HD 278942 ionizes the surrounding hydrogen, giving this region its characteristic pink color. The star appears red in this photo and would have been a blue-white star if it were not obscured by dust. The presence of HD 278942 and its HII region suggests that that massive stars may have formed in the recent past within the Perseus molecular cloud.

 

BTW, the cloud of dust, which obscures the central star and the HII region, is called the“Flying Ghost Nebula” because of its shape.

 

The area to the west (lower) of the HII region looks relatively empty without too much dense dust, and particularly dark here because the extinction in this region remains high. Perhaps this dead-zone is the youngest portion of the Perseus molecular cloud, formed by the expansion of the dust ring G159.6-18.5.

 

There are more areas full of dense dust to the south (left) of NGC 1333, see another photo I took if you are interested: www.flickr.com/photos/steedjoy/50855451732/

 

Location: Galaxy Remote Observatory, Kangbao, Hebei, China

Time: October 18, 2020 - February 7, 2021

Telescope: SharpStar 150 2.8 HNT

Camera: QHY268C

Mount: iOptron CEM70/CEM60

Guide: QHYCCD OAG-M

Guide camera: QHY5L-II-M

Mosaic: 4 panels

Number of shots: 137×1000 seconds, 523×300 seconds

Cumulative exposure: 81.6 hours

Acquired by APT

Processed by PixInsight and PhotoShop

Excerpt from roncesvallesvillage.ca:

 

The design concept of the mural reflects the thematic framework set out by our BIA’s Street Advisory Committee. These themes include: Nature in the City, the Urban Community, and the interconnected concepts of Legacy, Sustainability and Stewardship.

 

We have stories of prophets who came to the people a millennium ago to give visions of the future that would come in stages called the Seven Fires. In recent times there has been a talk of an Eighth Fire in which the ancestor prophets say that to light the Eighth Fire Indigenous People will come forward with their knowledge connecting with the western knowledge and from this union a new people will emerge lighting the Eighth and final Fire. This will begin the golden age of peace.

 

My work reflects this same importance of sharing the story of ancient Anishinaabe footsteps that crossed Roncesvalles in days gone by. It’s inspiring to know that we the Anishinaabe Peoples are still here sharing stories/oral histories much as our ancestors did for thousands of years and thus bringing the values of our culture into the present day …

 

Please visit roncesvallesvillage.ca/8thfire/ to see the explanation for this mural.

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

Kerala’s rich in fish, fertile unique backwaters, South India, a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

 

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

📌….The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

Kerala’s rich in fish, fertile unique backwaters, South India, a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

📌….The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

Bolton

Tonlé Sap (literally large river (tonle); fresh, not salty (sap), commonly translated to "Great Lake") refers to a seasonally inundated freshwater lake, the Tonlé Sap Lake and an attached river, the 120 km (75 mi) long Tonlé Sap River, that connects the lake to the Mekong.

 

They form the central part of a complex hydrological system, situated in the 12,876 km2 (4,971 sq mi) Cambodian floodplain covered with a mosaic of natural and agricultural habitats that the Mekong replenishes with water and sediments annually. The central plain formation is the result of millions of years of Mekong alluvial deposition and discharge. From a geological perspective, the Tonlé Sap Lake and Tonlé Sap River are a current freeze-frame representation of the slowly, but ever shifting Lower Mekong Basin. Annual fluctuation of the Mekong's water volume, supplemented by the Asian Monsoon regime causes the unique flow reversal of the Tonle Sap River.

 

The Tonlé Sap Lake occupies a geological depression (the lowest lying area) of the vast alluvial and lacustrine floodplain in the Lower Mekong Basin, which had been induced by the collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate. The lake's size, length and water volume varies considerably over the course of a year from an area of around 2,500 km2 (965 sq mi), a volume of 1 km3 (0 cu mi) and a length of 160 km (99 mi) at the end of the dry season in late April to an area of up to 16,000 km2 (6,178 sq mi), a volume of 80 km3 (19 cu mi) and a length of 250 km (160 mi) as the Mekong maximum and the peak of the South-West monsoon's precipitation culminate in September and early October.

 

As one of the world’s most varied and productive ecosystems the region has always been of central importance for Cambodia's food provision. It proved capable to maintain the Angkorean civilization, the largest pre-industrial settlement complex in world history. Either directly or indirectly it affects the livelihood of large numbers of a predominantly rural population to this day. With regards to a growing and migrating population, ineffective administration and widespread indifference towards environmental issues the lake and its surrounding ecosystem is coming under increasing pressure from over-exploitation and habitat degradation, fragmentation and loss. All Mekong riparian states have either announced or already implemented plans to increasingly exploit the river's hydroelectric potential. A succession of international facilities that dam the river's mainstream is likely to be the gravest danger yet for the entire Tonle Sap eco-region.

 

The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, that contains an exceptional large variety of interconnected eco-regions with a high degree of biodiversity is a biodiversity hotspot and was designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1997.

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

Shore operated lift fishing nets are a type of stationary lift nets, commonly known in India as "Chinese fishing nets", each installation is operated by a team of 4 to 6 fishermen.

In India they are mostly found in Kerala’s Backwaters & coastal areas around the cities of Kollam & Kochi, where they became besides for fishing also a tourist attraction & a beloved photo motive.

This for India unusual fishing method is almost unique to the area of Kerala,

This fishing method was introduced by Chinese explorers who landed there in the 14th century. One assumption of the city name Kochi is “co-chin”, the interpretation is meaning “like China”

 

The scenery of the Kerala Backwaters with the orange glimmering light of the sunset at dusk,

a vivacious day descends to the shadow & the calm of the night, punctuated at times by the screeching of birds.

 

📌….unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

 

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

Interconnected

This amazing view was the first location on my list for Dubai. We got there on day 2, and it only required a small bribe :D

This is a 4-tile, 32 exposure panorama. For a workflow explanation, and EXIF info, please see my blog: www.throughstrangelenses.com/2015/02/15/dubai-junction-li...

 

You can learn from my through my post-processing video courses:http://www.shutterevolve.com/luminosity-masks-tutorials-digital-blending-course/

 

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

The Paddy fields in the Kerala area are below sea level. Bunds around the rice fields keep out overflowing water into the fields. After harvesting the paddy fields, they are used for ducklings where they will thrive on locusts & fishes.

The paddy fields will be used for duck farming where they will live & thrive up to 20 to30 ducks a hectare & the moment when the ducks should be removed from working in a paddy, after 8 weeks, so as not to eat the rice & …the dams will be opened at some strategic points & the shared duck marathon will begin following the farmer in his canoe to the duck farm.

 

📌….The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

For sightseeing traveling the backwaters there are about 30 mtr long luxury “Kettuvallams”, special & typical Kerala houseboats, used traditionally as grain barges, to transport the rice etc. harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters.

In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

Friday evening in Portland, Maine with Congress Street on the left and Free Street on the Right.

 

Nestled in downtown Portland stands the Hay Building, a living tribute to the city’s rich history and architectural legacy. Built in 1826 by Charles Q. Clapp, the landmark boasts a distinctive triangular shape that has earned it the nickname “Portland’s Flatiron.” Officially known as the Charles Q. Clapp Block, it’s more commonly recognized as the Hay Building.

 

Comprising of three interconnected buildings, the Hay Building holds a unique place in Portland’s history. It’s not only one of the city’s oldest structures but also a rare example of Federal-style commercial architecture. Notably, John Calvin Stevens added the third level, further enhancing its character, in 1922.

Excerpt from whc.unesco.org/en/list/98/:

 

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia's largest national park covering almost 30,000 hectares, is situated in the lower elevations of the Dinarides in the central part of the country. Within a beautiful karst landscape dominated by a mix of forests and meadows, the magnificent Plitvice lake system stands out, fascinating scientists and visitors alike. Interconnected by many waterfalls and watercourses above and below ground, the lakes are grouped into the upper and lower lakes. The former are formed on dolomites, with mild relief, not so steep shores and enclosed by thick forests, whereas the latter, smaller and shallower, are situated in limestone canyon with partially steep shores. The lake system is the result of millennia of ongoing geological and biochemical processes creating natural dams known as tufa barriers. These are formed by the deposition of calcium carbonate from the waters flowing through the property. In the case of the Plitvice lake system, this geochemical process of tufa formation interacts with living organisms, most importantly mosses, algae and aquatic bacteria. The scale of the overall lake system and the natural barriers are an exceptional expression of the aesthetically stunning phenomenon, acknowledged since the late 19th century. Plitvice Lakes National Park area is mainly covered with very well preserved forests essential for the continuity of geochemical processes in water system (above and below ground), which include an area of 84 ha of old-growth forest of beech and fir. Besides the striking landscape beauty and the processes that continue to shape the lakes, the park is also home to noteworthy biodiversity. The tufa barriers themselves provide habitat for diverse and highly specialized communities of non-vascular plants. Brown Bear, Grey Wolf and Lynx along with many rare species roam the forests, while the meadows are known for their rich flora.

 

Excerpt from www.world-of-waterfalls.com/waterfalls/europe-plitvice-wa...:

 

The Plitvice Waterfalls in the Lower Lakes were bigger and more “organized” (for lack of a better word).

 

The terrain here was more of a rugged gorge as the gorge walls closed in on the network of waterfalls and lakes.

 

So that meant there was limited access between the lower boardwalks (by the lakes and waterfalls) and the upper walkways (on the tops of the gorge banks).

 

Such accesses were generally a long series of steps to overcome the steepness of the gorge walls.

 

Among the waterfall highlights of the Lower Lakes section of the Plitvice Waterfalls, I found the 70m Veliki Slap and the 20-25m drop of the Sastavci Waterfall to be the most compelling.

 

Since these waterfalls essentially converged close by to each other, we think that it was around these waterfalls that the Plitvice Waterfalls were at their most photogenic.

"The Place Where Water Runs Through Rocks"

 

Formed by the flow of water over hundreds of years eroding the Najavo Sandstone, Upper Antelope Canyon is unique and beautiful.

 

Each time I looked to another part of the slot canyon, it was as if I was in another place; every corner of this geological formation is unique to every other; yet they are all interconnected by the direction of the smooth wavy lines and curves formed by erosion from flash floods.

 

The sun shines bright, creating light and shadows from above. Endless flowing sandstone walls, so close together, dance away from and then toward each other again; the space between them emphazing their beautiful texture.

 

This image, to me, brings back the feeling of actually standing inside The Place Where Water Runs Through Rocks - that is what the Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon actually means - and appreciating the beauty as far as the eye could see, even more so knowing that it was created by something as simple, beautiful, and elegant as flowing water.

 

It is my intention with this photograph that you also can feel, even a little bit, what it feels like to stand inside this amazing place and experience it for yourself - and that it inspires you to explore the world and all the wonderous beauty that Mother Nature has to offer, and experience the joy that this will bring you.

 

To life!

- Dmitriy Khaykin

 

© all rights reserved by B℮n

 

The Netherlands is a small country of 16 million people, but it boasts a quarter of a million competitive speedskaters, and millions more who skate for fun. What's the story? Natural ice in the Netherlands is a rare occurrence. In fact, some winters there's no natural ice at all. Maybe that explains why the Dutch love to skate outdoors. They hardly ever get the chance! But when a cold wave hits, and the interconnected maze of canals, rivers and lakes freeze over, it's a spontaneous celebration, a national holiday. Infinite sea of ice is perfect for ice skating journeys. Ice skating is not only a Dutch sport, it also underwrites the history, art and culture of the Netherlands. Perhaps most importantly a good freeze provides the Dutch a chance to discover the wilderness and an outdoor challenge within their own landscape. The Netherlands are a long distance skater's dream. Hundreds of kilometres of potential routes can carry the skater to the heart of a wild landscape. Today after 4 years we went ice skating on the Ankeveense Plassen.

 

The Ankeveense Plassen is a real skater’s paradise. As temperatures plunge across Europe, many are cursing the cold. But not in the Netherlands. Many are hoping for further frigid conditions. Photo taken of Dutch people on the lakes of Ankeveen. A first time skating in 2017 is such a rare occurrence.

 

Schaatsen op natuurijs is het leukste wat er is. Warm inpakken, muts op, handschoenen, schaatsen geslepen, slee mee en gaan. Helaas is het in Nederland niet zo vaak zo koud dat we echt kunnen schaatsen. Veel mensen grijpen vandaag nog even de kans om te schaatsen. Ondanks de waarschuwingen van schaatsbond KNSB om weg te blijven van meren, sloten en kanalen. Het ijs is op veel plekken niet dik genoeg. Daar lieten veel schaatsliefhebbers zich dus niet door weerhouden.. Op 26 januari 2017 verzamelden meerdere mensen op de Ankeveense plassen in de gemeente Wijdemeren. Dat is de plek waar het ijs het sterkst was. Vaak wordt er aangehouden dat het ijs een centimeter of 10 dik moet zijn om veilig op te kunnen schaatsen, en het ijs op de Ankeveense plassen is op het dikste gedeelte maar een centimeter of vijf dik, maar dat weerhield tientallen mensen er niet van om toch even het ijs op te gaan. In Ankeveen was de meest gehoorde reactie: “het is dun, maar het kan wel…”. En dat leverde mooie plaatjes op. Mensen van alle leeftijden op schaatsen, kinderen die een buikschuiver willen maken, mensen die voorzichtig even willen voelen hoe het is om op het ijs te staan. De aantrekkingskracht van het ijs is enorm. Opvallend veel Amsterdammers zoeken hun toevlucht in Ankeveen. ,,Hier kan het al, bij ons op de grachten nog lang niet”, grijnst een meneer. ,,Het is windstil, lekker zonnetje, het is ijs is goed. Wat wil je nog meer?” ,,Natuurlijk kan je door het ijs zakken, maar het leven is niet zonder risico's. Je kan ook onder een auto komen, of er kan een vliegtuig op je huis neerstorten.”

Kathy Toth || Toronto Graffiti Archive || Instagram

 

This complex was one of the most interesting places I have ever visited, even 17 years (!!) later. It had so many interconnected buildings, from different time periods and so much crust and decay and color that I knew it was special even though I was relatively new to exploring and it wasn't filled with machinery. I'm going to share a few shots and then a proper feature later on, I have an extensive write-up from an old website of mine, so I will need to dig that up. This place is the one I regret not spending more time in since it was so chill and easy to get into and was demolished totally by 2007. There is still nothing there, probably because it was a superfund site.

 

www.belluckfox.com/new-york-asbestos-companies/spaulding-...

  

If you are looking for a gorgeous place to take photos, go for a safe swim, a relatively easy hike and an experience you will remember foerever, consider discovering Kiholo Bay and Wainanali’i Pond, located about 30 minutes north of Kona on the Kohala Coast in the Big Island of Hawaii.

 

My husband and I recently explored this area and captured many photos of this hidden gem. I captured this image of my husband perched on a big lava rock while taking a selfie by the Wainanali’i Pond before we went swimming. This turquoise color lagoon is perfect for swimming and for some snorkeling. Getting here is a bit of a trek since visitors need to hike through lava fields and lava rocks along the shore in order to reach the lagoon. The water is a bit murky due to the mix of fresh water and the sea water, but the water is certainly very refreshing. Green sea turtles are commonly spotted in this lagoon, some of them resting by the lava rocks surrounding the lagoon. Photo taken with DJI Osmo Action camera and edited with Luminar AI.

 

Here is a little history of the area:

There are two ancient fishponds which are interconnected spring-fed pools and host abundant native species of fish, along with opae (shrimp) and hapawai (mollusk). The ponds have historical connections to Hawaiian moolelo (stories). Extending outward from one of them is a 200-foot stone auwai (ditch) that connects the ponds to the ocean. During high tides, sea turtles utilize the waterway to enter and exit the brackish water.

 

Kiholo Bay was an important source of food, thus it was favored among Hawaiian chiefs, including King Kamehameha, for its fish supply and protective location. Kamehameha oversaw the construction of a large fishpond separate from the others, which was later destroyed in 1859 by a volcanic eruption from Mauna Loa nearly 30 miles away.

  

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters. Paddy Fields.

The Paddy fields in the Kerala area are below sea level. Bunds around the rice fields keep out overflowing water into the fields. After harvesting the paddy fields, they are used for ducklings where they will thrive on locusts & fishes.

The paddy fields will be used for duck farming where they will live & thrive up to 20 to30 ducks a hectare & the moment when the ducks should be removed from working in a paddy, after 8 weeks, so as not to eat the rice & …the dams will be opened at some strategic points & the shared duck marathon will begin following the farmer in his canoe to the duck farm.

 

In 1989, the Japanese farmer Takao Furuno, after learning about traditional Japanese rice farming method that consisted of using ducks to eliminate the weeds in rice fields, the "Aigamo Method”, he was able to identify the optimal age at which ducklings should be released into rice fields, 7 days after hatching from the egg & developed this new-traditional rice growing technique. In the meantime, it has become established in every country of Asia some European rice-growing regions & others like Cuba are also experimenting with this method.

 

The waterfowl turned out to be a perfect alternative to expensive pesticides, other insecticides & chemicals while protecting the soil from chemical pollution as they eat plenty of insects, weeds. The ducks also help to oxygenate the water & their droppings are the ideal fertilizer for the soil.

 

The "Aigamo" duck is a cross between wild & domesticated ducks. These animals are apparently optimally suited to this method of rice cultivation. They ducklings will be placed in the paddy field about two weeks after the seedlings have been planted. The ducks grow up in the rice field & eat insects, snails & weeds. As a result, the farmer does not have to laboriously remove the weeds & vermin from the fields himself; neither does he have to spray any pesticides & chemical fertilizers can therefore be saved.

After one season in the rice fields, the ducks are kept for up to 3 years to lay eggs or because they have eaten their fill in the rice fields, they can be sold profitably as ducks for roasting & other recipes.

 

The adoption of this method boosts farmers income by eliminating chemicals, fertilizer etc., by commercializing the ducks later & decreases their workloads by 200-250 human work hours p/hectare.

The system actually seems to work: a study by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization recently showed that crop yields are increased by 20 percent with the "Aigamo Method".

 

📌….The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

 

Kerala’s rich in fish, fertile unique backwaters, South India, a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

 

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

📌….The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

Kerala’s rich, fertile unique backwaters, South India, a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

Herons, after their lunch they fly away over the paddy fields to .....somewhere.

The great white heron/egret are herons that have white or beige plumage, developing typically milky white, fine plumes during breeding season. The difference between a heron & an egret is rather nebulous, depending more on appearance than ecology. The word "egret" comes from the French word "aigrette" meaning both "silver heron" & "brush", referring to the long, filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season.

Distributed across in most regions of the world with tropical & warmer climate, building tree-nests in colonies close to water.

 

📌….unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

The Paddy fields in the Kerala area are below sea level. Bunds around the rice fields keep out overflowing water into the fields.

 

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

In Chinese philosophy , the concept of yin +yang is used to describe how polar or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world. that is what will be remembered about us. we were so bad for each other ; it was perfect.

On a week long visit to Northern Norway, I had the chance to visit the island of Kvaloya. To the West of the island of the whales lie the smaller islands of Sommaroy and Hillesoy, interconnected by a bridge. A path leads up to the hill where this image was taken from the main road. Worth the hike given the views.

A fishing net over one of the natural canals of Kerala’s rich in fish, fertile, unique backwaters, South India, a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

📌….The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

 

Kerala’s rich in fish, fertile unique backwaters, South India, a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

 

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

📌….The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

 

Kerala’s from civilization almost untouched rich in fish, fertile unique backwaters, South India, a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

📌….The unique backwaters are a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

 

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

 

In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

Excerpt from scotiabankcontactphoto.com/2022/core/vid-ingelevics-ryan-...:

 

Since 2019, Toronto-based artists Vid Ingelevics and Ryan Walker have charted the progression of the Port Lands Flood Protection Project, one of the most ambitious civil works projects in North America. This third series of photographs, presented on wooden structures along the Villiers Street median, focuses on the extraordinary operation of building a new mouth for the Don River and the careful methodology employed in the naturalization of a massive industrial brownfield.

 

The first photographic series that Ingelevics and Walker produced about this site, titled Framework (2020), captured the buildings and structures demolished to make way for the river excavation. This demolition allowed for the massive movement of soil captured in the second series, A Mobile Landscape (2021). How to Build a River documents how this soil removal made way for the river to be constructed using bio-engineering practices. It reveals the innovative bioengineering techniques used to construct this complex ecology and its multiple engineering layers, which will soon be invisible—either submerged underwater or beneath park surfaces—when the project is finished.

 

As the excavation has proceeded and workers have brought materials to the site and carefully categorized, prepared, and positioned them, Ingelevics and Walker have witnessed the river’s path quickly taking shape. The images in this series follow the rigorous steps taken to protect the new riverbed and future ecosystem, with multiple layers of sand, charcoal, and impermeable geosynthetic clay liner added to block contaminants caused by almost a century of housing fuel storage tanks in the Port Lands. The photographs capture the ways in which the new riverbanks (known as “crib walls”) were stabilized with logs, tree trunks, rocks, and coconut fibre material, and track the meticulous creation of future habitats for fish and birds.

 

Fish Habitat (2019) shows the development of a new riparian habitat, which includes coloured streamers strung across the water to deter geese from landing and eating vegetation that will provide food for fish. In Stratified River Ingredients (2021) a worker strides past stepped blankets of biodegradable coconut fabric, which will help hold the riverbank soil together until plant root systems are in place. In this series the new river comes to life. Its plants and banks, its roots and rocks and sands can all be seen coming together in Meander (2021). All of these innovative bioengineering techniques have been employed in similar projects around the world where nature is fast-tracked, but it’s unusual to have so many techniques applied simultaneously, and on such a vast scale.

 

At times during this massive project, something as small as an unidentified plant can halt construction. Transplanting #1 and #2 (2021) show crews salvaging plants for storage after strange, bulrush-like plants sprouted unexpectedly after 100 years of dormancy underground. These were likely remnants of the site’s original wetlands, which germinated when sunlight hit the excavated mud. Some of the plants were taken to a greenhouse laboratory at the University of Toronto, and others were transplanted to the Leslie Street Spit, located nearby along the waterfront. Even with the most meticulously planned naturalization processes, nature can still surprise us.

 

Following their documentation of the processes of destruction and removal required to prepare the site, this third series of work in Ingelevics and Walker’s multi-year project allows viewers to witness the construction of these new, interconnected habitats and structures. Their photographs offer glimpses into the makings of a highly creative built ecology, one that has looked to nature in order to artificially recreate it.

Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus) is one of the largest members of its family. The adult is 30 to 60 cm (0.98 to 1.97 ft) in total length (including tail) and may reach up to 90 cm (3.0 ft), weighing more than 0.5 kg (1.1 lb). About two-thirds of its length is tail. Newly hatched young are 4 to 5 cm (1.5 to 2 in) long, excluding tail.

 

This is a robust lizard with a serrated collar. The male has a characteristic broad head. It has thick, strong legs, with long, curved claws. The dorsal background colour is usually green, but sometimes grey or brownish, especially on the head and tail. This is overlaid with black stippling that may form a bold pattern of interconnected rosettes. The underside is yellowish or greenish with both the male and female sporting bright blue spots along the flanks, though the male is typically brighter in colour than the female. Young are green, grey, or brown, with yellowish or white, often black-edged, spots all over. Photo by Nick Dobbs, Bergerac, France 07-08-12

Everything is part of everything. Some see a galaxy behaving like a molecule. or a solar system an atom. Few things in the nature are unique. she keeps using the same patterns over and over again in different ways. Here I see a brain with all its synapses. and ganglia interconnected in numerous ways.

 

Tonlé Sap (literally large river (tonle); fresh, not salty (sap), commonly translated to "Great Lake") refers to a seasonally inundated freshwater lake, the Tonlé Sap Lake and an attached river, the 120 km (75 mi) long Tonlé Sap River, that connects the lake to the Mekong.

 

They form the central part of a complex hydrological system, situated in the 12,876 km2 (4,971 sq mi) Cambodian floodplain covered with a mosaic of natural and agricultural habitats that the Mekong replenishes with water and sediments annually. The central plain formation is the result of millions of years of Mekong alluvial deposition and discharge. From a geological perspective, the Tonlé Sap Lake and Tonlé Sap River are a current freeze-frame representation of the slowly, but ever shifting Lower Mekong Basin. Annual fluctuation of the Mekong's water volume, supplemented by the Asian Monsoon regime causes the unique flow reversal of the Tonle Sap River.

 

The Tonlé Sap Lake occupies a geological depression (the lowest lying area) of the vast alluvial and lacustrine floodplain in the Lower Mekong Basin, which had been induced by the collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate. The lake's size, length and water volume varies considerably over the course of a year from an area of around 2,500 km2 (965 sq mi), a volume of 1 km3 (0 cu mi) and a length of 160 km (99 mi) at the end of the dry season in late April to an area of up to 16,000 km2 (6,178 sq mi), a volume of 80 km3 (19 cu mi) and a length of 250 km (160 mi) as the Mekong maximum and the peak of the South-West monsoon's precipitation culminate in September and early October.

 

As one of the world’s most varied and productive ecosystems the region has always been of central importance for Cambodia's food provision. It proved capable to maintain the Angkorean civilization, the largest pre-industrial settlement complex in world history. Either directly or indirectly it affects the livelihood of large numbers of a predominantly rural population to this day. With regards to a growing and migrating population, ineffective administration and widespread indifference towards environmental issues the lake and its surrounding ecosystem is coming under increasing pressure from over-exploitation and habitat degradation, fragmentation and loss. All Mekong riparian states have either announced or already implemented plans to increasingly exploit the river's hydroelectric potential. A succession of international facilities that dam the river's mainstream is likely to be the gravest danger yet for the entire Tonle Sap eco-region.

 

The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, that contains an exceptional large variety of interconnected eco-regions with a high degree of biodiversity is a biodiversity hotspot and was designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1997.

Excerpt from Plitvice-lakes.info:

 

The group of Plitvice’s Upper Lakes consist of twelve lakes, interconnected and separated by natural travertine and tufa barriers.

 

Here is a list of all Upper Lakes:

 

1.Prošćansko

2.Ciginovac

3.Okrugljak

4.Batinovac

5.Veliko jezero

6.Malo jezero

7.Vir

8.Galovac

9.Milino jezero

10.Gradinsko

11.Burgeti

12.Kozjak

 

The water from the lowest lake in this group (Kozjak) eventually connects with Milanovac, the first lake in Lower Lakes group.

India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.

Kerala’s rich, fertile unique backwaters, South India, a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.

The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.

Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.

 

In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala.

 

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/digit...:

 

“Timber Tectonics” demonstrates how the principle of reciprocity is applied to the creation of a reciprocal frame structure, where short wood members are interconnected to span large distances while remaining structurally sound. In a reciprocal frame structure, a minimum of three members support each other using the mechanism of resting one member on the other and/or on the ground. In addition, they support at least one other element at some intermediate point or points. If this condition is met, this elementary configuration will form a unified unit with a rightward or leftward orientation.

 

In a time of global supply chain issues and in an industry where efficiency and productivity are paramount, reciprocal frame structures provide the opportunity to achieve more with less. Material consumption can be reduced, accuracy can be increased, and costs can be reduced. Reciprocal frame structures facilitate faster assembly times, thereby reducing labour costs. This installation is the first robotically fabricated, doubly curved reciprocal frame structure on the American continent, and of only a handful around the world. Our research aims to create awareness and encourage more building professionals to expand on the work in this domain.

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

 

Where the Land Meets the City: Stories of Land, Water and Community

 

This six-banner series brings together the heart of Mississauga—its land, water, and people. Inspired by the Credit River, Lake Ontario, local parks, and the oldest oak tree in the city, each banner celebrates how nature and community live side by side.

 

The artwork blends bold colors and meaningful symbols to tell stories of family, belonging, and connection. You’ll see references to local plant life, sacred animals, and the deep teachings carried by the land. The turtle, for example, reminds us of balance and creation, while the oak stands tall as a symbol of strength and time.

 

These banners are meant to brighten the streets with more than just colour—they’re here to share a sense of unity, invite reflection, and remind us that we’re all part of something bigger. Whether you’re walking by or taking a moment to pause, these pieces invite you into the story of Mississauga—rooted, growing, and full of life.

 

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/arts-and-culture/arts/public-art/tempo...:

 

Sky Dancers over Lake Ontario

 

Under a star-filled sky, three geese—nika—soar gracefully across the night, guided by the soft glow of the moon. Below them, the rippling waters of Lake Ontario mirror their movement, connecting sky and water in a quiet, harmonious rhythm.

 

In Anishinaabe teachings, geese symbolize teamwork, communication, and the importance of respectful cooperation within the community. Their flight formation reminds us that to build strong and supportive communities, we must move together in unity, with shared purpose and care.

 

In the distance, the silhouette of the city skyline rises against the horizon. It serves as a gentle reminder that even within urban spaces, the enduring rhythms of the land and water still remain, grounding us in the natural world.

 

Hummingbirds over Mississauga

 

This artwork beautifully captures the spirit of Mississauga through an Indigenous lens, embodying optimism, community, and connection to nature.

 

At the heart of the piece, two hummingbirds soar above the city skyline, symbolizing resilience, joy, and the strength of community. Hummingbirds, often seen as messengers in Indigenous teachings, represent the vibrancy and energy of Mississauga’s diverse neighborhoods.

 

The skyline, depicted in warm hues, reflects the city’s modern growth and cultural diversity, while the sun shines brightly, radiating a sense of warmth, hope, and unity. The blending of urban and natural elements symbolizes the balance between progress and deep-rooted traditions.

 

Below, the lush green landscape is rich with traditional Indigenous plants and medicines, such as wildflowers and berries, reinforcing themes of healing, renewal, and connection to the land. Flowing water at the bottom signifies harmony, movement, and life, essential aspects of both nature and thriving communities.

With its bold colors and dynamic composition, this piece welcomes all who walk Mississauga’s streets, inviting them to celebrate local pride, diversity, and shared belonging. It serves as a reminder that nature and urban life are interconnected, and that Indigenous teachings continue to shape and inspire the city’s future.

  

One of the recurring themes of my daydreams is the flashback to some distant thought or memory. Sometimes a specific event or encounter. Other times a snippet of a past conversation, now torn away from its original context. Was in the midst of one of these flashback the other day, recalling a moment with someone I haven't seen or spoken with in over 30 years. "Why on earth am I thinking about this now?" I wonder to self. I got to thinking about what led me to that recollection. Funny thing is that it's almost never a metaphorical direct flight. More often it's a cascading effect like knocking over a row of dominoes. I hit an initial trip wire of thought, and that leads to a quick succession of other (quite random) thoughts and suddenly there I am, caught in a momentary time warp. There's little rhyme or reason to it. The end product varies. Sometimes I return to the same place in time, sometimes not. That's the nature of a flashback I suppose, bringing back a repressed memory. In my case I'm generally not recalling any sort of emotional trauma. That's the weird part. The returning thoughts are often quite mundane, but for some reason were ingrained deep down. Now as my age advances, they float back to the surface. I've noticed another pattern where specific tasks (usually physical, not involving a great deal of thought in their own right) lead me back down the same memory path. Somehow the modern day task has become interconnected with a past event, and the connection can remain for weeks or even months until it is broken off by a new one. I've even noticed this in my sleeping dreams where I'll either return to the past, or something from the past will return to the present. This will cause me to remember things of which I had no conscious memory. I wonder if time is not as linear as it seems. I also wonder if any of this plays out visually in photography, or at the very least helps shape the way I see things when out shooting.

 

I associated this story with the little figurine in this photo I suppose on account of the missing head. A metaphor for daydreaming on one level. When I first encountered this tiny statue I was struck by the awful juxtaposition of peace and serenity in the lower half of the body with the ghastly decapitation. But even more startling perhaps is the seeming ease with which the two realms coexist...the past blending with the new reality. The perched bird seemed to tie it all together somehow. Anyway the mere act of photographing this tableau ensures that it will be available for future playback in my mind.

This species can be found in most of Europe, including Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine.

 

Habitat.

These flies mainly occur in meadows and spruce forest edges.

 

Description.

Acidia cognata is a relatively large species, the body length reaching 6.5–7.0 millimetres (0.26–0.28 in), while the wing length reaches 4.9–6.9 millimetres (0.19–0.27 in). It has a golden orange-brown body. The head is pale yellow-white, with bright red eyes and a dull stripe on the forehead. The wings are markedly colored and shows five dark grey or brownish bands, which are interconnected. The first bandage begins at the base of the wings, while the fifth band lies on the wing tip.

  

De hoefbladboorvlieg (Acidia cognata) is een vliegensoort uit de familie van de boorvliegen (Tephritidae). De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1817 door Wiedemann.

This is the second in a series of collaborations with Beth involving multiple, digitally-manipulated photographic images. The modus operandi is the same as in our previous projects, namely emailing back and forth images, each taking a turn at creating something with it and continually adding in this vein until, through the magic of the interconnected worldwide web, we mutually agree that it is fini. However, prior to this, we primarily worked within DABC (Digital Art from a Blank Canvas) format, except in a few instances but, for this particular set of creations, collaborative abstracts are being combined with single subject photos (in this case, a McClaren 12C supercar) and allowing plenty of negative space in order to give prominence to both.

 

The first in the series is Possession.

 

Beth Rosengard's amazing photostream can be found here.

 

Uploaded for the Hypothetical Award's C.A.R. - Creative Automobile Reconstruction challenge.

Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of the oldest national parks in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. In 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage register.

The national park was founded in 1949 and is situated in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The important north-south road connection, which passes through the national park area, connects the Croatian inland with the Adriatic coastal region.

The national park is world-famous for its lakes arranged in cascades. Currently, 16 lakes can be seen from the surface.

These lakes are a result of the confluence of several small rivers and subterranean karst rivers. The lakes are all interconnected and follow the water flow. They are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae, and bacteria. The particularly sensitive travertine barriers are the result of an interplay between water, air and plants. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm (0.4 in) per year.

The sixteen lakes are separated into an upper and lower cluster formed by runoff from the mountains, descending from an altitude of 636 to 503 m (2,087 to 1,650 ft) over a distance of some eight km, aligned in a south-north direction. The lakes collectively cover an area of about two square kilometres (0.77 square miles), with the water exiting from the lowest lake forming the Korana River.

The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colors, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colors change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.

Through different climatic influences and the large difference in elevation within the protected area, a multifaceted flora and fauna has been created. The national park area is home to many endemic species. Those species that prevailed at the lakes before the arrival of man still exist.

 

source: Wikipedia.

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest and most powerful feline in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Apart from a known and possibly breeding population in Arizona (southeast of Tucson), the cat has largely been extirpated from the United States since the early 1900s.

 

This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its behavioral and habitat characteristics are closer to those of the tiger. While dense rainforest is its preferred habitat, the jaguar will range across a variety of forested and open terrain. It is strongly associated with the presence of water and is notable, along with the tiger, as a feline that enjoys swimming. The jaguar is a largely solitary, stalk-and-ambush predator, and is opportunistic in prey selection. It is also an apex and keystone predator, playing an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating the populations of prey species. The jaguar has an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats.[3] This allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles[4] and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through the skull of prey between the ears to deliver a fatal bite to the brain.[5]

 

The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are declining. Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation. While international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited, the cat is still regularly killed by humans, particularly in conflicts with ranchers and farmers in South America. Although reduced, its range remains large; given its historical distribution, the jaguar has featured prominently in the mythology of numerous indigenous American cultures, including that of the Maya and Aztec.

 

Etymology

 

A jaguar at the Milwaukee County Zoological GardensThe word jaguar is pronounced /ˈdʒæɡwɑr/ or, in British English, /ˈdʒæɡjuː.ər/. It comes to English from one of the Tupi-Guarani languages, presumably the Amazonian trade language Tupinambá, via Portuguese jaguar.[6] The Tupian word, yaguara "beast", sometimes translated as "dog",[7][8] is used for any carnivorous mammal.[9] The specific word for jaguar is yaguareté, with the suffix -eté meaning "real" or "true".[6][9][10]

 

The first component of its taxonomic designation, Panthera, is Latin, from the Greek word for leopard, πάνθηρ, the type species for the genus. This has been said to derive from the παν- "all" and θήρ from θηρευτής "predator", meaning "predator of all" (animals), though this may be a folk etymology[11]—it may instead be ultimately of Sanskrit origin, from pundarikam, the Sanskrit word for "tiger".[12]

 

Onca is the Portuguese onça, with the cedilla dropped for typographical reasons, found in English as ounce for the Snow Leopard, Uncia uncia. It derives from the Latin lyncea lynx, with the letter L confused with the definite article (Italian lonza, Old French l'once).[13]

 

In many Central and South American countries, the cat is referred to as el tigre ("the tiger")

 

Taxonomy

The jaguar, Panthera onca, is the only extant New World member of the Panthera genus. DNA evidence shows that the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, and clouded leopard share a common ancestor and that this group is between six and ten million years old;[14] the fossil record points to the emergence of Panthera just two to 3.8 million years ago.[14][15] Phylogenetic studies generally have shown that the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is basal to this group.[14][16][17][18] The position of the remaining species varies between studies and is effectively unresolved.

 

Based on morphological evidence, British zoologist Reginald Pocock concluded that the jaguar is most closely related to the leopard.[18] However, DNA evidence is inconclusive and the position of the jaguar relative to the other species varies between studies.[14][16][17][18] Fossils of extinct Panthera species, such as the European Jaguar (Panthera gombaszoegensis) and the American Lion (Panthera atrox), show characteristics of both the lion and the jaguar.[18] Analysis of jaguar mitochondrial DNA has dated the species lineage to between 280,000 and 510,000 years ago, later than suggested by fossil records.[19Geographical variation

 

While numerous subspecies of the jaguar have been recognized, recent research suggests just three. Geographical barriers, such as the Amazon river, limit gene flow within the species.The last taxonomic delineation of the jaguar subspecies was performed by Pocock in 1939. Based on geographic origins and skull morphology, he recognized eight subspecies. However, he did not have access to sufficient specimens to critically evaluate all subspecies, and he expressed doubt about the status of several. Later consideration of his work suggested only three subspecies should be recognized.[20]

 

Recent studies have also failed to find evidence for well defined subspecies, and are no longer recognized.[21] Larson (1997) studied the morphological variation in the jaguar and showed that there is clinal north–south variation, but also that the differentiation within the supposed subspecies is larger than that between them and thus does not warrant subspecies subdivision.[22] A genetic study by Eizirik and coworkers in 2001 confirmed the absence of a clear geographical subspecies structure, although they found that major geographical barriers such as the Amazon River limited the exchange of genes between the different populations.[19] A subsequent, more detailed, study confirmed the predicted population structure within the Colombian jaguars.[23]

 

Pocock's subspecies divisions are still regularly listed in general descriptions of the cat.[24] Seymour grouped these in three subspecies.[20]

 

Panthera onca onca: Venezuela through the Amazon, including

P. onca peruviana (Peruvian Jaguar): Coastal Peru

P. onca hernandesii (Mexican Jaguar): Western Mexico – including

P. onca centralis (Central American Jaguar): El Salvador to Colombia

P. onca arizonensis (Arizonan Jaguar): Southern Arizona to Sonora, Mexico

P. onca veraecrucis: Central Texas to Southeastern Mexico

P. onca goldmani (Goldman's Jaguar): Yucatán Peninsula to Belize and Guatemala

P. onca palustris (the largest subspecies, weighing more than 135 kg or 300 lb):[25] The Pantanal regions of Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, along the Paraguay River into Paraguay and northeastern Argentina.

 

Physical characteristics

The jaguar is a compact and well-muscled animal. There are significant variations in size and weight: weights are normally in the range of 56–96 kilograms (124–211 lb). Larger males have been recorded at 160 kilograms (350 lb)[26] (roughly matching a tigress or lioness), and smaller ones have extremely low weights of 36 kilograms (80 lb). Females are typically 10–20% smaller than males. The length of the cat varies from 1.62–1.83 metres (5.3–6 ft), and its tail may add a further 75 centimeters (30 in). It stands about 67–76 centimeters (27–30 in) tall at the shoulders.[27]

  

The head of the jaguar is robust and the jaw extremely powerful. The size of jaguars tends to increase the farther south they are located.

Jaguar skull and jawboneFurther variations in size have been observed across regions and habitats, with size tending to increase from the north to south. A study of the jaguar in the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve on the Mexican Pacific coast, showed ranges of just 30–50 kilograms (66–110 lb), about the size of the cougar.[28] By contrast, a study of the Jaguar in the Brazilian Pantanal region found average weights of 100 kilograms (220 lb) and weights of 300 lb or more are not uncommon in old males.[29] Forest jaguars are frequently darker and considerably smaller than those found in open areas (the Pantanal is an open wetland basin), possibly due to the smaller numbers of large herbivorous prey in forest areas.[30]

 

A short and stocky limb structure makes the jaguar adept at climbing, crawling and swimming.[27] The head is robust and the jaw extremely powerful. The jaguar has the strongest bite of all felids capable of biting down with 2000 lbs of force twice the strength of a lion, and the second strongest of all mammals after the spotted hyena; this strength is an adaptation that allows the jaguar to pierce turtle shells.[4] A comparative study of bite force adjusted for body size ranked it as the top felid, alongside the clouded leopard and ahead of the lion and tiger.[31] It has been reported that "an individual jaguar can drag a 360 kg (800 lb) bull 8 m (25 ft) in its jaws and pulverize the heaviest bones".[32] The jaguar hunts wild animals weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 lb) in dense jungle, and its short and sturdy physique is thus an adaptation to its prey and environment.

  

A melanistic jaguar. Melanism is the result of a dominant allele but remains relatively rare in jaguars.The base coat of the jaguar is generally a tawny yellow, but can range to reddish-brown and black. The cat is covered in rosettes for camouflage in its jungle habitat. The spots vary over individual coats and between individual Jaguars: rosettes may include one or several dots, and the shape of the dots varies. The spots on the head and neck are generally solid, as are those on the tail, where they may merge to form a band. The underbelly, throat and outer surface of the legs and lower flanks are white.[27]

 

A condition known as melanism occurs in the species. The melanistic form is less common than the spotted form (it occurs at about six percent of the population)[33] of jaguars and is the result of a dominant allele.[34] Jaguars with melanism appear entirely black, although their spots are still visible on close examination. Melanistic Jaguars are informally known as black panthers, but do not form a separate species. Rare albino individuals, sometimes called white panthers, also occur among jaguars, as with the other big cats.[30]

 

While the jaguar closely resembles the leopard, it is sturdier and heavier, and the two animals can be distinguished by their rosettes: the rosettes on a jaguar's coat are larger, fewer in number, usually darker, and have thicker lines and small spots in the middle that the leopard lacks. Jaguars also have rounder heads and shorter, stockier limbs compared to leopards.[35

  

[edit] Reproduction and life cycle

Jaguar females reach sexual maturity at about two years of age, and males at three or four. The cat is believed to mate throughout the year in the wild, although births may increase when prey is plentiful.[36] Research on captive male jaguars supports the year-round mating hypothesis, with no seasonal variation in semen traits and ejaculatory quality; low reproductive success has also been observed in captivity.[37] Female estrous is 6–17 days out of a full 37-day cycle, and females will advertise fertility with urinary scent marks and increased vocalization.[36] Both sexes will range more widely than usual during courtship.

  

Mother about to pick up a cub by the neckMating pairs separate after the act, and females provide all parenting. The gestation period lasts 93–105 days; females give birth to up to four cubs, and most commonly to two. The mother will not tolerate the presence of males after the birth of cubs, given a risk of infanticide; this behaviour is also found in the tiger.[38]

 

The young are born blind, gaining sight after two weeks. Cubs are weaned at three months but remain in the birth den for six months before leaving to accompany their mother on hunts.[39] They will continue in their mother's company for one to two years before leaving to establish a territory for themselves. Young males are at first nomadic, jostling with their older counterparts until they succeed in claiming a territory. Typical lifespan in the wild is estimated at around 12–15 years; in captivity, the jaguar lives up to 23 years, placing it among the longest-lived cats.[29]

  

Social activity

Like most cats, the jaguar is solitary outside mother-cub groups. Adults generally meet only to court and mate (though limited non-courting socialization has been observed anecdotally[38]) and carve out large territories for themselves. Female territories, which range from 25 to 40 square kilometers in size, may overlap, but the animals generally avoid one another. Male ranges cover roughly twice as much area, varying in size with the availability of game and space, and do not overlap.[38][40] The jaguar uses scrape marks, urine, and feces to mark its territory.[41]

 

Like the other big cats, the jaguar is capable of roaring (the male more powerfully) and does so to warn territorial and mating competitors away; intensive bouts of counter-calling between individuals have been observed in the wild.[42] Their roar often resembles a repetitive cough, and they may also vocalize mews and grunts.[29] Mating fights between males occur, but are rare, and aggression avoidance behaviour has been observed in the wild.[41] When it occurs, conflict is typically over territory: a male's range may encompass that of two or three females, and he will not tolerate intrusions by other adult males.[38]

 

The jaguar is often described as nocturnal, but is more specifically crepuscular (peak activity around dawn and dusk). Both sexes hunt, but males travel further each day than females, befitting their larger territories. The jaguar may hunt during the day if game is available and is a relatively energetic feline, spending as much as 50–60% of its time active.[30] The jaguar's elusive nature and the inaccessibility of much of its preferred habitat make it a difficult animal to sight, let alone study.

 

Hunting and diet

 

Illustration of a jaguar battling a boa constrictor

Illustration of a jaguar killing a tapirLike all cats, the jaguar is an obligate carnivore, feeding only on meat. It is an opportunistic hunter and its diet encompasses 87 species.[30] The jaguar prefers large prey and will take adult caiman, deer, capybara, tapirs, peccaries, dogs, foxes, and sometimes even anacondas . However, the cat will eat any small species that can be caught, including frogs, mice, birds, fish, sloths, monkeys, and turtles; a study conducted in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize, for example, revealed that jaguars there had a diet that consisted primarily of armadillos and pacas.[41] Some jaguars will also take domestic livestock, including adult cattle and horses.[43]

  

The jaguar has an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats. It is an adaptation that allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles.While the jaguar employs the deep-throat bite-and-suffocation technique typical among Panthera, it prefers a killing method unique amongst cats: it pierces directly through the temporal bones of the skull between the ears of prey (especially the Capybara) with its canine teeth, piercing the brain.[44] This may be an adaptation to "cracking open" turtle shells; following the late Pleistocene extinctions, armoured reptiles such as turtles would have formed an abundant prey base for the jaguar.[30][42] The skull bite is employed with mammals in particular; with reptiles such as caiman, the jaguar may leap on to the back of the prey and sever the cervical vertebrae, immobilizing the target. While capable of cracking turtle shells, the jaguar may simply reach into the shell and scoop out the flesh.[38] With prey such as smaller dogs, a paw swipe to the skull may be sufficient in killing it.

 

The jaguar is a stalk-and-ambush rather than a chase predator. The cat will walk slowly down forest paths, listening for and stalking prey before rushing or ambushing. The jaguar attacks from cover and usually from a target's blind spot with a quick pounce; the species' ambushing abilities are considered nearly peerless in the animal kingdom by both indigenous people and field researchers, and are probably a product of its role as an apex predator in several different environments. The ambush may include leaping into water after prey, as a jaguar is quite capable of carrying a large kill while swimming; its strength is such that carcasses as large as a heifer can be hauled up a tree to avoid flood levels.[38]

 

On killing prey, the jaguar will drag the carcass to a thicket or other secluded spot. It begins eating at the neck and chest, rather than the midsection. The heart and lungs are consumed, followed by the shoulders.[38] The daily food requirement of a 34 kilogram animal, at the extreme low end of the species' weight range, has been estimated at 1.4 kilograms.[45] For captive animals in the 50–60 kilogram range, more than 2 kilograms of meat daily is recommended.[46] In the wild, consumption is naturally more erratic; wild cats expend considerable energy in the capture and kill of prey, and may consume up to 25 kilograms of meat at one feeding, followed by periods of famine.[47] Unlike all other species in the Panthera genus, jaguars very rarely attack humans. Most of the scant cases where jaguars turn to taking a human show that the animal is either old with damaged teeth or is wounded.[48] Sometimes, if scared, jaguars in captivity may lash out at zookeepers.[49]

 

[edit] Ecology

[edit] Distribution and habitat

The jaguar has been attested in the fossil record for two million years[24] and it has been an American cat since crossing the Bering Land Bridge during the Pleistocene epoch; the immediate ancestor of modern animals is Panthera onca augusta, which was larger than the contemporary cat.[23] Its present range extends from Mexico, through Central America and into South America, including much of Amazonian Brazil.[50] The countries included in this range are Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica (particularly on the Osa Peninsula), Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, United States and Venezuela. The jaguar is now extinct in El Salvador and Uruguay.[2] It occurs in the 400 km² Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize, the 5,300 km² Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, the approximately 15,000 km² Manú National Park in Peru, the approximately 26,000 km² Xingu National Park in Brazil, and numerous other reserves throughout its range.

  

The jaguar can range across a variety of forested and open habitat, but is strongly associated with presence of water.The inclusion of the United States in the list is based on occasional sightings in the southwest, particularly in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. In the early 1900s, the jaguar's range extended as far north as the Grand Canyon, and as far west as Southern California.[45] The jaguar is a protected species in the United States under the Endangered Species Act, which has stopped the shooting of the animal for its pelt. In 2004, wildlife officials in Arizona photographed and documented jaguars in the southern part of the state. For any permanent population to thrive, protection from killing, an adequate prey base, and connectivity with Mexican populations are essential.[51] On February 25, 2009 a 118 lb Jaguar was caught, radio-collared and released in an area southwest of Tucson, Arizona; this is farther north than had previously been expected and represents a sign that there may be a permanent breeding population of Jaguars within southern Arizona. It was later confirmed that the animal is indeed the same male individual (known as 'Macho B') that was photographed in 2004 and is now the oldest known Jaguar in the wild (approximately 15 years old.)[52] On Monday March 2, 2009, Macho B, which is the only jaguar spotted in the U.S. in more than a decade, was recaptured and euthanized after he was found to be suffering from kidney failure.[53]

 

Completion of the United States–Mexico barrier as currently proposed will reduce the viability of any population currently residing in the United States, by reducing gene flow with Mexican populations, and prevent any further northward expansion for the species.[54]

 

The historic range of the species included much of the southern half of the United States, and in the south extended much farther to cover most of the South American continent. In total, its northern range has receded 1,000 kilometers southward and its southern range 2,000 km northward. Ice age fossils of the jaguar, dated between 40,000 and 11,500 years ago, have been discovered in the United States, including some at an important site as far north as Missouri. Fossil evidence shows jaguars of up to 190 kg (420 lb), much larger than the contemporary average for the animal.[55]

 

The habitat of the cat includes the rain forests of South and Central America, open, seasonally flooded wetlands, and dry grassland terrain. Of these habitats, the jaguar much prefers dense forest;[30] the cat has lost range most rapidly in regions of drier habitat, such as the Argentinian pampas, the arid grasslands of Mexico, and the southwestern United States.[2] The cat will range across tropical, subtropical, and dry deciduous forests (including, historically, oak forests in the United States). The jaguar is strongly associated with water and it often prefers to live by rivers, swamps, and in dense rainforest with thick cover for stalking prey. Jaguars have been found at elevations as high as 3,800 m, but they typically avoid montane forest and are not found in the high plateau of central Mexico or in the Andes.[30]

 

Substantial evidence exists that there is also a colony of non-native melanistic leopards or jaguars inhabiting the rainforests around Sydney, Australia. A local report compiled statements from over 450 individuals recounting their stories of sighting large black cats in the area and confidential NSW Government documents regarding the matter proved wildlife authorities were so concerned about the big cats and the danger to humans, they commissioned an expert to catch it. The three-day hunt later failed, but ecologist Johannes J. Bauer warned: "Difficult as it seems to accept, the most likely explanation is the presence of a large, feline predator. In this area, [it is] most likely a leopard, less likely a jaguar."[56]

Ecological role

The adult jaguar is an apex predator, meaning that it exists at the top of its food chain and is not preyed on in the wild. The jaguar has also been termed a keystone species, as it is assumed, through controlling the population levels of prey such as herbivorous and granivorous mammals, apex felids maintain the structural integrity of forest systems.[28][57] However, accurately determining what effect species like the jaguar have on ecosystems is difficult, because data must be compared from regions where the species is absent as well as its current habitats, while controlling for the effects of human activity. It is accepted that mid-sized prey species undergo population increases in the absence of the keystone predators and it has been hypothesized that this has cascading negative effects.[58] However, field work has shown this may be natural variability and that the population increases may not be sustained. Thus, the keystone predator hypothesis is not favoured by all scientists.[59]

 

The jaguar also has an effect on other predators. The jaguar and the cougar, the next largest feline of the Americas, are often sympatric (related species sharing overlapping territory) and have often been studied in conjunction. Where sympatric with the jaguar, the cougar is smaller than normal and is smaller than the local jaguars. The jaguar tends to take larger prey and the cougar smaller, reducing the latter's size.[60] This situation may be advantageous to the cougar. Its broader prey niche, including its ability to take smaller prey, may give it an advantage over the jaguar in human-altered landscapes;[28] while both are classified as near-threatened species, the cougar has a significantly larger current distribution.

 

[edit] Conservation status

 

Jaguar populations are rapidly declining. The animal is considered Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources,[2] meaning it may be threatened with extinction in the near future. The loss of parts of its range, including its virtual elimination from its historic northern areas and the increasing fragmentation of the remaining range, have contributed to this status. The 1960s saw particularly significant declines, with more than 15,000 jaguar skins brought out of the Brazilian Amazon yearly; the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of 1973 brought about a sharp decline in the pelt trade.[61] Detailed work performed under the auspices of the Wildlife Conservation Society reveal that the animal has lost 37% of its historic range, with its status unknown in an additional 18%. More encouragingly, the probability of long-term survival was considered high in 70% of its remaining range, particularly in the Amazon basin and the adjoining Gran Chaco and Pantanal.[50]

 

The major risks to the jaguar include deforestation across its habitat, increasing competition for food with human beings,[2] poaching, hurricanes in northern parts of its range, and the behaviour of ranchers who will often kill the cat where it preys on livestock. When adapted to the prey, the jaguar has been shown to take cattle as a large portion of its diet; while land clearance for grazing is a problem for the species, the jaguar population may have increased when cattle were first introduced to South America as the animals took advantage of the new prey base. This willingness to take livestock has induced ranch owners to hire full-time jaguar hunters, and the cat is often shot on sight.[29]

  

The Pantanal, Brazil, seen here in flood condition, is a critical jaguar range area.The jaguar is regulated as an Appendix I species under CITES: all international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited. All hunting of jaguars is prohibited in Argentina, Belize, Colombia, French Guiana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, the United States (where it is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act), Uruguay and Venezuela. Hunting of jaguars is restricted to "problem animals" in Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru, while trophy hunting is still permitted in Bolivia. The species has no legal protection in Ecuador or Guyana.[24]

 

Current conservation efforts often focus on educating ranch owners and promoting ecotourism.[62] The jaguar is generally defined as an umbrella species — a species whose home range and habitat requirements are sufficiently broad that, if protected, numerous other species of smaller range will also be protected.[63] Umbrella species serve as "mobile links" at the landscape scale, in the jaguar's case through predation. Conservation organizations may thus focus on providing viable, connected habitat for the jaguar, with the knowledge that other species will also benefit.[62]

 

Given the inaccessibility of much of the species' range—particularly the central Amazon—estimating jaguar numbers is difficult. Researchers typically focus on particular bioregions, and thus species-wide analysis is scant. In 1991, 600–1,000 (the highest total) were estimated to be living in Belize. A year earlier, 125–180 jaguars were estimated to be living in Mexico's 4,000 square kilometer (2400 mi²) Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, with another 350 in the state of Chiapas. The adjoining Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala, with an area measuring 15,000 square kilometers (9,000 mi²), may have 465–550 animals.[64] Work employing GPS–telemetry in 2003 and 2004 found densities of only six to seven jaguars per 100 square kilometers in the critical Pantanal region, compared with 10 to 11 using traditional methods; this suggests that widely used sampling methods may inflate the actual numbers of cats.[65]

 

On 7 January 2008 United States Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall approved a decision by the George W. Bush Administration to abandon jaguar recovery as a federal goal under the Endangered Species Act. Some critics of the decision said that the jaguar is being sacrificed for the government's new border fence, which is to be built along many of the cat's typical crossings between the United States and Mexico.[66]

 

In the past, conservation of jaguars sometimes occurred through the protection of jaguar "hotspots". These hotspots were described as Jaguar Conservation Units, and were large areas populated by about 50 jaguars. However, some researchers recently determined that, in order to maintain a robust sharing of the jaguar gene pool necessary for maintaining the species, it is important that the jaguars be interconnected. To effect this, a new project, the Paseo del Jaguar, as been established to connect the jaguar hotspots.[67]

Fonte-Wikipedia.

      

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