BIG SHIP IN A TINY CANAL Photograph by coolmonfrere on Flickr The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnesian peninsula from the Greek mainland. The builders dug the canal through the Isthmus…
The Sifter’s favourite underwater photographer, Alexander Semenov, is back with another amazing gallery. Entitled Living Stones, Semenov explores the different patterns and textures of stony corals in the Red Sea. Captured at high magnification, you can really appreciate the intricate detail and colour on the surfaces of these living creatures. Corals are marine invertebrates…
A LAKE IN THE MOUNTAINS Photograph by Ryan Gsell Bachalpsee or Bachse is a lake with an area of 8.06 ha (19.9 acres) close to the First (a minor summit below the Schwarzhorn which can be reached with a cable car) and above Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland (Bernese highlands) of Switzerland.…
THE BAIT BALL Photograph by STEVE DUNLEAVY on Flickr A bait ball, or baitball, occurs when small fish swarm in a tightly packed spherical formation about a common centre. It is a last-ditch defensive measure adopted by small schooling fish when they are threatened by predators. Small schooling fish are eaten by…
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and approximately 315 million people, the United States is the third largest country by land area and population. With fifty states (48 contiguous) and a special district, the United States is an extremely diverse country in both geography and climate. Below we celebrate the beautiful natural…
CRASHING WAVES IN THE CARIBBEAN Photograph by rachel_thecat on Flickr A beautiful capture by rachel_thecat on Flickr of crashing waves just off the coast of Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest city in Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe is a Caribbean island located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square…
UNDERWATER PERFECTION Photograph by SARAH LEE Website | Flickr | Facebook In this perfectly timed underwater photograph by Sarah Lee, we see Alison from alisonsadventures.com swimming underneath a passing wave. For the astute, you’ll also notice a surfer above (far right) cruising by at the exact same time. The photo was taken…
Guttation is the exudation of drops of sap (xylem) on the tips or edges of leaves of some vascular plants, such as grasses. Guttation is not to be confused with dew, which condenses from the atmosphere onto the plant surface. At night, transpiration usually does not occur because most plants have their stomata (pores…
OUT FOR A FAMILY STROLL Photograph by Réunion Underwater Photography | On Facebook In this majestic photo we see a mother and baby Sperm whale swimming in the ocean. The Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of the toothed whales. Its name derives from a waxy liquid called spermaceti, found in…
WAIPIO VALLEY, HAWAII Photograph by PAUL BICA Waipio Valley is located in the Hamakua District of the Big Island of Hawaii. Waipi’o means “curved water” in the Hawaiian language. It was the capital and permanent residence of many early Hawaiian ali’i (kings) up until the time of King ‘Umi. Located at 20…