Role models…we celebrate a lot of people in this world who do a lot of mediocre things. We celebrate actors and athletes and even cartoon characters…and some people even think politicians do something stupendous other than put their hand up and say, “sure I can fumble my way through whatever it is I do to to get my 7 years in and a pension for life…”
But, if you want to celebrate anyone, I would put forth this woman deserves way more attention (as a side note, take a look at the description of the youtube video and she isn’t even mentioned! Wtf?)
Who is she you ask?
Jill Heinerth is a Canadian cave diver, underwater explorer, writer, photographer and film-maker. She quit her office job and went to follow her passion of water…moved to the Caribbean and started doing what she wanted.
This is a film narrated by the dude from a show I cannot remember…Unsolved mysteries? He is good…not as good as Jill though…wow. Talk about having balls. I wish I could be half as courageous, driven and exciting as this woman.
A cave dive, within an iceberg…like an iceberg that calved off of a bigger piece of ice…and this thing is moving, melting…gives me sweaty palms just thinking about being inside where the water is -1.6 degrees C…yes, that is colder than ice smarty pants…with the salt content you can get that. But feckin cold? Um yeah.
But if you want to watch a documentary about folks with gonads bigger than anyone I can think of…well, here you go.
Bioluminescent Jellyfish
Mentioned in the documentary…these little creatures are amazing.
Some facts you may have not known…not sure anyone even cares but here you go:
They’ve Been Around a Long Time
Jellyfish have been around for millions of years. They’ve been here so long they go back to before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Jellyfish can be found in waters both cold and warm, deep and shallow and along coastlines.
There Are Many Different Types
The types of jellyfish including medusae. There are even non-stinging kinds called comb jellies or ctenophores. Another type of jelly animal called a salp is even in the same group as humans.
They Don’t Live Long
Despite being around forever, jellyfish don’t live very long. Most live less than a year and some only a few days.
They ‘Bloom’
When huge numbers of plants or animals appear suddenly it is called a bloom. In some areas of the world a large number of jellyfish can swarm together. These blooms can cause problems for fisheries and tourism.
They Are Not Strong Swimmers
Jellyfish are plankton (from the Greek word planktos, meaning to wander or drift) so as the name implies, they aren’t great swimmers. They drift with the current of the ocean. Blooms often form where two currents meet.
They Are Colorful
While some jellyfish may be clear, there are others that are vibrant colors of pink, blue, yellow and purple. And some are even bioluminescent, which means they can create their own light.
They have no brains, heart, bones or eyes
So how exactly do they function? They are made up of a smooth bag-like body and tentacles lined with tiny, stinging cells, which stun or paralyze prey.
Their Mouths Are Important
A jellyfish’s mouth is located at the center of its body. From the small hole it both eats and discards waste. It also helps them move. By squirting a jet of water from its mouth, a jellyfish can propel forward.
They Eat All Types of Things
Jellyfish eat small plants, copepods, fish eggs, planktonic eggs, larvae and more.
And if you want to see bioluminescence just in the real world, this is plankton and not jellyfish, but still pretty neat…..
Krabi, Thailand
Koh Rong, Cambodia
And here is a Vampire Squid, which also has some bioluminescence…but I prefer the plankton.
African Guitar Summit
Canadian band of 9 or so musicians…I have been listening to some different music lately…Congolese stuff, learning Soukous guitar music too…if you get a minute…
And I wanted to circle back to the idea of courage and balls mentioned earlier…here is a touching story from a few years back about that very subject. Enjoy and keep the tissues close.
Give it a click and a read and realize some people don’t have all that you have…and still you want more…
LOCAL MAN SADDENED THAT WOMEN UNIMPRESSED BY TESTICLES DANGLING FROM TRAILER HITCH
Leaving it Here
I am headed to the middle east this week so will hopefully have something to say.
Cheers and blue side up Amigos.