TRUE or FALSE

Cross Sea: When Two Waves Meet

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 19:14:00 +0000

This strange pattern at sea is what happens when two wave systems cross each other at nearly perpendicular angles. This can occur when waves generated by one weather system collides with waves generated by another weather system, usually at a place that is far away from both weather systems.

Waves can travel thousands of kilometers over the surface of the water. Even on the calmest days, storms raging elsewhere on the ocean create rolling waves that radiate away from the storm and washes the shore of distant land. These are called swells, which is different from ocean waves raised by the local wind. Another term for wind waves generated and affected by local winds is “wind sea”. All swells start as wind sea, but after a while the wind ceases to blow and the waves have travelled so far out that it’s no longer generated or significantly affected by the local wind at that time. Then it becomes a swell. When two swells coming from two different directions collide, we get “cross sea”, which is what is happening in this picture.

The above picture is very unique, but cross seas are more common than you think. Sea waves and one or more systems of swell waves are frequently present at the same time. However, they might be difficult to distinguish if the angle between their direction of approach is shallow, in which case they might appear to come from essentially the same direction. Besides, swells gradually lose energy the further out they travel. As the swell wave advances, its crest becomes flattened and rounded and its surface smooth. In such condition a swell might be difficult to perceive.

Another reason why such a perfect grid-shaped cross sea is seldom seen is because of the presence of strong local wind that generates wind waves on top of the swell. This wind can be blowing from any direction and has the potential to break the well defined shape and direction associated with swells.

Finally, a cross sea can only been seen from afar or from the air. They are not easily visible from the beach. Here are a few examples that I have managed to find on the web.

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The Thousand Islands of St. Lawrence River

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 18:28:00 +0000

The Thousand Islands is an archipelago consisting of exactly 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada-U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about 80 km on St. Lawrence Seaway, but the largest clustering of islands falls between Cape Vincent and Alexandria Bay in the United States and Kingston and Rockport in Canada. The islands range in size from over 40 square miles to smaller islands occupied by a single residence, to even smaller uninhabited outcroppings of rocks that are home to migratory waterfowl. The number of islands was determined using the criteria that any island must be above water level all year round, have an area greater than 1 square foot, and support at least one living tree.

The largest of these islands is Wolfe Island which is about 29 km long and 9 km at its widest point. It has a resident population approximately 1400 people. By comparison, the very aptly named “Just Room Enough“ is the tiniest island that squeezes a single house and a couple of wrought-iron benches pushed hard up against the shingles onto its banks.

Another view of Just Room Enough Island

An undated picture of Just Room Enough Island.

A large number of these islands are inhabited, often bearing a single and at times a tiny house, and are serviced by ferry boats from the mainland. Today most of the islands boast of having hydro electric power and telephone service being carried by underwater cable from island to island.

Around twenty of these islands form the Thousand Islands National Park, the oldest of Canada's national parks east of the Rockies. The park hosts campgrounds, inland walking trails, annual family events, as well as a national heritage building. The Thousand Islands-Frontenac Arch region was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2002.

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From The Sketchbook of a World War 2 Soldier

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Sat, 25 Feb 2017 19:57:00 +0000

From The Sketchbook of a World War 2 Soldier

Victor A. Lundy is best known for his modernist architecture —the imposing rectangles of the United States Tax Court Building in Washington, D.C., the angular shapes of the Church of the Resurrection Harlem in New York City, and the mushroom-styled umbrellas around the entrance of the Warm Mineral Springs Motel in Sarasota County, Florida. Born in New York City, Victor Lundy had a keen interest in drawing which he nurtured throughout his childhood. He eventually attended New York University to study architecture before he was sent off to the frontlines of World War 2. After returning from the war, Lundy graduated from Harvard University and went to Sarasota to make a name for himself. But a part of his life that deserves more than a passing mention are the years he spent serving as a soldier in the U.S. 26th Infantry Division during World War II.

In 1942, Victor A. Lundy was nineteen year old, studying to be an architect in New York University. The war had got him excited, because it provided him an opportunity to rebuild Europe after the war. Eager not to miss the chance, he and other college men enlisted in the Army Special Training Program (ASTP), only to find themselves thrown into the infantry. Lundy was horrified, and later recalled that during his training, he "never listened, I was busy sketching." But soon, "I sort of took to it. ... war experience just hypnotizes young men."

Lundy sketched his way through the war drawing whatever was around him forced marches, men at rest, and French villages. When a surgeon noticed his sketches while Lundy was getting treated for his war injuries, he was recruited to sketch a new medical

procedure the surgeon was developing, allowing Lundy to miss eight dangerous months on the front.

Lundy filled up more than two dozen spiral bound sketchbooks, 3 inches by 5 inches in size, out of which eight have survived. He donated these, containing a total of 158 pencil sketches, to the Library of Congress in 2009.

Many years later, after Lundy became a renowned American architect, he donated his visual diary of 158 pencil sketches to the Library of Congress. The eight surviving spiral sketchbooks (some were lost) are 3 x 5 inches and easily fit in his breast pocket. Sketching in pencil from May to November 1944, beginning with his training at For Jackson Carolina to vivid portraits of the frontline in France, Lundy says, “For me, drawing is sort of synonymous with thinking.”

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The Forgotten Tunnel Under Naples Filled With Vintage Cars

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 09:58:00 +0000

One hundred and fifty meters from the large public square of Piazza del Plebiscito in central Naples, Italy, is an entrance that descends about thirty meters under the ground to the short Bourbon Tunnel, consisting of around 530 meters of giant passageways, huge caves and narrow culverts.

. Built in the middle of the 19th century, the tunnel was largely forgotten after the end of the Second Word War, until its rediscovery in the early 2000s.

The tunnel was conceived as an escape route from the Royal Palace, by the then King of the Two Sicilies, Ferdinand II of Bourbon, who was extremely paranoid about being overthrown by the riot-happy populace of Sicily and Naples, during the tumultuous Napoleonic period. Since 1816, there had been three revolutions against the Bourbon rule, and a very violent one in 1848, where the revolutionists seized the kingdom for 16 months. After coming back to power in 1849, Ferdinand II hastily rewrote a new constitution and began making plans for a safe escape should the people rise in revolt again.

The king ordered an escape tunnel to be dug through the volcanic rock beneath the streets of Naples making use of parts of the existing Carmignano aqueduct system the city had since the early 1600s. The tunnel was supposed to connect the Royal Palace to the military barracks on what is now Via Morelli. But before it could be completed, Ferdinand II died, in 1859, and the tunnel was abandoned. Shortly after, Sicily was invaded by a corps of volunteers and incorporated into the new Kingdom of Italy.

The tunnels remained disused until the beginning of the 1930s, when they became a warehouse for impounded and contraband vehicles. During World War II, the subterranean space was converted into a military hospital and a bomb shelter. After the war, the tunnels became a dumping ground of wartime rubble including building debris, old televisions sets and refrigerators, destroyed cars and motorcycles, and pro-fascists marble statues before it was sealed up and forgotten.

Today, these tunnels with their accumulated debris have been turned into a gallery known as Galleria Borbonica, where the public can see interesting displays of vintage cars and motorbikes, old shelter spots, ancient cisterns and much more.

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The Unconditional Surrender

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 18:53:00 +0000

On San Diego’s harbor, right next to the maritime museum aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway, stands a 25-foot-tall statue depicting a sailor kissing a nurse. The sculpture titled "Unconditional Surrender” is based on a famous photograph clicked by Alfred Eisenstaedt in Times Square of New York, on August 14, 1945, after U.S. President Harry S. Truman announced the end of World War II. The photograph appeared on the 1945 issue of Life magazine, and since then it has become one of the most iconic image of America’s victory celebration.

But "Unconditional Surrender”, as well as the original photograph, has been drawing heat from women’s right groups as well as other vocal members of the public, in recent years, for depicting what appears to have been a sexual assault rather than a celebration of love between two willing partners.

As news of Japan's surrender and the end of the brutal conflict spread throughout America, people began to spill out on to the streets to celebrate. Amid joy and relief, booze flowed, people danced, kisses were planted. But some of the jubilation quickly devolved into riots, and some into unprovoked acts of assault, as in the case of 21-year-old Austrian-American and dental hygienist Greta Zimmer Friedman. Like others, Greta too was celebrating the end of World War II in Times Square when a sailor, later recognized as George Mendosa, grabbed her by the waist and delivered a forced kiss.

Life photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt managed to capture the moment in his camera. Later, Eisenstaedt wrote:

"I was walking through the crowds on V-J Day, looking for pictures. I noticed a sailor coming my way. He was grabbing every female he could find and kissing them all–young girls and old ladies alike. Then I noticed the nurse, standing in that enormous crowd. I focused on her and just as I’d hoped, the sailor came along, grabbed the nurse, and bent down to kiss her."

Controversy ignited in 2012 when a London-based blogger argued that the picture depicted not a moment of romance, but a “sexual assault by modern standards,” pointing to extracts from Greta Friedman’s interview where she said things like — “It wasn’t my choice to be kissed,” and “That

man was very strong. I wasn’t kissing him. He was kissing me.” Friedman also described his embrace as a “vice-like” grip from which she couldn’t escape. Mendonsa himself admits to having been intoxicated at the time.
Neither Mendonsa nor Friedman were aware of the photograph or their role in history until many decades later. In 1980, when Life put out a request asking the subjects of the photo to come forward, one of Mendonsa’s friend showed him the photograph. Mendonsa recognized himself in the photo and contacted the magazine. Although many had come forward, calming to be the famous sailor, Mendonsa was decisively identified due to his matching scars and tattoos.

Likewise, three women came forward claiming to be the nurse, but Greta Friedman had already recognized herself in the photo when she saw it the 1960s. It was many years later before her identity was confirmed.

Greta Friedman, however, doesn’t believe Mendonsa was sexually assaulting her because she

George Mendosa, the sailor, and Greta Zimmer Friedman, the nurse

understood the circumstances in which the act was performed.

“I was grabbed by a sailor, and it wasn't that much of a kiss, it was more of a jubilant act that he didn't have to go back [to the Pacific]”, she said in an interview to The Library of Congress. “It was just somebody really celebrating,” she added.

Over the years the photograph became an enduring symbol of the joy and relief felt by a nation at the end of the war. The famous image has even been commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp.

The sculpture “Unconditional Surrender” created in the likeness of the famous kiss was designed by American artist Seward Johnson, who is also responsible for the controversial 26-foot-tall sculpture at Palm Springs, California, of Marilyn Monroe trying to hold down her skirt against a gust of wind. The sculpture titled “Forever Marilyn” was criticized by citizens for its provocative stance which gave viewers the chance to gawk at her lacy underwear.

“Unconditional Surrender” was originally built out of styrofoam for a temporary exhibition in Sarasota, Florida in 2005. Sensing a possible interest in the sculpture, Johnson offered three different versions made out of three different materials —styromfoam, aluminum, and bronze— at three different prices, for any body who would like to have the sculpture installed in their cities or towns. Sarasota bought the aluminum version and installed it in Island Park, on the bay front by the Marina. It was struck down by a car in 2012, but is now replaced.

But the bronze copy that San Diego bought for $1 million is the most famous. Other copies of “Unconditional Surrender” have appeared in Hamilton, New Jersey, Pearl Harbor, and in Caen, France.

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The Catacombs of Odessa

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Sun, 09 Oct 2016 17:24:00 +0000

Underneath the city of Odessa, in Ukraine, is an extensive network of tunnels believed to be the largest catacomb system in the world. Largely unmapped and spread haphazardly under the city, the huge maze of underground passages extends for over 2,500 kilometers. If it were laid out in a straight line the tunnels would reach all the way to Paris. Incidentally, Paris is also the place where the world's second largest catacombs are located. But Odessa’s catacombs are five times longer than those in Paris.

Mining continued throughout the entire 19th century and into the 20th, until the outbreak of the Russian Revolution of 1917. The mines fell into the hands of criminals and vagabonds who began to use the underground to meet and smuggle goods. At one time these dark and dingy tunnels were even used by slave traders.

When the Nazis arrived in Odessa and began massacring the city’s population, the catacombs served as hiding place for Soviet partisans fighting the axis forces. The hideouts were turned into

comfortable living spaces by the guerilla fighters. There were recreation rooms where men played checkers, chess, or dominoes by candlelight. Rooms for accommodation had shelves cut into the walls where men and women slept. Kitchens were equipped with stoves made of limestone and smoke was vented into empty chambers above. There was even a hospital and an operating theater.

Some of the tunnels have been reconstructed today, allowing visitors to see the exact conditions that the partisans lived in. At the ‘Museum of Partisan Glory’ near Nerubayskoye, there's a kilometer-long section of catacomb neatly arranged with period-costume dummies and rusty WWII weapons.

There are more than a thousand known entrances leading into the mysterious labyrinth filled with hidden caves, where modern explorers routinely discover century-old artifacts such as coins, tools, items of clothing, cooking pots and utensils, rifles from World War II, and old newspapers.

Going into the tunnels without a guide is extremely dangerous. It’s all to easy to wander into the darkness and never return.

Amateur map of a section from the Odessa catacombs.

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Yareta, The 3,000 Years Old Plant

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Sun, 09 Oct 2016 16:20:00 +0000

These rocks on the highlands of the Andes looks like they are covered with moss. Actually, they are a type of flowing plant known as Yareta and it lives in colonies which can be thousands of years old.

Yareta (Azorella compacta), also known as "Llareta" in Spanish, is a flowering plant that belongs to the family Apiaceae. It grows in the cold Puna grasslands of the Andes in Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile, and western Argentina at altitudes between 3,200 and 4,500 meters, where the wind blows unceasingly and the cold cracks even granite. To survive the extreme conditions, Yareta grows in packs so dense that its stems can take the weight of a human. The plant keeps close to the ground in order to retain as much heat in as possible. This also helps to resist the powerful high altitude wind, which would tear up the roots of any plant. To prevents moisture loss through evaporation the Yareta has wax covered leaves.

Another trick the Yareta has learned to survive the inhospitable mountains of the Andes is to grow

extremely slowly, almost at a geological pace of 1.5 cm a year. A large blob of Yareta growing on

the rocks can thus be thousands of years old. Many Yaretas are estimated to be over 3,000 years old.

Because the Yareta is dry and dense, it burns well, like peat, and was traditionally harvested for fuel. The amount of yareta being removed had become so significant that it threatened the very existence of the plant. Yareta is now a protected species and being such a slow grower, it has also made it to the endangered list.

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Colma, The Town of The Dead

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 12:28:00 +0000

South of San Francisco, near Daly City, lies the small town of Colma where the dead outnumbers the living by a thousand to one. It’s less than 2 square miles in size, but crammed within it are as many as 17 cemeteries where rest the bodies of more than 1.5 million souls.

Nearly all of the dead were once proud residents of San Francisco, both during their lifetime and after. But at the turn of the last century, the city passed an ordinance that banished all dead from within city limits. The government argued that cemeteries spread disease, but the true motive for the eviction was the rising value of real estate —land in San Francisco was too precious to waste on dead people.

Hundreds of thousands of dead bodies were dug up and transported to vacant lands south of the city and the town of Colma began to take shape. For the better part of the century, Colma’s residents were mainly gravediggers, flower growers and monument makers. It was only after the 1980s, that other types of people and businesses began settling next to the dead. Today, the little

town has many thriving businesses, including car dealerships and shopping centers. In recent years, Colma has held many boxing events.

The history of Colma actually goes back to the middle of the 19th century, and begins with the California gold rush of 1849. The lure of quick riches brought hundred of thousands of prospectors, merchants and other immigrants from all over the world to California. Tens of thousands ended up in San Francisco. But gold seeking was not an easy business. Thousands died from accidents while others succumbed to diseases such as cholera, and San Francisco, then a small settlement of about 200 residents, found itself in need for more cemeteries. More than two dozen cemeteries were established and they were nearly filled to their capacity.

Cemetery owners than started looking towards Colma, a small community of homes and small businesses along El Camino Real and the adjacent railroad line. The first cemetery, the Holy Cross, was established in 1887.

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The Orange Rocks of Bay of Fires

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 11:29:00 +0000

The Bay of Fires, on the northeastern coast of Tasmania in Australia, is a large bay that extends for about 30 km from Binalong Bay in the south to Eddystone Point in the north. The bay was named by the British navigator and explorer Captain Tobias Furneaux, in 1773, when he noticed numerous fires along the coast, which led him to believe that the country was densely populated.

Evidence of settlement by aboriginal people can still be seen along the coast.

The Bay of Fires is characterized by white beaches, blue water and huge granite blocks that are colored bright orange by lichens. Perhaps, Captain Tobias Furneaux named the bay after these fiery red rocks. Who knows?

Lichens are a combination of algae and fungus that live together in a symbiotic relationship. The algae provides food by photosynthesis, while the fungus provides a protected environment for the algae. The combined life form has properties that are very different from the properties of its component organisms. Lichens are classified by their fungal component and are given the same scientific name as the fungus species in the lichen, irrespective of what alga lives in the fungus.

The lichens responsible for the orange hue in the rocks of Bay of Fires belong to the family Hymeneliaceae. The color is contained in their thallus, which is the vegetative part of the body. Lichens are grouped by thallus type, since the thallus is usually the most visually prominent part of the lichen. But in some lichens, the thallus is difficult to distinguish. As a result many lichens remain unclassified.

Aside from lichens, there is a wealth of local wildlife to discover around the bay area, including birds, corals and the rich marine diversity that the reefs attract.

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TRUE or FALSE: Siq, Petra’s Spectacular Gorge

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 10:58:00 +0000

TRUE or FALSE: Siq, Petra’s Spectacular Gorge: The ancient city of Petra, located in the heart of the mountainous desert of southern Jordan, had different approaches in the past. One po...

Siq, Petra’s Spectacular Gorge

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 10:55:00 +0000

The ancient city of Petra, located in the heart of the mountainous desert of southern Jordan, had different approaches in the past. One possible route was from the south, across the plain of Petra and around Jabal Haroun or Aaron's Mountain. Another approach was from the high plateau to the north. But modern visitors approach Petra from the east, through a narrow gorge called the Siq, that ends dramatically in front of the elaborate ruins of the “Treasury” or Al-Khazneh in Arabic.

The Siq is not really a gorge because it was not formed by water erosion but by tectonic forces that caused the sandstone mountain to split in half creating a deep, narrow pathway. Later, water from flash floods gradually rounded the sharp edges of the gorge into smooth curves.

The entrance to the Siq once contained a monumental arch, but it collapsed in 1896 following an earthquake. Only the two abutments and some hewn stones of the arch remain.

The path through the Sig meanders for 1.2 km between beautifully-colored sandstone cliffs that tower 150 meters on either side. The Siq is no more than 3 meters wide on average, but occasionally the path widens enough to allow in warm sunlight and even a tree. In other places, it becomes so narrow that one can touch both walls with arms outstretched.

Along the way are several archaeological artifacts such as ancient water aqueducts that run along the sides of the canyon and brought water down to the center of Petra. Small niches are carved out of the rock, high up the ground and can only be accessed by stairs. There are also remnants of what must have been large and impressive statues. Along the Siq are also some underground chambers, whose function is not clear. It’s thought that they housed the guards that defended the main entrance to Petra.

As one approaches the end of the Siq, a thin sliver of the Treasury comes into view through the narrow opening. Upon exiting the Siq, visitors can have full view of its jaw-dropping grandeur.

The Treasury was originally built as a mausoleum and crypt, but legend of it containing ancient riches had earned it its current name. The loot was rumored to be hidden inside a stone urn high on the second level. Local Bedouin tribes had tried to test the theory by shooting at the urn in hopes of breaking it open and spilling out the "treasure”. But the decorative urn is, in fact, solid sandstone. Its façade is now riddled with bullet holes.

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The Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 12:00:00 +0000

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a submarine ridge located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, that wraps around the globe for more than 65,000 km like the seam of a baseball. It is the longest and the most extensive chain of mountains on earth, but being located underwater, more than 90% of this mountain range remains hidden from view. There are only a few places on earth where it juts out of the surface of the ocean, in the form of a few islands, one of which is Iceland.

Iceland represents the largest portion of the mid-Atlantic ridge exposed above sea level. Formed from volcanic eruptions on the Mid-Atlantic ridge, about 24 million years ago, it is one of the few places where you can stand on the ridge on dry land. This makes Iceland very special and a popular place for geologists and scientists.

This is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. A visitor stands between the two tectonic plates.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is geologically significant because it marks the boundary where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and separate. Volcanic eruptions at this boundary create new ocean floor and at the same time push the two tectonic plates apart at rates of 1 cm to 20 cm per year, a process known as sea-floor spreading. As oceanic plates move apart, rock melts and wells up from tens of kilometers deep producing enormous volcanic eruptions of basalt, and building the longest chain of volcanoes in the world.

The place where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is best visible is at Thingvellir National Park, in southwestern Iceland. The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can

be clearly seen in the cracks or faults which traverse the region, the largest one, Almannagjá, being a veritable canyon.

The section of the ridge that includes the island of Iceland is known as the Reykjanes Ridge. The ridge is spreading at an average rate of about 2.5 cm per year. Over the past 10,000 years the Thingvellir Rift Valley has widened by 230 feet (70 m) and sunk by 131 feet (40 m). Not only is the mid-ocean ridge changing the geography of Iceland, it’s also responsible for the volcanic activity which created the island. As the two tectonic plates shift, fissures periodically form in the crust that allow molten rock from underground to surface as lava, creating Iceland's many volcanoes. Iceland is one of the most geologically active places on Earth with more than 15 volcanoes that have erupted in the last century.

Map of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, running from top to bottom, between the continents of North/South America and Africa.

Visitors walking next to the North American plate. On the right is the Eurasian plate

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Japan’s Notorious Taiji Dolphin Hunt

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 07:29:00 +0000

One of the most infamous dolphin hunting season has begun on the small coastal town of Taiji, in southwestern Japan. Hundreds of dolphins are herded into a small cove by fishermen on boats and then slaughtered for meat or captured to be sold to aquariums and marine parks around the

world. These annual hunts last for six months, from the beginning of September through the end of February, during which close to two thousand dolphins are killed.

The hunt takes place early morning, usually before sunrise. A small group of fishermen get into a dozen motorized boats and head towards the region where dolphins are known to migrate. Once a pod of dolphin is found, the fishermen lower several stainless steel poles into the water and strike them with mallets. The noise disrupts the dolphin's sonar throwing off their navigation and causing them to panic. This enables the fishermen to drive the panicked dolphins towards the bay which leads to a sheltered cove. Once inside, the mouth of the cove is sealed with nets trapping the dolphins inside.

At this point, the dolphins are too agitated to hunt. So the fishermen leave them to cool off for the night. The next morning, the fishermen enter the bay in small boats, and kill the dolphins one at a time. In the past, the fishermen used to stab the dolphins with sharp hooks and harpoons and bleed them to death turning the waters of the cove red with blood. Protests and condemnation against this practice has forced the fishermen to adopt a different killing technique. Nowadays, the dolphins are killed by driving a long metal rod into the cervical region of the dolphin, severing its brainstem, which supposedly kills them within seconds. In realty, the dolphins thrash about in agonizing pain for several minutes. To prevent spilling blood into the cove and turning it red, which would look really bad and inhumane, the fishermen push wooden corks into the wounds.

Aside from the physical pain, the dolphins undergo extreme psychological distress. The hunters would often release the smaller and younger dolphins and kill only the larger adults as they provided more meat. The released animals are traumatized and stressed by the hunts and rarely survive for long without the support of their pod. A pod is not just a random collection of dolphins, but is largely built on dolphin families with very close relations. When dolphins within a pod die, members of the pod exhibit signs of grieving and distress just like humans do.

The gruesome hunting was secretly filmed by National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos in 2009 for the Academy Award-winning documentary “The Cove”. Since the release of the documentary, the hunt has created an outrage across the world. Millions of people, animal activists and organizations have demanded that the hunting be stopped. But this isn’t going to happen, because it’s a multi-million-dollar industry and is supported by the Japanese government.

The government issues permits to hunt dolphins, whales and other marine animals. About 1,800 permits for dolphin are issued per year. Along with porpoises and other small whales, the total number of permits issued for a single hunting season exceeds well over 16,000. This is a significant drop from 23,000 permits that were annually issued at the time the documentary was made.

The fall in demand for dolphin meat is largely due to efforts from non-profit organizations and activists who have been educating the Japanese people about the dangers of eating mercury-contaminated dolphin meat. In 2015, the World Association of Zoos an Aquariums (WAZA) also banned the buying and selling of dolphins from the controversial hunt, after protests and pressure from global organizations. But there are still plenty of marine parks that do not belong to WAZA and are ready to buy dolphins from Taiji.

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Giant Crystal Cave in the Mexican Desert

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 06:50:00 +0000

Nearly 1,000ft below the Chihuahua Desert in Mexico, a gigantic cave was discovered by two brothers drilling in the Naica lead and silver mine in 2007-2008. It was an eerie sight. Obelisks shaped crystals up to 37 feet (11 meter) in length and the equivalent height of six men jutted out from the damp rock walls, and there were hundreds of blade-sharp crystals.

The giant obelisks are formed from groundwater saturated in calcium sulphate which filtered through the cave system millions of years ago. These water warmed by an intrusion of magma about a mile below, began filtering through the cave system millions of years ago. When, about 600,000 years ago, the magma began to cool, the minerals started to precipitate out of the water, and over the centuries the tiny crystals they formed grew and grew until 1985, when miners unwittingly drained the cave as they lowered the water table with mine pumps.

Because the crystals resemble giant icicles, the picture suggests it must be very cold inside the Cave of Crystals - but appearances can be deceptive. In fact, the temperature is a sweltering 112F, with a humidity of 90-100 per cent. The cavers had to wear protective suits and carry backpacks of ice-cooled air.

The cave has now been fitted with a heavy steel door to preserve this beautiful wonder for generations to come.

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The World’s Longest Surfing Wave at Chicama, Peru

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 05:47:00 +0000

The small coastal town of Puerto Chicama, in northwestern Peru, is home to the longest, the most perfect, left-breaking wave in the world. Here, the wave stretches for about 2.2 km from the point —an isolated rocky outcrop where the wave breaks— to a long pier on the barren coast, where the wave ends. Locals confirm that the entire distance has been ridden on a single wave. The whole cape upon which the waves break, to their most westernmost end, is actually 4 km long, although no one has ever ridden it for that distance.

An endless series of left-breaking swells is a common sight at Chicama. “If you fall off or need a rest, just wait for the next wave coming right behind and off you go again! It is a dream,” —Ben Herrgott, an Australian surfer.

The duck whispher

The surfing potential of Chicama was first discovered in 1965 by Hawaiian surfer Chuck Shipman. Legend has it that Shipman was peering out of the window of plane when he noticed an impossibly long left-breaking wave (waves are either left or right, depending on which direction the wave breaks from the point of view of the surfer riding the wave). He asked the pilot about the place, and once he got to Hawaii, Shipman consulted a large detailed map of Peru, and identified a couple of promising headlands.

Shipman then wrote to his friends in Peru and urged them to explore the northwestern coast. The first attempt failed to find the unmarked dirt road to Chicama, but later, another group of surfers found the way to the promising surf spot. Since then Chicama has also a popular surf destination.

The wave at Chicama is divided into multiple sections. The very outside point is called “Malpaso”, which breaks for about 150 meters. The next point toward town is called “Keys”, which breaks for another 600 meters before hitting deep water. Then comes “the Point” which is about a kilometer long and considered the best part of the wave. Finally, there is “El Hombre”. The waves usually doesn’t connect, but when the swell is over six feet high, which is quite rare, one can ride all the way to the pier on a single wave. The ride can last ride for three to five minutes —an eternity for a surfer.

Early this year, the legendary wave at Chicama became the world’s first nationally protected surf break, when the Peruvian government passed a law forbidding any construction within a kilometer of the shoreline that could potentially affect the way the wave breaks along the coast line. The government also plans to protect five other waves. Eventually the country hopes to have 130 protected wave.

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KAYAKOY: A Greek ghost town in Turkey

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 05:47:00 +0000

KAYAKOY: A GREEK GHOST TOWN IN TURKEY

Eight km to the south of Fethiye city in southwestern Turkey lies the ruins of around five hundred houses belonging to the once thriving community of Livissi, consisting mostly of Greek Orthodox Christians. Livissi, now known as Kayakoy or the Rock Village, was built probably in the 18th century on the site of the ancient city of Lebessus, and is thought to have been the place where the inhabitants of Byzantine Gemiler Island fled to escape the marauding pirates. After a devastating earthquake and fire left Fethiye a wasted land, many moved to Livissi and the town grew. During its heydays, Livissi had a population of 10,000 or 20,000 according to different sources.

Before the First World War, there were many Greek populations living peacefully across the whole of western Turkey. But when War started, these Greeks suddenly found themselves in enemy land and at mercy of the Ottomans. Several hundred thousand Greeks were massacred during the war as part of ethnic cleansing carried out by the Turks. Some fled to Greece. Others were forcibly deported.

The inhabitants of Livissi were driven out from their homes and marched on foot to another location 220 km away. Many perished, succumbing to hunger and fatigue, during these death marches.

After Turkey’s defeat in the War and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Greeks decided to go land grabbing and invaded Turkey. A full-scale war followed —the Greco-Turkish War— lasting three years, during which untold number of horrible crimes were committed by both Greeks and Turks against each other —mass murders, rapes, butchering, burning down of cities and the usual.

Eventually, a peace treaty was signed in 1923, and both countries came to an agreement to exchange population. Over one million Greek Orthodox Christians living in Turkey were to return to Greece. In a similar fashion, about 500,000 Muslims would have to leave Greek territories and go back to Turkey.

By the time the war ended, Livissi was more or less abandoned. The few remaining families were once again forcibility deported. When the Greeks left, the Muslim deportees from Greece landed on Livissi. However, the Muslims, accustomed to large and fertile fields in their former land, found this hilly and rocky town unfit to live, and abandoned the place in favor of other regions. In 1957, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake delivered Livissi its final blow, destroying most of the town’s buildings.

The town of Livissi, now renamed Kayakoy, remains deserted but preserved as a museum and a historical monument. Unfortunately, the Turkish government has been cooking up some terrible plans to turn part of the historic town into a tourist attraction with hotels, shops and other facilities.

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Orda Cave: World's Longest Underwater Gypsum Cave in Russia

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 08:24:00 +0000

A team of daring cave divers working on Orda Cave Awareness Project have produced an incredible series of photos of the longest underwater gypsum crystal cave in the world. Located near Orda village in Perm region, Ural, Orda Cave is also the biggest underwater gypsum crystal cave in the world and second in Eurasia in terms of volumes of its galleries that stretch up to five kilometers.

Over a period of six months, famous underwater photographer, journalist and dive-instructor Victor Lyagushkin led the team of cave divers and took stunning images of the cave at less than zero degree temperature.

The location of the cave in Ural region, which is known for rich mineral deposits in Russia, may be linked to the gypsum content in Orda Cave, which has transparent water because of the mineral. The water is so clear divers can see over 50 yards ahead of them.

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Lady Of The Lake: The Ghostly Remains of a B-29 Superfortress

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 08:05:00 +0000

The “Lady of the Lake” is what remains of a B-29 weather reconnaissance aircraft that rests in the middle of an Alaskan lake near Eielson Air Force Base.

The aircraft formerly belonging to Eielson's 58th WRS. In 1957, many of the B-29s were replaced by B-50s, a larger version of the B-29. Although the two airplane models looked alike, most parts were not interchangeable. After World War II, many B-29s were stripped of all their useful parts, so that they could be recycled as production of new parts were stopped. By the time the B-50s arrived, parts cannibalization on B-29s was standard practice, just to keep the remaining planes of the fleet flying.

The “Lady of the Lake” was one such unfortunate aircraft. With all the useful parts removed, and with no chance of replacement, the plane was removed from the active aircraft inventory. At that time, almost all of the flights originating out of Eielson AFB were reconnaissance flights traveling over open water, either over the Arctic Ocean, or the North Pacific Ocean. It was decided that the grounded B-29 be used for open water extraction practice.

The plane was hauled out to its present location - a gravel pit off Transmitter Road - via the railroad, and set up in a shallow pond for training purposes. Unfortunately, rain water collected in the pool around the aircraft forming a small pond. Soon the water level became too high to continue the extraction training, and the plane was abandoned in place, where it subsequently became known as “The Lady of the Lake”.

Over the years, a certain mystic rose around the plane, and many different theories came about as to its origins. According to a running rumor, the aircraft was practicing touch-and-go landings when the front landing gear of a B-29P buckled, sending the temporary duty aircraft careening across the Eielson runway into a snowbank. Towing operations damaged the aircraft even more, and base officials decided to condemn the aircraft and strip it of usable parts. As the story goes, several years later the B-29 was hauled to a gravel pit where a lake formed around the dilapidated aircraft.

This story is not true. According to Air Force records, the plane broke down in September 1954 and was declared a permanent loss due to wear and tear on November 15 the same year. When it was towed to its present location is unknown.

A B-29 Superfortress in flight.

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The Christmas Tree Worm

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 07:53:00 +0000

Scientifically that are calledspirobranchus giganteus, but they are better known by their colloquial name — Christmas tree worm. The worm is so called not because they feed on fig trees but because they look like them.

The spirobranchus giganteuslive in the ocean and sports two magnificent spirals of plumes that protrude from its tube-like body and which look like tiny Christmas trees. These plumes are composed of hair-like appendages called radioles that radiate from the worm’s central spine, and help the animal to grab food, which typically consists of microscopic plants, or phytoplankton, floating in the water. The plumes are also used for respiration. Measuring less than 4 cm in height, they come in many colors including orange, yellow, blue, and white and, are easily spotted due to their shape, beauty, and color.

The Christmas tree worm doesn’t like to move about much. Once they find a good place on a live calcareous coral, they burrow a hole and live their for the rest of their lives, occasionally emerging from their home to catch passing plankton with their fully extended plumes. They are very sensitive to disturbances and will rapidly retract into their burrows at the slightest touch or passing shadow.

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The Ghost Town of Bodie

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 16:49:00 +0000

One of America’s most beautiful abandoned town, now a protected State Historic Park, is Bodie, located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Mono County, California.

Bodie was founded by W. S. Bodey, initially as a mining camp,

after he discovered gold near a place that is now called Bodie Bluff in 1859. Unfortunately, the poor man died in a snow storm that very winter and never saw the rise of the town that was named after him. Legend has it that a sign painter misspelled the name as “Bodie”, while other sources claim that the change in spelling was deliberate in order to ensure correct pronunciation.

Bodie’s growth was slow for the first seventeen years, and was home to only about twenty miners, until a significant vein of gold-rich ore was discovered. The new discovery transformed Bodie

from an isolated mining camp to a booming town of the wild west, and soon miners, their families, gamblers, businessmen, as well as robbers, gunslingers and prostitutes flocked to the area in search of fortune. By 1879, Bodie had a population of approximately 10,000 people and around 2,000 buildings with amenities like banks, fire companies, churches, a railroad, several daily newspapers, and breweries. At one time, there was reported to be 65 saloons in town that lined the town’s main street, which was a mile long.

Eventually, Bodie gained a reputation for violence and lawlessness. Murders, shootouts, barroom brawls, and stagecoach holdups were regular occurrences. Its brothels, gambling halls, and opium dens were popular among the townsfolk.

Bodie’s golden years didn’t last long. By 1882, it had already

started to decline as several smaller mining companies went bankrupt and people began to leave the town in search of better opportunities. At the same time new boomtowns in Montana, Arizona and Utah lured the workers away from Bodie. By 1910, less than 1,000 people lived here. Then a devastating fire in 1932 wiped out 90% of the town’s buildings, and people packed what they could into their wagon and truck and moved out. Despite the declining population and diminishing profits, some of the mines continued operating until the war forced them to close in 1942.

Today, Bodie is one of the most authentic and best preserved town in the West. Most of the buildings that survived the fire still stand,

and aside from the dust and decay, it looks much the same as it did over 50 years ago when the last residents left. In 1961, the town was designated a National Historic Landmark, and in 1962 it became Bodie State Historic Park.

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Hoba Meteorite is the Largest Meteorite on Earth

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 16:16:00 +0000

The Hoba Meteorite lies on the farm "Hoba West", not far from Grootfontein, in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. It was uncovered by farmer Jacobus Hermanus Brits while tilling one of

his fields behind his ox in 1920 when his plough got stuck. The meteorite was excavated soon after but because of it was so massive – about 60 tons - it was never moved. The Hobe meteorite is not only the largest known meteorite but also the most massive naturally-occurring piece of iron known at the Earth's surface.

The Hoba meteorite is thought to have landed less than 80,000 years ago. Curiously, the meteorite left no visible crater. It is speculated that the meteorite entered the Earth’s atmosphere at a very shallow angle, slowed down by the atmosphere to the point that it fell to the surface at terminal velocity, thereby remaining intact and causing little excavation. The meteorite is unusual in that it is flat on both major surfaces, possibly causing it to have skipped across the top of the atmosphere in the way a flat stone skips on water.

The meteorite measures 8 feet 9 inches by 3 feet. In 1920 its mass was estimated at 66 tons. Erosion, scientific sampling and vandalism have reduced its bulk over the years to an estimated 60 tons. Marks of iron saws can be recognized easily at many places on the meteorite surface.

In the attempt to control vandalism, the Hoba meteorite was declared a National Monument in 1955. However, vandalizing of

the meteorite continued until the Rössing Foundation funded a thoroughly restoration and preservation of the meteorite in 1988. Later that year, a tourist centre was opened at the site. For a small fee the Hoba iron can be visited, touched and even climbed for spectacular photo shooting. The Hoba meteorite is now visited by thousands of tourists every year.

Close up pictures of the Hoba meteorite shows marks, cuts and signs of vandalism

A group of German geologists at the Hoba, back in 1929

Early traveller visiting the exposed Hoba meteorite, around 1955

Photo before preservation, about 1960

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Lenin's Hut in Razliv

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 16:20:00 +0000

In July 1917, after an armed demonstration by the Bolsheviks in St. Petersburg against the Russian Provincial Government turned violent, the Provisional Government issued an order for the arrest of more than forty prominent leaders of the Bolshevik Party,

including Vladimir Lenin. To evade arrest and prosecution, Lenin and a fellow senior Bolshevik, Grigory Zinoviev, escaped St. Petersburg in disguise, but they didn’t went very far. Lenin decided to shelter just outside the city, in a small village called Razliv, so that could be in constant touch with party workers and keep abreast of the situation in the capital. He took refugee at the home of another Bolshevik worker, Nikolai Yemelyanov, who worked at the nearby Sestroretsk arms factory.

Lenin spent a few days in the hayloft of Yemelyanov’s barn, but when rumors reached St. Petersburg that Lenin was working as a fitter in the arms factory, it became obvious that couldn't stay there for long because Yemelyanov’s residence could be searched at any moment. So Yemelyanov transferred Lenin and Zinoviev in the guise of Finnish mowers to the deserted south-eastern shore of a lake. There, by the lakeside, in a small clearing surrounded by dense bushes, Yemelyanov helped Lenin and Zinoviev build a small hut from branches and covered with hay. A haystack was erected next to the hut, because Lenin and his friend would be living as Finnish peasant making hay.

Lenin tried to make the best he could of things. Two tree stumps served as table and chair. A large stack recess held papers and manuscripts brought to him by various members of Yemelyanov’s

family, who also provided food for the fugitives. Near the hut, a pot hung from stakes where tea was made. For relaxation, Lenin and Zinoviev helped Yemelyanov mow the hay. They even went swimming. But at night mosquitoes made life miserable.

“It didn't matter how you hid from them, they would always get to where they wanted and they would frequently eat you. But there was nothing that could be done about it; you simply had to submit,” remembered Yemelyanov.

Only rain provided them relief, but it also made everything wet as the hay roof leaked like a sieve. It was under these terrible condition that Lenin started working on the book "State and Revolution", an exposition on how he believed the socialist state would develop following the proletariat revolution, and how from that point on the state would gradually wither away leaving a pure Communist society.

Many leading Bolsheviks also came to visit Lenin in his hut under the cover of darkness. Yemelyanov’s son would stand guard, and at the sight of strangers would begin to whistle, imitating the call of a bird.

Once on a rainy day, Lenin was sitting inside the hut when a Cossack barged in to take shelter. When Lenin asked him what he

was doing, the Cossack said that he was hunting for someone named Lenin. When questioned about the crime Lenin had committed, he couldn’t answer. All he knew, he said, was that the fugitive was “muddled” and very dangerous and that he was somewhere in the neighborhood.

Following this incident, and the sufferings from rain and mosquitoes finally lead Lenin and Zinoviev to abandon their hut. They remained by the lake until 8 August 1917 and then moved to Finland.

After Lenin’s death, Yemelyanov’s barn was declared a historic monument and a museum was opened in 1925. Later in 1970 on the occasion of the 100th birth centenary of Lenin it was fully encased in glass.

Lenin's Hut didn't survive for long, so in 1928 a memorial in the form of a granite hut was built at the location of his hay hut. Later an exact replica of the actual hut was also created. In 1969, not far from the hut, a museum was opened.

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The Prehistoric Rock Art of Tassili N'Ajjer, Algeria

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 13:58:00 +0000

Tassili n'Ajjer is a vast desert plateau in southern Algeria, stretching from the borders with Niger and Libya to the east, to as far as Amguid in the west, covering an area of 72,000 sq. km. Thousands of years of changing Saharan climate and erosion have created stunning geological features with towering sandstone pillars, deep canyons and more than 300 natural arches.

Tassili n'Ajjer shot into worldwide fame in the 1930s, not for its landscape but for the precious collection of ancient rock art in the

area. Since their discovery, more than 15,000 petroglyphs and paintings have been identified representing 10,000 years of human history and environmental change. One of the most striking feature of these petroglyphs is the way they evolved with the change in climate.

The oldest art belongs to the so-called “Large Wild Fauna Period” (10,000-6,000 BC) characterized almost entirely by engravings of animals such as hippopotamus, crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes and rhinos, depicting the abundant wildlife at a time

when the Sahara was green and fertile. Humans appear as tiny figures dwarfed by the immensity of these animals and are often shown holding boomerangs or throwing sticks, clubs, axes or bows.

Overlapping with this era is the Round Head Period (8,000-6,000 BC) where human figures with elaborate attires took dominance. These figures ranged from a few centimeters to several meters tall. The majority of Round Head paintings portray people with round featureless heads and formless bodies. Some of the pieces seem to suggest shamanism with bodies flying through space or bowing before huge male figures that tower above them.

About 7,000 years ago, domesticated animals began to appear in the art. This period is known as the Pastoral Period. Rock art from this period reflects a changing attitude towards nature and property. Human figures became more prominent, and man was no longer shown as part of nature but portrayed as being above nature, yet

able to derive sustenance from it. Wild animals gave way to cattle and stock. Later drawings (3500 years ago) depicts horses and horse-drawn chariots. It’s unlikely that chariots were ever driven across the rocky Sahara, so researchers believe the figures of chariots and armed men are symbolic, representing ownership of land, or control of its inhabitants. As the climate became progressively drier, horses were replaced by camels as evident from the rock art from the most recent period about 2000 years ago.

Tassili N'Ajjer lies about 500 meters above the level of the desert. The plateau can only be reached by climbing on foot, with camping materials and supplies drawn by donkeys and camels. Large diurnal temperature variations and the absence of basic amenities make the trip extremely challenging, so only the young and the hardy attempt to reach it. Recent violence and insecurity in the country have further isolated Tassili N'Ajjer from the routes of most tourists.

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The Mysterious Caves of Mustang, Nepal

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 10:59:00 +0000

The Kingdom of Mustang, bordering the Tibetan plateau, is one of the most remote and isolated region of Nepalese Himalaya. Once an independent Buddhist kingdom, Mustang was annexed by Nepal at the end of the 18th century, but retained its status as a separate

principality until the 1950's when the area was more closely consolidated into Nepal. Because of its sensitive border location, Mustang was off-limits to foreigners until 1992. The relative isolation of the region from the outside world has helped Mustang preserve its ancient culture which is more closely tied to Tibet than to Nepal.

The landscape is also unlike anything that is to be found anywhere else in Nepal deep gorges carved by the Kali Gandaki River, and strangely sculptured rock formations. The cliffs’ face are pitted

with an estimated 10,000 ancient cave dwellings, some of which are perched more than 150 feet above the valley floor. No one knows who dug them, or how people even scaled the near vertical rock face to access them. Some of the caves appear almost impossible to reach even to experienced climbers.

Most of the caves are now empty, but others show signs of domestic habitation hearths, grain-storage bins, and sleeping spaces. Some caves were apparently used as burial chambers. The several dozen bodies that were found in these caves were all more

than 2,000 years old. They lay on wooden beds and decorated with copper jewelry and glass beads.

In other caves, skeletons dating from the 3rd to the 8th centuries, before Buddhism came to Mustang, had cut marks on the bones that may have been inflicted during the practice of sky burial, where the body’s flesh is sliced into small pieces and left to be eaten by vultures. Sky burial is still practiced in many remote regions in the Himalaya.

Archeologists believe that the caves in Mustang were used in three general periods. They were first used some 3,000 years ago as burial chambers. Then around 1,000 years ago, they became primarily living quarters, perhaps to escape battles and intruders

into the valley. Finally, by the 1400s, most people had moved into traditional villages and the caves became places of meditation. Some of these caves were turned into monasteries such as the Luri Gompa, the Chungsi Cave monastery and the Nyiphuk Cave Monastery, all of which were built around and inside the caves.

Luri Gompa is one of the most famous in Mustang. The monastery is set on a ledge, at least a hundred meter high from the ground, in one of the many natural pillar like sandstone structures. A winding footpath climbs all the way from the bottom of the valley to a single entrance door that leads into two interconnecting chambers.

The outer chamber contains a shrine, while the inner chamber the main treasure of Luri Gompa is beautifully decorated with a series of paintings depicting Indian Mahasiddhas saints who were said to have achieved siddhi, or extraordinary powers by meditation. No documentation pertaining to this mysterious gompa or monastery has been found, but the wall paintings appear to be have been made in the 14th century or even earlier.

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The Plague Island of Poveglia ( Scary Place to be discover )

Harold_nesmith@yahoo.com (Harold F. Bontuyan) — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 08:27:00 +0000

The island of Poveglia is one of the many small islands located in the Venetian Lagoon between Venice and Lido. It is believed to be haunted by the ghosts of thousands of people that allegedly died here when the island served as a quarantine colony for plague victims at the time of Napoleon, and later as an asylum for the mentally ill. The psychiatrist who ran the hospital was a psychopath who butchered and tortured his patients, and later took his own life by throwing himself from the island's bell tower. After the hospital closed, the island lay abandoned for nearly fifty years. Fishermen avoided it for fear of netting human bones. Now a new project hopes to transform this long forgotten and feared island into a dream university campus.

Poveglia Island first entered into history books in 421. The first inhabitants were refugees fleeing from the barbaric Hun invaders lead by the fearful ‘Attila the Hun’ who ravaged the mainland. These people escaped to the island and made it their home. For the next several centuries, Poveglia had a peaceful history. The people extracted salt, fished and grew food. The island's population began to grow, and so did its importance until 1379, when Venice came under attack from the Genoan fleet. The people of Poveglia were hastily removed to a safer place.

From 1645 on, the Venetian government built five octagonal forts to protect and control the entrances to the lagoon. The Poveglia octagon is one of four that still survive on the island.

In 1776 the Public Health Office opened a check point on the island to inspect all goods and people coming to and going from Venice by ship. In 1793, when several cases of plague was discovered on two of the ships, the infected were forcibly disembarked and temporarily confined to the island. When plague in Europe took pandemic proportion, the second time since the Black Death of the 14th century, Poveglia Island became the dumping ground for the diseased and the infected. An estimated 160,000 people lived and died here. The rumor is that nearly half of the soil contains human remains.

In 1922, the existing buildings on the island were converted into an asylum for the mentally ill, which constinued to function until 1968, when the hospital was closed. For almost half a century, Poveglia remained isolated, long enough for vegetation to invade every inch of the island and the buildings.

For the last few years, the island has been subject to various reclamation projects. None have been implemented yet. In 2014, an Italian businessman, Luigi Brugnaro, bought lease of the island for

99 years with the intention of developing it into some kind of public use. Now the Young Architects association has launched a competition inviting architects to submit ideas for a university campus on the island. We are not sure whether the project is actually backed by Luigi Brugnaro, or is just a mean to showcase talent.

Note!

Many online articles on Poveglia say that the island became quarantine quarters for plague victims during the Black Death that swept across Europe in the 14th century. This is incorrect. Poveglia had a healthy, living population at that time. The island’s morbid history didn’t begin until the late 18th century.

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