If you've liked "Oktapodi", the animated short movie I've posted some days ago probably you'll be delighted to see another short cartoon: "Our Incredible Nature". This time the protagonists are the Water Shrews, those little aquatic rodents. Enjoy their fight for mating in a glorious Matrix slow-motion style.



Watch more cool animation and creative cartoons at aniBoom
Director Tomer Eshed
Screenplay: Tomer Eshed
Director of Photography: Tomer Eshed
Editor: Tomer Eshed
Music: Stefan Maria Schneider, Filmorchester Babelsberg
Producer Anne Baeker
Production Company: Hochschule fuer Film & Fernsehen 'Konrad Wolf'/Potsdam-Babelsberg
with the voices of John Berwick

The author is Tomer Eshed, from the German Film & Television Academy (HFF).

If you're curious to see how Water Shrews look in reality click the picture below to see a gallery by Josef Hlasek


© Josef Hlasek

The immense concrete island towed by four tugboats is a "Regassification Plant" a power plant which, with an adiabatic process, transforms the liquid gas into its gaseous state. This one in particular is the world's first offshore gas platform measuring 180 metres (591 ft.) long, 88 metres (289 ft.) wide and 47 metres (154 ft.) tall with a storage capacity of 250,000 cubic metres. Something like a football stadium being towed across the mediterranean sea in a journey 22 days long.

will be floated across the Mediterranean, around the heel of Italy to its final destination 17 km (11 miles) off the coast of Venice in a scheduled 21-day journey. Practically an artificial island, the giant structure is designed to withstand winds, tides, and earthquakes in its final location, and any incidents that might occur in transit, according to Acciona.

The Departure
The "island" started its journey at the beginning of this month in Algeciras, Spain, where it has been built by the spanish infrastructures construction giant "Acciona".



photos by Reuters

The Arrival
... and after three weeks in the Mediterranean Sea arrives to its final destination:
15 kilometres off-shore Porto Viro in the Adriatic Sea (Italy). Here it will provide the 10% of Italian gas needs. It costed 2000 billions euros and ten years of planning





photos by Edison

EFE

In korea it's very common hanging out squids just the same way as we hang out clothes to dry. Squids are a very common food in the whole Far East and they usually eat them dry.


source

Photo from AP Photo by Guy Busby

It has been buried for decades under the sands of the Gulf in Fort Morgan, Alabama. but Hurricane Ike has uncovered it.
Archeologists have formulated some hypothesis about the identity of the misterious boat, probably a vessel from the civil war, but no one seems able to say something sure

Photo by Hal Brindley

This is the amazing sequence of a deathly fight between a leopard and a crocodile in South Africa. What makes these photographs so exceptional is that while there have been reports of crocodiles killing leopards, but this is believed to the first time that the reverse scenario has been observed (and caught on camera).
The photographs were taken by Hal Brindley, an American wildlife photographer, who saw the leopard running out of cover provided by scrub and bushes to surprise the crocodile, which was swimming nearby. A terrible and bloody struggle ensued., as you can easly observe in the pictures. The leopard drag the crocodile from the water as the reptile fought back. With the crocodile snapping its powerful jaws furiously, the two animals somersaulted and grappled. Despite the crocodile's huge weight and strength, the leopard had the upper hand catching its prey by the throat.
Eventually the big cat was able to sit on top of the reptile and suffocate it.
All the rangers of the game reserve said that they never heard about a leopard killing a crocodile.

Click here to see the whole 34-shots sequence of the fight, on Hal Brindley's website.


Photos by Hal Brindley
click to enlarge

Nasa
Click to enlarge

In this post of some days ago I've posted four pictures of the hurricane "Ike" that really impressed me for their evocative strength. Now I should add this picture by Nasa showing Ike from the space. It's the first time i really realize, looking at the curvature of the earth, the size of these monsters. Huge.

Photo by Chris Van Wyk

I know what you're just thinking..... this turtle is a Punk-Rock star!!!
The australian amateur photographer Chris Van Wyk was snorkeling in the Mary River, a river system in South East Queensland, Australia, when met this beauty and didn't lose the cance to take some amazing shots.
Some weeds have grown on the head of this Mary River Turtle creating the illusion of a green crest that could make even a Sex Pistols really envious...
Click here to see the whole Chris Van Wyk's Flickr Gallery


Photo by Chris Van Wyk

Photo by Chris Van Wyk

Photo by Chris Van Wyk

Photo by Chris Van Wyk

Photo by Chris Van Wyk

Photo by Chris Van Wyk

Photo by Chris Van Wyk

Photo by Chris Van Wyk

Photo by Chris Van Wyk

Photo by Chris Van Wyk

Photo by Chris Van Wyk

Now, maybe, you're wondering why I've added the second part of the title.
Well, Mary River Turtle Elusor macrurus is an endangered species, and, as you may guess from its name, it inhabits just the Mary River. The problem is that the Queensland Government announced on April 27, 2006 its intention to dam the Mary River, a project that could have dreadful consequencies on the survival of three endangered species, Mary River Turtle, the Queensland_Lungfish and the Mary River Cod, which have in that area their only remaining habitat. To get more info about this issue visit SAVETHEMARYRIVER

Directed by Julien Bocabeille, François-Xavier Chanioux, Olivier Delabarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier, Emud Nokhberi Music by Kenny Wood

"Oktapodi" is a wonderful multi-award winning animated short film. The story of tentacles and tenaciousness of two octopuses in a greek island, realized by some graduated students of the french school "Gobelins,l'ecole de l'image".
Visit the official site of Oktapodi to see a gallery of images and an interesting "making of".

After having devastated the Caribbean, hurricane "Ike" has reached the USA releasing its destructive power on Texas. As it happens quite often tragedies could become the source of great pictures. In this case I've been particularly affected by four images.

The first one seems a psychedelic picture until you focus the pump jack...

Photo by AFP/Getty Images
A sheen of oil is seen around a pump jack surrounded by flood waters caused by Hurricane Ike, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008 in High Island, Texas.

The communicative strength of the following three simply leave me without words.

Photo by AFP/Getty Images
A home is left standing among debris from Hurricane Ike September 14, 2008 in Gilchrist, Texas. Floodwaters from Hurricane Ike are reportedly as high as eight feet in some areas causing widespread damage across the coast of Texas.


Photo by AFP/Getty Images
GALVESTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 14: A sailboat washed ashore by Hurricane Ike rests in the parking lot of an apartment complex September 14, 2008 in Galveston, Texas. Ike made landfall yesterday morning at Galveston causing widespread wind and flood damage along the Texas and Louisiana coasts.


Ap Photo by Tony Gutierrez
An alligator crosses Gulfway drive into Hurricane Ike flood waters on the Bolivar Peninsula, Monday, Sept. 15, 2008, near High Island , Texas.

Photo by Carlo Borlenghi

Saturday 13th Olin Stephens, the most famous Yacht designer of all time has died. Just 5 months ago we have celebrated his 100th birthday. In San Francisco Bay all the fleet of the Rolex Big Boat Series has partecipated to a touching memorial, dropping white roses in the sea as a last farewell to one of the most important man in the history of sailing.


Photo by Carlo Borlenghi

Photo by Carlo Borlenghi

Photo by Carlo Borlenghi

Good Bye Olin

photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

Established in 1964, the Rolex Big Boat Series takes place annually on San Francisco Bay. In 2005, Rolex became title sponsor of this prestigious regatta which includes very competitive one-design and handicap racing. Widely recognized as one of the most important sailing events on the U.S. West Coast, this “granddaddy” of grand-prix racing attracts the top competitors and boats from across the country.
Enjoy the pictures by Carlo Borlenghi. As always with Rolex sailing events visit REGATTANEWS.COM for the whole gallery and for more info.


photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi