Tag Archives: sharks

Another Wonder of the World???

People refer and know about the seven wonders of the world. However people in Belize believe that there is one more. There is a large atoll which is a ring shaped coral reef that surrounds an underwater volcano that has risen above the surface. This atoll is also referred to as the Great Blue Hole of Belize. It is 96 km away from Belize mainland and is very difficult to reach. Many dive boats drive over the atoll everyday. Also many people pay to skydive over the atoll.  Not much is known about the atoll but in 1997 a geologist names Robert F. Dill and a team of divers drove out to the atoll to collect data on how deep it is. Two of the divers descended down into the hole 407 feet. They found there is no oxygen near the bottom. Also they found tropical fish, sharks, and amazing coral structures. Now the atoll is a world-class destination for scuba divers all over the world. It is said to be the largest world formation of it’s kind. It is 984 feet across and 480 feet deep. A NASA scientist, Glyn Collinson who recently dived the Great Blue Hole said “It was the deepest, deep blue hole imaginable; A chasm that fell away deep into the dark blue.  It had been forged out of solid rock as caverns, hundreds of thousands of years ago during the last ice age.” Different animals are found at different depths of the atoll. In the deeper waters you may see a blacktip shark or hammerhead shark. On most dives people do they only see their partner diver and maybe some small reef fish. Around the rim of the atoll you will find a beautiful reef area filled with life. This includes much shrimp, anemones, angelfish, butterflyfish, small groupers, Elkhorn coral, and purple seafans.  People can’t dive to the bottom not because of the depth, but because of the little sunlight that reaches the bottom. As a result of this, the deeper areas inside don’t have as much life as associated with drop-offs.

Many people find atolls scary because of the look from above, how ancient it is, and how it is the top of an underwater volcano. People who dive the atoll say the top is beautiful and colorful, with the friendly reef fish. I believe it is definitely for the daring to dive or skydive over an underwater water volcano that appears as a black hole. There are dangers to diving the atoll. There is a certain amount of experience one should have before diving. I think that if you have another person who goes under with you and you have some experience, it is perfectly safe and a good experience. For people who want to dive further down than the clear reef area for research, only professionals with much oxygen, experience, and technology should try because of the little light, and more dangerous animals you can encounter there. The great blue hole of Belize I believe is an eighth wonder of the world. It dates back thousands of years ago and has formed such beautiful reefs, and a home for animals. In fact it was originally an underwater limestone cave. Some signs of a cave is visible underneath the reef area.  It is a major tourist attraction for many all over the world. It continues to amaze many with it’s history, beauty, and animals.

~Erin

Not 1 or 2 But 103!

You may think that it is hard to run a few miles or go to a sports practice for a couple hours, but think about this; swimming 103 miles with only stopping briefly for food breaks. Well, 64-year-old endurance swimmer Diana Nyad did just that. But she didn’t do it with just one try. It took five attempts to swim all the way from Cuba to the Florida Keys and she did it without any shark cage or other protection. Diana’s first try was in 1987 and she was only 28 years old, but she didn’t make it all the way. After that she decided to take a break and no one thought she would swim a route like that again. But, in 2011 she was 60 and decided it was time to try again. Sadly she did not make it because of a shoulder injury but that wasn’t going to stop her. She got back in the water a month later but got stung by a jellyfish and couldn’t continue. For her fourth try in 2012, she almost made it but couldn’t go on when she got attacked by another jellyfish and a bad storm passed by. Diana clearly didn’t give up because on Saturday, September 1st, Diana started her journey for the 5th time and she finished it in 52 hours and 54 minutes. She had a bad sunburn and was a little dazed but she didn’t stop, and the support from her team of 35 members really helped.

Personally, I do not swim as my main sport so only swimming a few miles sounds long to me, but swimming 103 miles almost seems impossible. You would have to be very dedicated, prepared, and focused to accomplish something like this, and Diana was. At first, I wondered why anyone would want to swim 103 miles straight without stopping. But then I realized the Diana wanted to accomplish something that others might call impossible. She wanted to get her point across that it is possible and after hard work and many tries, she did it. Also, Diana must  have had to be very brave because she swam without any shark cage or other protection so if anything occurred, she wouldn’t have had the proper equipment to keep her safe. Overall, I think Diana Nyad is a very brave, dedicated, and inspirational woman and is a role model to many.

~Jillian

Who Likes Sharks ?

Most people don’t like sharks or are scared of them. But they are just as scared of you. When most people think of sharks they think “sharks will eat me they are mean animals”. They really aren’t that mean. Sharks don’t usually attack people just to attack. When suffers are attacked they are usually mistaken for a different animal. When you hear about shark attacks they are usually about someone losing an arm or leg not getting eaten alive. That is because they don’t like the taste of human. Also it’s not very likely they will attack you.  There is a better chance that a coconut will fall on your head then a shark attacking you. Also they might attack if they are provoked by someone or something. This doesn’t mean that you should go up to a shark they are still very dangerous.

One time I was scuba diving with my uncle and we were out in the reef and the colors were amazing but then we saw about a 3 foot reef shark swimming about 10 meters away. My heart jumped but my uncle said never to panic. I was being as calm as I could. It was getting closer and closer until it was about 10 feet away before it turned. When we went back up my uncle said that if I tried to dash for the surface it might have bitten me in self defence. That was when I realized they don’t just go around and bite people. Now I am not as afraid of shark but they still are scary.

~Matt Pinciaro