Rhinoceros beetles are the strongest animals on the planet, proportionally. They can lift up to 850 times their own weight. To put this into perspective, if a human of average height and weight had the strength of the rhinoceros beetle, it would be able to lift a 65 ton object. [from Wikipedia]I told you the insects are invading.
Archive for January, 2007
Townsville’s beer lovers can now help save the Reef while they’re at the bar, by diving into a new brew called Beeramundi. The new beer was named as part of a competition held in partnership between Reef Check Australia and the Townsville Brewing Company. Read more here.I haven’t had any yet, but I’ll definitely have to look out for it next time I’m in town!I’m also going to try to get involved with Reef Check this year (a resolution, if you like). I’ll have to save up for the training courses, but it would all be good knowledge and experience for me to have, and the best part is, once you’re trained you get to go on free dive trips!
I made it to 2007 first! (unless you live in Kiribati of course*) I hope you all had fun Christmasses and New Years - thanks to everyone who sent cards and messages, they were much appreciated. It was strange having Christmas away from home for the first time, and in the tropics - no snow, mulled wine, mince pies or mittens. Instead I had prawns and mangos and sunbathing in the garden.I’ve almost emptied the fridge of all the leftover Christmas excesses, and am ready to make lots of resolutions for the new year that probably won’t see February. I shan’t post them here in case someone tries to hold me to them! Highlights of 2006 included: meeting reindeer, graduating from Sheffield, drinking mint tea in the Atlas Mountains, fantastic dive trips (Falmouth, wrecks in the Sound of Mull, the Yonglala and the Outer Reef), and of course, moving to another hemisphere! Hopefully 2007 will be just as eventful!
* Prior to 1995, the International Date Line split the country of Kiribati. The result was that the eastern part of Kiribati was a whole day and two hours behind the western part of the country, and government offices on opposite sides of the line could only communicate on the four days of the week when both sides experienced weekdays simultaneously. In 1995 Kiribati decided to move the International Date Line to the east, placing the entire country into the same day.
Becks is a marine ecology PhD student, living in Queensland (Australia), Dumaguete (Philippines) and London (UK). Marinegirl is her online alter-ego. She dreamt her up as as super-gorgeous superhero saving the underwater world (if you've seen Captain Planet, you get the idea). She is not, and never will be, in the marines.