Snorkelling with Seals in Cape Town

A few weeks ago, my best friend and I climbed aboard a boat and struck out for Duiker Island, a seal, seal pup, and seal poop covered collection of rocks tucked around the corner from The Sentinel Mountain in Hout Bay, Cape Town. Why would anyone endure the swells and smells for such an excursion? Aside from the staggering beauty of the Cape peninsula and the pleasure of watching seals in their natural habitat, we were here to go snorkelling with them!

For one blissful hour, we escaped reality to submerge ourselves in the moody greens and blues of the Atlantic Ocean, where prolific kelp forests swayed and swished in the swell and the playful seal pups were close enough to touch. Usually, I use my words to describe experiences. This time, we hired a Go Pro camera from the company who took us out – Animal Ocean – to document it all and so I present to you my first ever (shoddy) attempt at putting together a travel video!

Dolphins Are The True Lords of the Rings

Sure it sounds cute, but you’ve got to see it for yourself, because the bubbles these critters are playing with aren’t your garden variety bubbles. These perfectly spherical vortices of underwater air are also known as bubble rings or toroidal bubbles. What’s even more fascinating is that whales and dolphins use them for both business and pleasure. Humpback whales strategically aim these rings of bubbles at schools of fish, which then act as a kind of net for trapping a delicious bait ball. Dolphins, not surprisingly, see the lighter side of blowing cool bubbles and proceed to play with them, as you can see in this pretty funny video.

 

Source: “Extraordinary Toroidal Vortices” uploaded by Evasius on YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHyTOcfF99o

The laws of physics that govern the generation and motion of these rings are the same that govern “smoke rings,” which may have been your teenage party trick, but are actually a serious hobby of active volcanoes and nuclear bombs. This video shows that, too… but, watch it to the end because the last segment is “ooh, aah!” inspiring.

A Snoring Hummingbird (For Real Real)

Hummingbirds look like bumblebees dressed in drag and routinely pull off amazing feats of flight and manoeuvrability. And while we already know these tiny bejewelled aviators are ridiculously cute, THIS video is something else entirely! It will soften your soul to mush and generate a cacophony of “aaaawws” from all the ladies AND dudes in the office.

It’s a snoring hummingbird.

You’re welcome.

Video Source: BBC, posted on the YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uEfmQt34Nc

Today's Biology Lesson: A Talking Squirrel

There’s nothing like a flurry of cute animal videos to make you feel better about going to work. This one of a fast-talking squirrel will only take 10 seconds of your day, so when your boss exits the room for Office # 2 (to see a man about a wallaby), you’ll have ample time to watch it at least four times… because you’re going to want to.

The more you watch it, the funnier it gets. Here’s a grateful talking squirrel…

Video Source: “A Talking Squirrel” uploaded by Fun4you on YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-wa8rXc1Z4

“Hello there I am a fat little squirrel sitting on your porch thank you very much for giving me these delicious walnuts I like them very much you are a nice person i will be sure to come back tomorrow to get some more walnuts you are my favorite person in the neighborhood I like you like you love you love”

The Lion Whisperer: Do NOT Try This on Safari!

This CBS documentary short is about animal behaviourist and “lion whisperer” Kevin Richardson who has managed to integrate himself into a pride of beautiful lions, including majestic full-grown males. He hugs their massive heads, scratches their chins and rough-and-tumbles with them like he is one of them and yet, displays no more fear than if he were playing with his own pet dogs.

It’s absolutely fascinating to watch and inspires feelings of “awww, I wish I could do that, too.” However, the pride’s aggressive reaction to the presence of the CBS film-makers serves as a precious reminder that these are wild animals and that Kevin’s affinity with the beasts is a very rare and hard-earned gift. Do NOT try this on safari!

Video Source: “Lion Whisperer” uploaded by Englishdomcom on YouTube channel www.youtube.com/watch?v=O82Ak1bBZuU.

Apes Gone… Er, NOT Wild

If you’ve ever doubted our genetic relationship with apes, now’s the time to open your mind. Simply watching this orang-utan carefully wash his or her face with a moist cloth is absolutely enchanting and convincing of the fact that we share a common ancestor.

Video Source: “Proof that Darwin was Right” Uploaded by Sour Cherries on YouTube channel www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKU5VT0uumU

Calm Your Cat With "Species Specific" Music!

If your cat is more of a psychopath than you’d like to admit – and I know, because I have one of those – try playing the little critter some cat music! According to the exceptionally talented David Teie, human music simply won’t make the cut because its backbone is the drum beat, which is reminiscent of our experience in the womb. Here, the soundtrack to our development was our mother’s heartbeats. Cats, however, relate far better to purring and the mewling sounds of nursing kittens. Whip that into a song and you’ve got an aural elixir that is sure to calm your rambunctious kitty down.

Video Source: “Composer Creates Music Just for Cats and They Love It – Listen Here” Uploaded by IBTimes UK to YouTube channel www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzDritMhnXo

And for the full story behind this clip:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/355308040/music-for-cats-0/widget/video.html

 

Calm Your Cat With "Species Specific" Music!

If your cat is more of a psychopath than you’d like to admit – and I know, because I have one of those – try playing the little critter some cat music! According to the exceptionally talented David Teie, human music simply won’t make the cut because its backbone is the drum beat, which is reminiscent of our experience in the womb. Here, the soundtrack to our development was our mother’s heartbeats. Cats, however, relate far better to purring and the mewling sounds of nursing kittens. Whip that into a song and you’ve got an aural elixir that is sure to calm your rambunctious kitty down.

Video Source: “Composer Creates Music Just for Cats and They Love It – Listen Here” Uploaded by IBTimes UK to YouTube channel www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzDritMhnXo

And for the full story behind this clip:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/355308040/music-for-cats-0/widget/video.html

 

This Won't Educate You In Any Way (But It Is Ridiculously Funny)…

Most of the time, the content I add to the coffers of “Why? Because Science” is intended to entertain AND educate at the same time. While there’s not much to learn from the following ridiculously comedic clip of a gibbon doing an elaborate balancing act down the length of a suspension bridge, you can enjoy the elevated levels of dopamine that should result.

Video Source: “Monkey Walking The Tight Rope!” uploaded by ChannelClub2 on YouTube channel https://youtu.be/rKJYI_rn_sg