#red reef lobster

[snototter]

A red reef lobster (Enoplometopus occidentalis) off the coast of Kona, Hawaii, USA

by Pierrette Wagner

[herpsandbirds]

Do you have any lobsters? My friend loves lobsters

DO I HAVE ANY LOBSTERS?!?!

I HAVE SO MANY LOBSTERS...

Let me show you... Here, let's have a look at lobsters from 3 different taxonomic groups...

SPINY LOBSTERS (family Palinuridae)

Southern Rock (Spiny) Lobster (Jasus edwardsii), family Palinuridae, found in coastal areas around Australia and New Zealand

photograph by Stemonitis 

Ornate Rock Lobster (Panulirus ornatus), family Palinuridae, Fly Point, Port Stephens, NSW, Australia

photograph by Richard Ling

California Spiny Lobster (Panulirus interruptus), family Palinuridae, off the coast of California, USA

photograph by Brett Seymour | NPS

REEF LOBSTERS (family Enoplometopidae)

Violet-spotted Reef Lobster (Enoplometopus debelius), family Enoplometopidae, found around the Pacific Ocean

photograph by reef-guardian.com

Atlantic Reef Lobster (Enoplometopus antillensis), family Enoplometopidae, found in warmer parts of the Atlantic Ocean

photograph by Fernando Herranz Martín 

Hawaiian Red Reef Lobster (Enoplometopus occidentalis), family Enoplometopidae, Hawaii

This species is normally red, but this individual has just molted.

photograph by Drew R. Smith

TRUE or TYPICAL LOBSTERS (family Nephropidae)

European Lobster (Homarus gammarus), family Nephropidae, found in the eastern Atlantic

photograph by H. Zell 

American Lobster (Homarus americanus), family Nephropidae, found off the Atlantic coast of the NE U.S. and eastern Canada

photograph via: University of Maine

[naffeclipse]

The Eel's Hips Pt. 2

Vigilante Mer!Reader x Detective Mer!Sun and Moon

Commission Info

Everyone tell @o-cinnamonstickz thank you for requesting a part 2 to her first commission! I can't tell you how excited I am to continue this storyline where we left off. The boys are determined to keep the vigilante under house arrest and their little fish is making it ever difficult, as always.

Content Warning for suggestive themes.

———

The midnight sea glows with the silvery light of a full moon. You would admire the coral reef so deliciously dusted in the celestial shine were it not for the two mers surrounding you on either side. They hurry you along, Sun’s hand wrapped tightly around your own as Moon's small finger hooks your pinky. Long, sharp fins and fanning frills easily push you through the water at a swift speed that would have exhausted you in moments were it not for their ability to carry you and cut through the ocean like seaweed.

It’s a shame this isn’t a stroll through the gentle dark with your two favorite mers. They were so insistent and brisk that you came with them. It’s hard to tell them no when they refuse to let you go or slip out of their grasp. How can you blame them? It would have been a tragedy to separate the three of you.

Even in the dimness, you spy life in the Reef. Vibrate hard coral frames the home of sunlight and twilight zone mers alike. Fish slip around anemones while lobsters rest under rocky covers and seahorses hook tightly to seagrass. Sponges, sea turtles, and clams rest low in the valley between mer shelters made gently out of the reef bed. They take you towards the narrow edge of paradise to all, though there is always trouble seemingly churning at every bend. 

There are a few twilight zone mers drifting quietly through the dark. They’re adapted to the lack of bright, yellow sun rays, and the quiet without the bustling sunlight zone mers must be a comfort. You’re not certain. Sun and Moon don’t say much from their days before the Reef welcomed all kinds of mers. From what little you gathered, the twilight zone in the sea is cold, dark, and isolating, even among their own kind.

You’re three linked like the ropes of a net, all of you, shutting your past into the darkness where no one else swims.

It’s better this way.

Distantly, you spy on a couple. A twilight zone mer with the lower half of an octopus causes your gut to clench before you register the orange tentacles which blend into red and then pitch-black tips. He glows a faint cyan light while he guides a sunlight mer towards a home in the coral. Her tail is yellow in the darkness and her hair streams freely behind her, long and wavy and golden brown. She smiles at the midnight mer despite the stark difference in their biology, monstrous against meek. A tender hand touches her cheek. He wraps a tentacle loosely around her tail, and the twilight zone admires her for a breath before they saunter over seagrass and disappear into the shelter.

In the corner of your vision, Sun and Moon glance down at you, curious with arched brows at you grabbing their hands tighter. You swiftly loosen your hold.

“Do you miss the twilight sea?” you voice quietly to distract from their prying gazes. Immediately, a sharp glance cuts between the brothers.

“No.” Moon tugs you further along. His crimson eyes stay the day ahead with an edge that shines like a hook’s tip.

“Why?” you pry, watching him closely as if you had a chance of revealing what they don’t wish to show. “Not enough pretty fish for you to chase?”

“It’s beautiful here,” Sun says, his voice subdued, reverent. He tilts his rays of venomous spikes as he studies you gently. His blue eyes shimmer. “There’s so much light.”

You find yourself quiet. The tip of your tongue presses against the back of your teeth as you ponder what it would be like to grow up in darkness, barely swimming with others of your kind and scrabbling for scraps of food. Of course, they are natural predators. By all accounts, you and the rest of the sunlight mers are their prey, and for many, many years the only things anyone would believe of them are their wild savagery. No one paused to wonder if they were sentient and deserving of a little bit of safety and light that the Reef offers, until recently.

Then came the gangs and the struggle for power and dominance. Then came Sun and Moon. Then you. Then Eclipse.

You swallow roughly. Rebounding and perking up, you slyly try another tactic.

“What of—”

“We’re almost home and it’s late. Let’s keep our voices down.” It is not a suggestion. The smooth cut of Sun’s voice leaves you with an arch brow and a cheeky grin. Your question was pierced before it left your lips as if he hurled a harpoon at it. Lucky for him you’re feeling generous. For him, you’ll hold back any further inquiries of your two favorite mers’ place of birth.

At the edge of the reef, towards an edge that dips low into the deep blue sea, a shelter crafted of rock lies covered in black and fire coral. An idea of suggesting slipping in through the ceiling dances in the back of your thoughts. In an uncanny prediction, Moon levels you with a glare of warning while Sun holds you tightly before descending into the entry tunnel of their home. They’re no fun.

The main chamber holds a floor of thick, soft alga. A few supplies are stashed in the corners including nets and baskets, each holding precious materials of food and cleaning supplies for instance of scale rot and other unpleasant conditions a mer would not enjoy suffering for a moment longer than necessary. You sweep a glance over the brightly colored sea stars which lie dormant and mute across the walls in the late evening.

You sweep a sultry look between the two.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you two are nervous I’m going to slip away.” If only you had a hand free. You would seep a lock of hair over your shoulder and twirl it around your finger.

“Not nervous, just prepared,” Sun suggests in a chary tone, ripe for rebuttal. His fins give a sharp, anticipatory flick. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable?”

Moon holds your gaze. The back of his claw touches the side of your palm and you give a dramatic sign and nod with great grace.

“Since you’re being so polite, starfish,” you hum. Freeing your hand from Sun’s grasp, you set a finger under his chin, admiring how his eyes dilate and turn almost completely white as he tries to stare down at your touch. Tilting his head up until his eyes meet your own, you singsong, “I’ll be good.”

His lips part breathlessly.

You flash a dangerous smile. “For the moment.”

“You need to tell us what you were doing,” Moon growls. The grumble fills you when he tugs on you slightly and presses his tail against yours. His deep blue and silver face looms over you. “What were you doing outside of the Reef?”

You slip naturally into an easy smile. Flicking your fins, you glide against Moon before he releases your pinky finger. His eyes flash a brighter scarlet, if you’re not mistaken, and you’re not. How could he not be affected by the presence of your body? You twist back to face them both. 

“Who, me?” you press both hands to your chest, eyes wide open and innocent. 

Sun says your name, ever-lasting patience running thinner still. He blinks and rubs a hand down his face. In a snap, you realize how exhausted he must be, working so late into the night as he is. 

But he didn’t have to give chase after you slipped into the chasms. Of course, you are worth the lack of sleep he’s getting.

“You have been leaving the Reef more than usual,” Sun tries again. “Is there another gang you’re fighting?”

Oh, perhaps. You’re quite busy, going here to kill some goons and rushing there to stop an innocent sunlight mer from being forced into ‘protection’ by another thug. There’s just never enough sun in the day. It’s a wonderful thing that you have one with you instead.

“My, you two look so handsome when you’re interrogating me,” you simper. You press a finger to your cheek and tilt your head, eyes coquettish swinging between the two sleek and strong mers. “Really, I’m flattered you want to know so much about me.”

Moon scowls. His sharp teeth flash in the darkness, sending your heart into a downward spiral. Sweeping around you with a whip-like motion of his tail, he shadows you like the dark side of the new lunar cycle. 

“If there’s bad mers, you need to let us know.” His harsh rasp brushes the shell of your ear. “You can’t fight everyone. You will slip up.”

You turn to face him, inches between your mouth and his crooked snarl. His eyes betray him and fall down to your lips. You grin.

“I think you’ll find that I am quite amazing,” you lower your voice until it smokes like wintery fog over the sea, “if you haven’t already, squid.” 

Your hand finds his shoulder. The slight twitch of his tail gives away your allure as your fingers tap softly along his collarbone and slide up to his spindly throat. Tracing the strong cords of his neck until you reach his jawbone, you admire the strength he wields. His bite could crush you easily. He wouldn’t, no matter how much he storms and darkens around you.

He slowly takes your hand and presses it closer to the corner of his wide mouth. Slowly, he lays a kiss on your palm.

Sun softly says your name. The water ripples and a few bubbles arise as he slips around you. His tail slides over your own before two pairs of eternal eyes hold you. 

Suddenly, you are small. You are no better than the mer who used to cause mayhem and bloodshed in the Reef just as the twilight zones were earning their welcome among the coral and softer, weaker mers. 

A gang is a gang. It wouldn’t matter in their eyes. You are guilty as sin, and your hands are still red despite all your efforts to wash yourself clean. The Reef deserves better. It will have it. You will give those who are in need justice and those who cause suffering punishment. But now, you hide a dirty fish under your shiny, sparkling veneer. 

You can stay with them, but not for long. They’ll have you as you are now, concerned for your safety and worried about what shoals you swim with but not as you were. 

You will keep your past sunk far, far into the deep.

“You’ve been returning more and more with bruises,” Sun says gently, “And you’re disappearing more and more. We can’t keep you safe if you won’t let us.”

“Safe? That’s precious,” you sweetly hum. Your heart, however, sways gently under Sun’s concerned gaze. “A beautiful thought, truly.”

“You’re going after Eclipse,” Moon states in a flat accusation.

You stare back. The blueness of Sun’s eyes fades until only a pale, concerned color remains. Moon mirrors dark irises, eating up all the light. Your lips crack into a slow, wide smile.

How could they fear their own brother so much? What do they know?

“Why would I ever do such a thing?” You bat your eyelashes. “I would never! Nor would I ever stray too far from the Reef!”

Disregarding today’s chase through the chasm, of course, but you don’t mention that little tidbit out loud. You smile sweetly until Sun sighs a bone-tired sound. Moon’s claws are tighter around your hand for a heartbeat, and you eye him sharply before he lowers your palm from his cheek.

“It’s late,” he says softly.

Victory tastes bittersweet on your tongue as you nod. 

“It is, I should get going before the sun rises and everyone knows what lovely company you keep in the dark—”

The flick of your tail is impeded by two mers taking your arms, guiding you away from the entry tunnel and towards one of the branching paths from the main chamber.

“You should rest here for the night,” Sun decides despite the cheery tone of his suggestion. “There’s no reason for you to be out so late swimming around.”

“You’re tired,” Moon adds with a gentle but firm note upon his tongue. His eyes shimmer like jewels in the dark. “We’ll stay with you tonight.”

“Oh, how gracious, but I’m afraid I have to decline,” you breeze while your eyes fall back to your escape quickly diminishing in the dark.

“We insist,” Moon whispers. His hand on your waist leaves no room for argument. 

Guiding you down a tunnel, small and almost completely dark to your eyes, Sun and Moon take you deeper into their home. A complaint of being netted in their home like some common criminal laces your tongue, but you don’t think they’d disagree with you. Sun glows faintly. Golden bioluminescence offers the slightest aid to your sunlight zone vision and illuminates the room—Sun’s room. 

A bed of moss lies soft and green. Along the ceiling, several soft corals grow in flowing blues pinks, and reds. 

“Taking me to bed, boys?” you draw with a coquettish undertone.

“Only to rest,” Moon gruffly reminds. His scarlet eyes ease when you meet his gaze, and he guides you down, setting you on the resting place like a child. His hands on your waist are strong and steady, and you shiver under the softest scrap of his claws.

“And you need to stay out of trouble.” Sun spares you a knowing look, blue eyes bright in the golden rays of his light. “Just for tonight. Please.”

You rest on your side. Head propped on your hand, tail slightly curled, you conjure a cheeky, rebellious smile at your two favorite mers.

“As lovely as such an evening would be with the darling protectors of the Reef, I’m afraid I’m simply too restless.” Your half-lidded eyes are only for their pleasure and not to suggest an ounce of exhaustion. 

How could you sleep, surrounded by two dishy twilight zone mers? They’ll learn soon enough. No wounds or bruises keep you held down, and without medicines to soothe you into a good night’s rest, you long to be out there, hunting down the scum that poison the Reef with their violence and lust for power.

But your two favorite mers share a look. A dangerous glance whispering of a dastardly plot, and you realize just how outnumbered you are.

“We’ll make you tired,” Moon flashes a sharp, hungry grin of shark teeth. 

“You’ll have sweet dreams,” Sun promises, but even his golden light is alluring, promising a bright golden aquatic flower while hiding a mouth full of fangs. “Come here, sweet fish.”

You feel a shudder running down your spine and into your tailfins, a most curious thing when you’re so used to watching them flounder into flustered messes. Sun slips behind you, resting on the moss beside you. Before you can twist around to face him and protect your back, Moon sinks down and rests a hand on your waist. You freeze, effectively caught between two predators.

“Oh, you boys are ganging up on sweet, little me,” you bemoan. Dramatically, you lift your hand to cover your brow with the back of your head, head falling back in a swoon. “Will I ever be treated right?”

“Hush,” Moon whispers. Your eyes widen slightly when his fingertips trace up your side, evoking a soft shiver over your skin. “Sleep.”

“How can I? There’s simply so much work to do and—” You stifle a soft sound in the back of your throat when Sun draws a hand down your back. Softly tracing the ridges of your spine, he stops on a scar on your lower right side. He circles it gently for a moment.

“I think you’ll find a way,” he gives quietly though with no less cheer.

Sun shifts his tail slightly closer to yours, the flaring end of his fins covering you like sunlight as he dims his bioluminescence until there is only the dimness and your two favorite mers loving on you. The deep blue scales of Moon’s tail rest against your own. Effectively, you are caught between them with the softest caresses and husky, lowered voices to ease you into sleep.

“Lay down.” Moon gives little room for argument when he takes your shoulder. Sun’s hand on your hip pins you gently to the moss, and you stare up at the ceiling, your hands searching through the dark. You are not disappointed. 

Moon leans over you gently. With his free hand, he traces your lips and you’re forced to bite back a sound of content at the gentleness. You yearn for more. A lot more. How freely they give their affection when Sun takes your hair, still tied back in flowing red algae leaves and, of course, their golden seashells, and strokes it softly. His claws card gently over your scalp and your eyelids shudder under the sensitivity it conjures.

You could ask them where they found such precious shells deep in the twilight zone, but they might not tell you. Not now, when they need you to rest. No more than you could confess how addicted you have become to their presence, the light of their bodies, the colors of their eyes. How afraid you are to lose them.

But sweetly, gently, they coax you to forget fears as they rest against you in the darkness. You stifle laughter once when Sun’s hand brushes over your stomach while wrapping his arm around you. Clasped tightly, you understand how clear Sun makes it known: he is not letting you go. Moon moves closer and allows you to rest your head on his arm. He rasps gently against your forehead, bidding you goodnight. His kiss finds your mouth in the darkness, and you hold tightly to him for one moment.

Their traces and petting hands slowly still, falling to simply rest on you, covering you in their presence—perhaps to assure you won’t slip away, but you won’t blame them this time for needing you so terribly.

Exhaustion takes hold. You bask in their warmth and coolness. Tucked so sweetly between them, you dream of their forgiveness for all the blood on your hands. For not yet atoning for all you’ve done.

You fade into dreams of stars and moonlight.

[meowmeowmeowmeow4x]

Dark Blue Moon and the Suffering Sun Chapter 19

MASTAPOST

Danny woke from his little cat nap soon after, stretching his tail out like a lounging snake. Damian sat next to him, characteristically unimpressed as the teenager cracked his knuckles and shook off the remaining grogginess.

“Are you done?” Damian asked.

Danny yawned again. “Yeah what time is it?”

“It has been about two hours. We are wasting time.”

Damian swam to Danny’s left side and nudged him with his head. Danny bonelessly flopped to the side without moving. “Dude, what’s the rush? I thought you liked animals.”

“The whales have been amenable company, but my father needs me back as soon as possible. In addition, we have entered a coral reef.”

Danny blinked, and got up. The boy leaned his head over the edge of the mother whale. Seemed Damian was right. The waterscape in front of them was filled with tall kelp forests in the distance. Below the, the sea floor housed miles of vibrant coral in all sorts of colours. Red, purple, yellow and green coral spiraled and twisted and grew from the rocks and sand, living alongside schools of big and small fish. Clownfish peeked in an out of anemones. Little critters like shrimps and lobsters crawled in and out of crevices, sheltered from predators.

Damian apparently thought he was taking too long. Danny belatedly realised his harness was untied, just as Damian rammed into his back and pushed him off the edge.

“We need to replenish our supplies.” Damian said. “Teach me how to gather forage and hunt.”

Well that was a slight issue. Being a modern American teenager with access to such things as fridges and a global supply chain meant that he was perhaps less suited to roughing it than the younger boy might have assumed. It was not like he never had to live off the land, but the less said about long swim home after Vlad happened, the better.

“Well?” Damian repeated, arms crossed, looking down Danny expectantly.

“Alright then. I’ll teach you silly human what it’s like to live off the land, like your ancestors long before you.” He said sagely.

The whale pod crooned a deep farewell as the continued on their journey. He and Damian waved them off, before returning to their own needs.

He led his young charge to perch atop a cliff overlooking the reef. The boys laid their fins flat so as to avoid drawing attention. Danny scanned the landscape, settling his eyes on a lobster hiding underneath a rock. Despite their reputation these days, lobsters did not look nearly as appetising raw and alive. From the bottom, they looked more like cockroaches than delicacies. Plus, they were literally the worst possible travelling food ever. No.

Instead, Danny caught sight of his real prize. Mussels!

“You good with shellfish?” He asked the younger boy. Damian turned up his nose, looking haughty like Sam’s parents were it not for the adorable pout he’d put on too.

“If the only other option is starvation.”

“We’ll keep an eye for more plants on the way.” Danny said, preparing to descend.

The thing about mussels was that you didn’t need to kill them to bring them along. They came with their own natural packaging, even if it was a bit heavy. Danny stuffed his pockets with a couple handfuls of the shellfish, leaving space for a more varied diet, and leaving the rest to stay and reproduce. He wasn’t greedy! Sam had taught him about these things. Mussels were very important to the environment. Evidently Damian was aware too. The boy nodded in approval as Danny continued his search.

Damian’s sword came in useful as well (he would’ve taken it away if he wasn’t sure that the kid would slash him for it) for harvesting kelp and seaweed. The pair snacked on kelp strips as Danny took them to their next prey.

However, Damian protested. “I do not wish to kill this one.”

The huge trout, easily as big as Damian, floated blissfully ignorant of the two predators eyeing it like hawks. Danny ‘s head spun as he tried to keep track of Damian’s seemingly endlessly shifting opinion towards eating fish or not. “That thing could feed us for like 300 miles.”

“The largest fish also reproduce the most. This one is a female.” Damian continued. Now that he thought of it, didn’t Sam make a whole protest about this in the beginning of summer? “Many oceans are in danger due to overfishing from humans. As a human myself, it is my responsibility to fish sustainably.”

The boy’s fins puffed with pride and conservationist fervor, a quiet determination that reminded him of Sam. Danny had some doubts. “If we eat the small fry, there won’t be many left to grow big and ‘reproduce’ as you say.”

This point seemed to put pause on Damian’s previous showboating. The boy gritted his teeth, looking for a comeback. “What about invasive species? Those that threaten the natural balance.”

Danny shrugged. That was a good point, except Danny didn’t know how to identify any of those.

“But you live in the ocean!” Damian protested when this point was brought up.

“Yeah. You live on land. Does that mean you know about every species that lives on Gotham?”

“Yes.” Well he kinda walked into that one, didn’t he?

“Well if you know so much about invasive species, why don’t you look for them?” Danny challenged. Animal hyperfixation or not, surely this kid couldn’t identify the hundreds of species that lived in this reef.

Damian’s ear fins tensed, something he’d noticed in himself whenever he was concentrating on something. The boy turned away from Danny and to the reef in front of them. Suddenly, the boy’s body slumped.

A smug grin split open Danny’s face.

Damian groaned, as if his next words were like Soviet torture. “There are no saltwater invasive fish near California, to my knowledge.”

“Hah! Suck on that, fishboy!”

Damian mewled angrily. His hand drifted down to the hilt of his sword. On dear.

“Alright, alright, alright. What about a compromise?” Danny waved his arms defensively.

“Speak.”

“We grab the fish that we were gonna grab before you interrupted.” Damian hissed at that. “BUUttt only one. And we fill our pockets with small fry. A balanced fishing diet. What do you say?”

The grumpy child pouted one more time for good measure, before sinking back to the floor. “Fine. You still need to teach me how to make a kill.”

“You sure you won’t get attached?”

“I can suppress my emotions to complete the mission.” It spoke something about Damian that Danny wasn’t even that phased this time. That being said please let that just be a boast with nothing to back that up.

Danny lay prone, fins flat, head down, like a tiger about to pounce. In the entire conversation they’d had, the trout had drifted about five inches from its previous position. Survival instincts this poor girl had not.

“All you need to do is shut your gills, like holding a breath. Just get closer… and closer… and POUNCE!”

Danny leapt at the trout, using his powers to accelerate into a blur. His hands pinned it down in an instant, the trout thrashing and slapping him, trying to escape. With a swift motion, Danny bit clean through its gills. The trout rapidly lost strength, slowly fading until it went still.

He held the trout up like a trophy. “Tada!”

Damian frowned deeply. “That was an unclean kill. It suffered immensely.”

“Ughh!” Danny groaned. “What do you want from me. I’m a siren not an assassin.”

Damian unsheathed his sword, looking about 50% more menacing as any other six-year-old Danny had ever met. “It seems I will have to show you, instead.”

Five minutes later, his idea of showing Danny how to kill resulted in a fresh bruise and a bent fin. The carp he had tried to pounce managed to escape with a shallow cut on its side.

“I’m very educated now, Damian. Thank you.” He snickered as Damian roared in anger.

“Shut your mouth! You have an unfair advantage, seeing as you can use your powers, while I am hampered by my body.”

“You’ll grow into them. I think. I dunno I haven’t met a lot of siren kids.”

“I am not a child!” Damian said, pouting very maturely.

The rest of the morning was spent like that, roaming the reef in search of food and bickering over this and that. At one point they debated over dolphins were whales or not (Danny personally thought whales were too nice to encompass dolphins under their umbrella).

Their food supplies replenished and energy still raring to go, the boys sealed their satchels shut, and continued south.

Meanwihle…

Hundreds of miles away in the ocean, Bruce stands at the helm of the Fenton Family SAV, its modified engines going at full throttle.

In a hidden compartment in his room, Tucker Foley slams into the firewall of the Fenton’s new database with everything he has. Schematics, blueprints, notes. He needs that data and he needs it now.

Sam Manson meditates on her bed, surrounded by candles. She recites warding spells, a staple for any young magician.

Skulker sits in his private yacht, bandaging his wounded leg, sliding the pieces for his next upgrade. Behind him, an ornate fish tank sits empty, awaiting its guest.

Agent K and Agent O monitor the news. The sonars around Amity. A report sits on the desk. The Fentons have just left town? That will be interesting… 

[wofredone]

Finally finished reading A Guide to the Dragon World! Because my notes ended up being quite long, I'm splitting the post into two parts. The first part (aka this one) is just a summary of the new lore introduced in the guide, specifically cultural elements of each tribe along with tidbits of history. I left out most character-specific content (such as the letters) because I was primarily reading this for worldbuilding, but I will talk about it in the second part, which will be my review.

Keep in mind that the majority of information is in the context of royalty and nobility. I will talk about this more in my review.

Be warned, this is a very long post.

Different tribes (probably) have different scents

It was stated that a male dragon has not ruled since the Scorching, implying that there may have been a king in the past

Treasure is used as currency on Pyrrhia

There are detective mystery genre scrolls/books

Hatching day cakes are a thing, and SkyWings traditionally set their cakes on fire (at least based on an offer Peril made, not sure if that's just because she's a firescales though)

Tamarin and Starflight invented a letter-presser for blind dragons

Mathematics and calculus exist

The lancehead snake is a cousin to the dragonbite viper, though not as deadly

Certain tribes are wealthier and/or bigger than others, but it is not specified which ones

The names of the three moons are Oracle, Perception, and Imperial, the last one being the biggest moon

The white dragon with wing stubs in Burn's collection still has no confirmed tribe; it's similar to a SilkWing but only has two wingbuds

+the SilkWing wing had washed up on shore

Pantalan queens used to host a queen gathering every few moons, which was used to address disputes

"For HiveWing Eyes Only" regarding the Book of Clearsight may predate Queen Wasp

SeaWings had also escaped to Pantala (I think this was previously unknown, but correct me if I'm wrong)

Krakens are confirmed to be real in the Book of Clearsight

MudWings

MudWing troops have specific roles (healer, treasurer, gatherer, communicator)

The MudWing palace is surrounded with blanket forts where groups of dragons can socialize

The palace also has a library and the oldest scroll is about the blood red eggs

The MudWing succession crisis happened ~200 years ago

There was at least one case of a MudWing being ordered to destroy a blood red egg

There is a royal hatchery for MudWing eggs

^ They're still, for the most part, left to fend for themselves with the exception of education and training beginning earlier

^ The queen still has limited interactions with her children (by choice)

^ The bigwings in particular is taken to be trained and has to fight the queen for the throne, same as other tribes

MudWings have their own language (at least during the MudWing Succession Crisis)

Structures are made of adobe

They have papyrus

The original royal bloodline was secretly ended during the MudWing Succession Crisis and later revealed in Princess Sawgrass's retelling

MudWings raise cows for dairy and there is a royal cowherd

SeaWings

There are stories (by Coral) written from the perspective of animals

Bunch of Aquatic information; there are phrases exclusive to Aquatic

One hatching day food is raw tuna wrapped in seaweed and stuffed with fish eggs

(Royal) traditional hatching day activities include a triathlon, treasure hunt, coral reef hide-and-seek, humpback-whale-themed singing competition, and an ocean pet fashion show

SeaWings keep seahorses, sea dragons, cuttlefish, and bobtail squids as pets

Hatching day feast includes sharks, tuna rolls, and lobsters

There might be a new palace/area for dragons of other tribes to visit in construction

RainWings

RainWings used to read and write

Other tribes wanted the rainforest territory (at least according to Handsome)

They used to eat meat

RainWings used to constantly kill each other for the throne

The nonlethal competition was introduced to reduce bloodshed

RainWings used to have scrolls and libraries (during the Darkstalker era), but transitioned to storytelling/oral history at some unknown point in time

RainWings used to be feared by every other tribe and were known for their assassins

^ There was an assassin training program

Queen Jacaranda was responsible for most of the changes in RainWing society

^ She ended the assassin training program, outlawed usage of venom on other dragons, ordered the construction of the hammocks and platforms at the top of the canopy (presumably leading to sun time) and was interested in "taming prey" (sloths in particular)

Was in a war/territory dispute with the SkyWings and signed a peace treaty (it's not directly stated who the peace treaty was with, it was either the SkyWings or the MudWings)

It's implied that extensive sun exposure makes RainWings lazier

RainWing culture is more open to expressing emotion as a result of their color changing scales

NightWings

NightWings have legends/stories, the described one is about a seer named Comet that rarely had visions and was thought to be powerless until he foresaw a storm that destroyed the kingdom

There is also a scroll about The Prophetess that Fatespeaker liked to read, which is about a seer that fought bad guys with her visions

NightWings hatched under one full moon gain seer or mind reading powers, while two full moons grant both powers

Three full moons amplifies the strength of these powers

Some believe there's a connection between the moons and animus magic, but Darkstalker disagrees with this

NightWings (in the old kingdom) made sure as many eggs as possible were born under full moons

NightWings were raised to believe they were inherently superior at some genetic level (yikes)

The whole prophecy and lies spread to Pyrrhia were born out of desperation (I guess this was already known but I think it's worth noting because here it's being outright stated)

NightWings were the first to develop a written Dragon language; they taught it to the rest of the continent to record history and communicate

+traveling NightWing teachers that brought scrolls and taught them

There were NightWing scriptoriums where they copied scrolls by talon to spread to Pyrrhia

NightWings were responsible for most of the treatments used by other tribes

In the past, seers used their visions to help other tribes and NightWings were more open to sharing their knowledge in general

The old NightWing kingdom has a lot of moon exposure and a cold climate

NightWings had theatre performances, including props

The listed plays include: A Midsummer NightWing's Dream, The Importance of Being a NightWing, and A Little NightWing Music

On the island, NightWings had abandoned theatre, art, and music

They also had gardens with nonedible plants

NightWings have hatching ceremonies

The full moon music festival is an ancient custom that was revived by Queen Vigilance, along with other unnamed customs

There were ceremonies for seers and mind readers

The full moon music festival involved musicians sharing their newest compositions and providing an opportunity for dragonets to learn about traditional NightWing music; Vigilance introduced an hour where amateurs could also share their talents

The seer ceremony involves giving a vision of the future for NightWings and the mind reading ceremony involves mind readers sharing good thoughts about Vigilance (probably just the queen in general)

There was an island temple dedicated to honoring the first librarians of the NightWing tribe

The Glass Jubilee, started by Vigilance, celebrates each year of her reign and involves glasswork, music, and dancing

SandWings

Some SandWing treasure: the Desert Tiara (worn by SandWing queens for centuries), the Twilight Necklace (possibly of NightWing origin), and the SandWing Scepter

Queen Oasis had a symbol

Sign off(s) : "Wishing you bright sun and strong winds"

SandWing kitchens (for royalty, at least) have cages where birds are kept for meal preparation

SandWings keep armadillos, coyotes, tortoises, pumas and snakes as pets (and also eat them)

There is a scroll for dragonets on pets, including recipes for cooking the pets

SandWings have tortillas

After Oasis died, councils and debates were placed to pick the next queen

SandWings have history museums, including multiple gifts from past alliances

IceWings

Sign off(s): "On the winds of blizzards," "Snow mountains of love"

Education is very important (at least amongst royalty)

Ice sculpting is a significant form of art

IceWings frequently host talent shows and competitions

Many are constantly trying to create things to share with the rest of the tribe and typically work solo

Walruses and seals are not kept as pets

An image of the ranking walls is included, showing the written language (not sure if it's Dragon or an IceWing-specific language)

There is another animus gift, the gift of understanding, with missing part(s) and an unknown purpose

A layout of the menu for a coronation/royal feast is given (ingredients include kelp, sedge, garlic, ginger, crab, moss, whale, polar bear, narwhal, fulmar, puffin, gannet, scavenger, shark...)

IceWings use sealskin for scrolls

There are wandering librarians that circulate scrolls around the Ice Kingdom villages

^ Dragonets are chosen to be the next bard of the village, which are storytellers that memorize the history of the IceWing tribe and folktales

In the Village-of-the-Plentiful-Seals, there are multiple dragons named Caribou to honor the animus that gave them the gift of subsistence

^ They also host an annual feast in celebration of Caribou that lasts five days and nights

Where-No-Dragon-Goes-Hungry has a statue of Caribou made of whale bone, and host a Caribou celebration involving an ice sculpture contest every year

The aurora borealis is believed to be the Great Ice Dragon's frostbreath

We-Remember-and-Venerate-Caribou has a year long market that trades food

There is a temple of the Great Ice Dragon that feeds dragons for free

Princess Caribou's gift had upset the IceWing aristocracy because it was meant for dragons outside of the circles

^ They believed that it would make them lazy, forget how to hunt, and that hunger motivated them to work harder (which of course was entirely wrong)

Outer villages are low in the IceWing social hierarchy; they're often neglected by the royalty/nobility/etc.

Dragons from the outer villages were invited each year to compete for a spot in the palace school; this gave them a chance to enter the circles and better their social status

Every seven years, SkyWings hosted a challenge in the palace called the Clash of Claws

^ Consisted of seven days and seven challenges: flame, endurance, strength, cunning, guile, wit, and speed

The precision and heat of a flame is skill-based (at least partially)

Prince Cliff wrote the new SkyWing anthem (+ it's implied other tribes don't have anthems)

SkyWings

*Because Scarlet had a lot of influence and control over SkyWing culture, some bullet points are specified as pre, post, or during Scarlet's reign

SkyWings throw elaborate hatching ceremonies (at least according to Fierceteeth)

SkyWings may have weave tapestries (Smolder mentions an alliance gift possibly being given by the SkyWings)

SkyWings cultivate lemons

(Pre-Scarlet) The arena hosted parades, art shows, dance performances, and beauty contests; dragons from all over Pyrrhia were invited

^ Winning sculptures and tapestries were kept by Queen Firestorm

They have ironsmithing and host ironsmithing classes

Scale-polishing and muscle-building for beauty

(Pre-Scarlet) SkyWings had the option to choose partners for themselves, but often opted to be matched by the queen because they were busy

(Pre-Scarlet) Weddings are quiet, private rituals that only involve the two dragons getting married and are hosted in the sky

(During Scarlet) weddings became elaborate and were also celebrated with deathmatches in the arena; most did not want to deal with their celebrations and either didn't marry or got married in secret

Most did not want to be matched by Scarlet

There are SkyWing Ancestry Scrolls where dragons record their weddings

Families don't hold a lot of significance, parents raise their hatchlings then send them off to get a palace job

Diamond rings are used for engagements

(Royalty) White silk is worn for weddings

SilkWings

SilkWings used to take time off from school to explore Pantala after their Metamorphosis

SilkWings are naturally tree dwellers, but were forced to live on the webs between the Hives after the Tree Wars

SilkWing queens chose their successor, they did not fight for the throne

Monarch was the name of two of the best queens in SilkWing history

They have tea, lemon sugar crunches, and peanut butter cookies

HiveWings

HiveWings pick a specialization at a young age

Education is primarily agriculture based

There are universities for each hive: Wasp Hive University, Jewel Hive University, etc.

HiveWing abilities are genetic, but not always passed down

LeafWings

LeafWing dragonets have to practice jungle survival skills in the villages before being let out

The LeafWings had books in the Poison Jungle

^ They used plant fibers, bark, sap (glue), wood pulp (paper), and dyes for bookmaking

Most of their books and libraries were lost in the Tree Wars

Some LeafWing books: The Legacy of the LeafWings, Ash of Green Gingkos, The Count of Mount Kudzu, Rowan and Juniper, The Exceptionally Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Insects For the Discerning Entomologist, Mysterious and Mystifying Murders, and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Several LeafWing artifacts survived the fires, one of which was the "Archival LeafWing Documents: For Future Historians," buried by Queen Sequoia

"Safe branches," "strong roots," "from roots to the canopy," and "till the full moon" are some sign offs

Names such as Belladonna (and presumably any other dangerous plant) were untraditional before moving to the Poison Jungle

New Year of the Trees is presumably a holiday

PoisonWings and SapWings were not initially on hostile terms, this was done by Belladonna

LeafWings cultivate bananas, potatoes, yams, papayas, avocados, kumbu, and dragonberries

Apologies if there's any information that was already revealed in the main series. Also, I included some more minor things (such as the sign offs) because it could give hints into some cultural lore such as values and language.

[rattyexplores]

Crustacea: Panulirus versicolor

During my free time on Woppa, I did some snorkelling. It was fucking scary, but fun. Without an underwater camera, I sadly couldn't take photos of the things I saw. BUT I did collect a handful of items off of the reef/sand (anything I took, I returned to the reef closest to shore).

The most impressive thing was this lobster tail. It seems all the good parts had been eaten, leaving behind this big ass tail. I consulted an ex-diver about the ID, apparently these things can go for thousands in high-end restaurants (the guy got 40 bucks for capturing a perfect one... middlemen make all the money). I know lobsters are the cockroaches of the ocean, but I think they're really cool.

Gastropoda: Haliotis sp.

The second thing I picked up was this abalone shell (also used as food lol). The interior of these shells is really shiny when polished. I've never come across one of these snails before, so I had to pick it up.

Here's a short list of the other things I saw but couldn't photograph: (what I remember clearly, lots of fish I couldn't ID)

Blackeye Thicklip

Goldstripe Butterflyfish

Giant Clams

The large variety of coral (mostly red)

School of pipefish (I think) found near shore

I wouldn't mind doing snorkelling in the future, though I'm certainly going to teach myself how to do it better lol. I will keep an eye for sharks too. This was a popular tourist diving spot, but even still, you've gotta be careful.

13/09/23 - Woppa, reefs near Shelving Beach

[disneythingsilike]

Twisted Wonderland at Tokyo Disney Resort: Part 2

『ディズニーツイステッドワンダーランド』の各寮をイメージした特別なコース料理が、期間限定で提供されます！

[Twisted Wonderland] Special course meals inspired by each dormitory will be available for a limited time at Disney Ambassador Hotel! !

Here is the website for details about the location, the Empire Grill restaurant, and how to make reservations.

The price for each set is 13,000 yen, which is roughly $88. Starting at the beginning of the month of April, special courses will be offered over 8 periods that last a week each.

Here is a link to my previous post on the meals inspired by the Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, and Octavinelle dorms.

Recently, an announcement was made that revealed the menus for the Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, and Diasomnia. There will be one more meal set released after Diasomnia, but those details are not available yet.

🐍

The Scarabia Theme Set will run from October 25th-31st.

The Scarabia Set details:

~Plate in the top center~ Octopus confit dressed in spicy kadif. Served with chickpea hummus and a touch of dukkah spice.

~Big Plate in the bottom left corner~ Lightly smoked and grilled marinated amberjack fish with taggiasca olive and sun-dried tomato salsa.

~Plate in the top left corner~ Pork confit with quinoa crust with lotus rook and spelt risotto.

~Plate in top right corner~ Grilled duck breast and roasted duck thigh stuffed with chestnuts and mushrooms. Served with fig chutney.

The dessert plate at the bottom is Earl Grey Tea flavored crème brûlée and pear sorbet with fruit garnish.

This set also comes with a Scarabia Dorm charm.

The Scarabia Magical Drink costs ¥1,600 It contains iced tea, grape juice, grapefruit juice, raspberry syrup, and blue syrup.

Coffee and tea are also available.

🍎

The Pomefiore Theme Set will run from November 1st-7th.

The Pomefiore Set details:

~Plate in the top center~ Barracuda and gilled onion puree with ginger and black rice tuile. White liver pate macaroon.

~Big Plate in the bottom left corner~ Marinated Shinshu salmon with persimmon and beetroot with ravigote sauce. Bigfin reef squid tartare with caviar.

~Plate in the top left corner~ Oyama chicken and shellfish omoniere. Scallop and warm mushroom terrine

~Plate in top right corner~ Variations of lamb with thyme-infused jus

The dessert plate at the bottom is raspberry sorbet served in an apple parfait glass.

This set also comes with a Pomefiore Dorm charm.

The Pomefiore Magical Drink costs ¥1,600 It contains butterfly pea tea, lemonade, blueberry syrup, blue syrup, and gold dust.

Coffee and tea are also available.

💻

The Ignihyde Theme Set will run from December 13th-19th.

Ignihyde Set details:

~Plate in the top center~ Crispy sole brandade sandwich King crab and turnip blancmange

~Big Plate in the bottom left corner~ Seared red snapper topped with caviar and marinated lobster. Bagna freida with black garlic.

~Plate in the top left corner~ Scallops with porcini crust in a tart style with lemongrass foam.

~Plate in top right corner~ Grilled beef tenderloin and braised Wagyu beef shoulder served with caramelized root vegetables with olive sauce.

The dessert plate at the bottom is griotte cherry compote inside milk chocolate mousse with milk ice cream.

This set also comes with a Ignihyde Dorm charm.

The Ignihyde Magical Drink costs ¥1,600 It contains grape juice, lemonade, grapefruit juice, Calpis, blue syrup, lime juice, and silver dust.

Coffee and tea are also available.

🐉

The Diasomnia Theme Set will run from February 17th-23rd

The Diasomnia Set details:

~Plate in the top center~ Bamboo charcoal gougeres and green pea cream cheese with kiwi switchel

~Big Plate in the bottom left corner~ Fried marinated salmon coated with herb breadcrumbs and served with caviar and green tomato salad.

~Plate in the top left corner~ Porcini mushroom risotto and pan-fried scallops and salad vegetable foam. Accented with kujo green onions.

~Plate in top right corner~ Roasted duck breast with dukkah spice and trumpet mushroom and endive confit. Served with Madeira sauce.

The dessert plate at the bottom is fromage blanc and lime mousse with mint milk ice cream.

This set also comes with a Diasomnia Dorm charm.

The Diasomnia Magical Drink costs ¥1,600 It contains jasmine tea, orange juice, grapefruit juice, lychee syrup, and blue syrup.

Coffee and tea are also available.

There is still one final set with no information released as of yet. It's given the name Secret, and is set be available in March of 2025.

[centipedelightning]

went to the aquarium soooo: the boys’ favorite aquarium areas

minor cw for two sentence long mentions of drugs (weed)

Sans: shark touch pool with the little guys. also the schooling fish tanks where it’s just fish and corals.

Papyrus: reef touch tanks And the big ocean tank with all the different fish

Red: jellyfish tanks (just like me fr). he likes the low light and quiet. finds the lack of brains amusing.

Edge: any large sea mammal (whales walruses etc.) or the lion fish tank

Blue: sting ray touch tank and penguins. he likes anything interactive so things like a shark bridge walk is also on the list.

Stretch: little reptiles like the small frog exhibits or the port holes you can sit in.

Indigo: the areas with extreme weather demonstrations like the piranha tanks (which happens to be edge’s least favorite area)

Cash: quiet corner of The Big Tank. he like to get blasted and just watch the sharks and rays and fish do their things

Black: orcas dolphins. likes how smart they are

Mutt: shark tunnel. shark tunnel. shark tunnel.

Gold: those smaller tanks with just the tropical schooling fish and like one lobster or something.

Pawn: eels. if there’s an eel in it it’s his favorite.

Mars: deep sea. any part of it as long as it’s quiet and dark. he also appreciates the “ugly” fish. (there’s no ugly fish they’re all lovely babies that deserve kisses)

Jupiter: sea turtles. not really an area or exhibit but it’s his favorite to see. also the little tanks with just sea horses or whatever.

Tommy: stingrays. not in the touch tank though, too many kids. he’ll sit by a larger tank and watch them for a while.

Python: octopi and crustaceans. he likes how smart they are.

For the record: anyone that does smoke has gotten high at least once and gone to vibe, Cash just does it more consistently. They all like the sharks it’s just not their favorites. Loving sharks comes free with the autism.

[xjumbled-up-brainx]

This is a project I’ve been crafting for a while through my re-run of everything english dubbed Octonauts. A brand new A-Z list of EVERY SINGLE CREATURE THE OCTONAUTS HAVE EVER MET:

*Vegimalese*

What’s that Tunip, you and the Vegimals want to learn about even more creatures?

*Vegimalese*

Well, let’s go again!

The Octocomputer will show you all the creatures the Octonauts, and Octo Agents, have met, on both land and sea!

Cheepa Cheepa!

Anaconda 1

Albatross 2

Anemones 3

Angler Fish 4

Arapaima 5

Adele Penguins 6

Alligator 7

Amano Shrimp 8

Anteater 9

Arabian Camels 10

Armadillo 11

Bowhead Whale 12

Barracudas 13

Beluga Whales 14

Black Caiman 15

Blobfish 16

Blue Whale 17

Blue-head Wrasse… 18

Bottle Nose Dolphins 19

Bat 20

Baboons 21

Barnacle Goose 22

Bear 23

Black Giant Squirrel 24

Black Winged Stilt Bird 25

Blind Shrimp 26

Burmese Python 27

Brittle Stars 27

Bombardier Beetle 28 and

Bomber Worms 29

Capybara 30

Carrier Crab 31

Catfish 32

Conocono Crab 33

Conocono Crab?

Coconut Octopus! 34

Colossal Squid 35

Comb Tooth Blenny 36

Cone Snail 37

Cookie Cutter Shark 38

Cuttlefish 39

Convict Fish 40

Caiman 41

Caterpillar 42

Cave Fish 43

Cave Shrimp 44

Chameleon 45

Clam 45

Chinstrap Penguins 46

Chinese Mitten Crab 47

Christmas Tree Worms 48

Coelacanth 49

Coral Polyp 50

Coral Snake 51

Crawfish 52

Crocodile 53

Crow 54

Crown of Thorns Starfish 55

Dormice 56

Deer 57

Damselfish 58

Dogfish 59

Decorator Crab 60

Duck-Bill Platypus 61

Dwarf Lantern Shark 62

Eel 63

Electric Eel 64

Elephant 65 and Elephant Seal66

Elk 67

Egyptian Vulture 68

Emperor Penguin 69

Fiddler Crab 70

Frogfish 71

Fire Ants 72

Flamingoes 73

Flying Fish 74

Flying Fox 75

Fruit Bats 76

Giant Clam 77

Giant Comb Jelly 78

Giant Isopod 79

Giant Spider Crab 80

Giant Squid 81

Giant Grass Carp 82

Giant Pacific Octopus 83

Giant Panda 84

Giant Weta 85

Golden Coral 86

Golden Mole 87

Giraffe 88

Garden Eel 88

Gray Whale 89

Grey Reef Shark 90

Grouper 91

Guard Crab 92

Gull 93

Great White Shark 94

Gulper Eel 95

Hammerhead Shark 96

And Harbor Seal 97

(Inhale hoo inhale hoo)

Harlequin Duck 98

Harpy Eagle 99

Hippos 100

Hoatzin 101

Honey Badger 102

Hornbill 103

Hourglass Dolphins 104

Howler Monkeys 105

Hyenas 106

Hermit Crab 107

Humpback Whale 108

Humphead Parrotfish 109

(Slower) Humu-humu-nuku-nuku-a-pua-a! Haha! 110

Ice worms 111

Iguanas 112

Indochinese Tiger 113

Immortal Jellyfish, 114

Jellyfish 115

Jaguar 116

Jawfish, 117

Kangaroos 118

Kea Parrots 119

Kelp, Fish 120

Leatherback Sea-Turtle 121

Loggerhead Sea-Turtle 122

Lemon Shark 123

Longfin Eels 124

Leopard 125

Lions 126

Lion Fish 127

Lions Mane Jellyfish 128

Long Arm Squid… 129

Leafy Sea Dragon 130

Mangrove crabs 131

Mantis Shrimp 132

Martens 133

Microbe 134

Monarch Butterfly 135

Mound coral 136

Mountain Goats 137

Mud Skipper 138

Moray Eel 139

Mimic Octo-Pus! 140

Marine Iguanas 141

Manta Ray 142

Mana (Mana?) Mana (Mana?) pause. Manatee…! (Clears throat)3

Narwhal 144

Needlefish 145

Nile crocodile 146

Nile monitor lizards 147

Nine banded armadillo 148

Nutria 149

Okapis 150

Omuras whale 151

Orca 152

Oarfish 153

Octopus 154

Prowfish 155

Pelicans 156

Polar Bear 157

Pilot Fish 158

Parrotfish 159

Piranhas 160

Porcupine Puffer 161

Porcupine 162

Puffin 163

Pangolin 164

Pikas 165

Pin-tailed whydahs 166

Poison dart frog 167

Pygmy 3 toed sloths 168

Quino checkerspot butterflies 169

Queens-land-Lung-fish 170

RedRock Crabs 171

Reef Lobsters 172

Remipedes 173

Remora Fish 174

Rainbow blanket octopus 175

Rats 176

Raven 177

Red deer 178

Red eye tree frogs 179

Red fox 180

River Dolphin 181

Rock climbing gobies 182

Ruffed grouse 183

Sand grouse 184

Sand viper 185

Screaming piha 186

Seals 187

Sehuencas water frogs 188

Squid 188

Skinks 189

Skua bird 190

Skull Spiders 191

Snail 192

Spinner dolphins 193

Suckermouth catfish 194

Sun bear 195

Sunflower Star 195

Sunfish 196

Surfing Snail 197

Sailfish 198

Sardines 199

Salt-water croc-o-dile 200

Sea gulls 201

Sea squirts 202

Sea tulips 203

Sea Otter 204

Sea Pig 205

Sea Skater 206

Sea Snail 207

Sea Snake 208

Sea Sponge 209

Sea Urchin 210

Sea Horses 211

Siphonophore 212

Slime Eel 213

Snapping Shrimp 214

Sperm Whale 215

Spook Fish 216

Sea Star 217

Surgeon Fish 218

Swordfish 219

Shovel Nosed-Guitar Fish 220

Swell (sigh) Shark (sigh) 221

Snot Sea (panicked) Cucumber! 222

Tiger shark 223

Tokay Geko 224

Toucan 225

Tree frogs 226

Tree lobsters 227

Tree snails 228

Trout 229

Turtles 230

Tulum cave remipede 231

Tube Worms 232

Triggerfish 233

Tor-pedo Ray…! 234

U: You? Me? Me? You? V!

Vampire Squid 235

Vent Shrimp 236

Vole 237

Watchman goby 238

Water dikkops 239

Weasel 240

Wisent 241

Wolves 242

Wood louse 243

Wolf Eel 244

Whale Shark 245

Walrus 246

Water Bears 247

Weddell Seal 248

Whale Louse 249

White-Tip-Shark 250

X: Xylophone solo!

Yellow bellied sea snakes 251

Yeti Crab 252

Zebra 253

Zebra fish! 259

Dadadada!

[kyndaris]

Obligatory Beach Episode

When most Australians think of surf, sand and sun, they think of their local beach. Press them a little on famous ones that they can lounge on or which tourists frequent and they might say Bondi Beach or the Gold Ask. Ask them for something a little more exotic and they’ll probably name a resort in Bali or Fiji.

Ask Europeans for an exotic beach locale and you might get something like Hurghada. After all, it’s not too far from the European mainland and has some killer snorkelling opportunities to get up close and personal with adorable little fishes!

Our tour group had chosen to stay at the Stella Makadi Resort. More exactly: the Stella Gardens Resort and Spa Makadi Bay. From the outside, it looked almost like a massive compound. On the inside, it was a nice relaxing stroll down to the beachside with a few shops dedicated to selling trinkets and souvenirs that screamed: EGYPT!

Our first day at the resort was one of rest. We had no activities planned, which seemed apt when travelling with a large group of geriartrics.

Okay, I kid. They were mostly in their 50s and 60s. Which, I mean, still isn’t young by any means but considering I was the youngest of the entire group sitting at the round number of 30 says a lot. Heck, even 30 is old when you talk to teenagers.

So, what does one do when there isn’t much of a rush to head anywhere and everywhere? You go to the local beach, of course. As, as part of a package with the resort, there was a shuttle could take the adventurous down to the shoreline instead of having to hoof it down, plebeian style.

I don’t believe much explanation is required when photos will suffice in terms of the atmosphere of the Stella Makadi. It was pretty much your typical resort stolen from every tropical resort ever. Which isn’t to say it was bad, but I hadn’t brought swimmers. I had been more intent on learning the history of fishing rather than focusing on my tan lines.

As a random aside, most of the elderly Europeans (of which there was a lot down in Hurghada) seemed to love the idea of burning their skin until it was lobster red. They might not have peeled yet but is it any wonder their skin was so saggy and wrinkly when compared to Asians?

In any case, my first day of Hurghada mostly revolved around getting to know a few select members of the tour group a bit better than I had before by playing cards with them on the beach and pondering what our buffet meals had on offer.

The second day at Hurghada was, thankfully, one of adventure albeit ones where you had to pay a little bit extra on top of the $7000 that had to be shelled out at the start for the trip. 

Our first stop was Sindbad Submarine. And no, that’s not a typo. It was literally called Sindbad rather than Sinbad.

In any case, the Red Sea, it should be noted, shares a few similarities with the Great Barrier Reef. In that it has a reef where plenty of fish call home. And to truly appreciate the aquatic life in and around the area, one must go  beneath the waves. Hence, many of our tour group packing into a floating tin can that could sink down about 25 metres below the surface, all so that we could marvel at coral, the diver that came with us, and the fish the diver had managed to lure towards our window with the promise of food. 

I even spotted a Red Sea clownfish poking out through its home anemone, as well as an Indian lionfish lying low but wasn’t able to snap a shot fast enough on my phone. Alas!

After our submarine adventure, we boated back to shore and were presented with a certification of completion. Our local tour guide, Ahmed, even saw fit to write our names in Arabic on the slip of paper.

With our morning activities over, it was back to the resort for lunch before we enjoyed a Jeep Safari through the Sahara Desert. But although I say Jeep, I really mean Toyota Land Cruisers.

Since most of those in our tour group were an elderly bunch, the dirvers took it slow on the small hills and crests in the desert. Throughout the drive, we stopped at multiple areas, snapping shots of a distant mirage, a lonely Acacia tree (that was not the Tree of Tenere), and a towering dune of sand.

We even stopped at a nomadic village. In Chinese, it sounded like Bolu but a search on Google tells me that it might be the beduins. In any case, we got to taste their special type of naan, cooked over a flat stone with camel dung used to fuel the fire, ride a few camels and enjoy a cup of red tea that was a little too bitter for my tastes.

By the time we left their village, the sun was setting. Though I would have preferred to have returned to the resort by then, we still had one last stop. A performance, actually, that involved belly dancing and some clever dervish twirls. Along with some food and refreshments.

And even though I was asked to participate in some additional dancing, like the I coward I am I refused. Me? Belly dancing? In front of strangers? Never.

Besides, I’m not very curvaceous - at least in the sexy sense - and the thought of being the only poor dancer on  stage was a huge disincentive to get up and ‘shake my booty.’ 

So, while this wasn’t the most stereotypical beach episode in every anime ever, there was plenty of sun, surf and sand to enjoy. Certainly, for any enterprising influence, Hurghada would have been a great relaxation spot with excellent water views and opportunities to get down and dirty with beach volleyball and Zumba on the sand. 

As for budding Egyptologists, well, a little leisure can go a long way. Hurghada might not be rich in history, but it is rich in demonstrating the interconnection between cultures and giving some much needed zing if all one does is trek from one dusty old temple to the next.

[downtoearthmarkets]

The mild spring weather of June ushers in prime wedding season here in the northeast, as countless beaming couples prepare to walk down the aisle. In fact, June is one of the most popular months in which to tie the knot, thanks to its forgiving temperatures, lush green backdrops and longer daylight hours that all make for great wedding photos.

Happy unions are always a cause for celebration, and that holds true when it comes to perfect food pairings as well. After all, some things are just meant to be together and certain foods taste better when they’re aligned with their best mate. So, in the spirit of successful gastronomic matchmaking, here are some iconic food duos whose partnership you can elevate by sourcing fresh, seasonal ingredients from the farmers market this weekend.

Bacon & Eggs Our love affair with bacon and eggs began in Medieval Great Britain and Ireland where they became a common breakfast spread consumed by workers who needed a substantial meal to fuel their physically demanding labor. However, it wasn’t until the 1920’s that this famous couple caught on as a breakfast staple in the United States.

Bacon and eggs go so well together because the crisp saltiness of bacon complements the silky creaminess of cooked eggs. Goode and Local By Don Rodrigo’s premium thick-cut, hickory-smoked Pennsylvania bacon is nitrate and nitrite-free for a healthier alternative without compromising on taste or quality. Lightly flavored with maple syrup and cinnamon, their Mangalitsa bacon comes from rare, heritage breed pigs native to the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe and pasture-raised locally on their farms with the utmost care. Pair some rashers of this special bacon with SOVA Farms eggs that come from happy hens who roam and forage freely and can stretch their wings outside to their hearts content.

Surf & Turf Surf and turf, sometimes called reef and beef, is any meal that pairs seafood and red meat together in a match made in heaven. While lobster and filet mignon are considered the original combination, variations often include shrimp, scallops and squid. This timeless dish packs a powerful punch of protein and is guaranteed to leave you feeling well-nourished. Although there is some debate among food historians as to whether surf and turf originated on the East or West Coast of the United States, there is consensus that this classic American delicacy first gained popularity in fine dining establishments during the 1960s.

There’s no need to swelter in the kitchen over a hot stove, as surf and turf is super easy to sizzle up on the barbecue! Simply pick up a succulent piece of Great Joy Family Farm's grass-fed, locally pastured steak, plus whatever American Pride Seafood fresh shellfish catches your fancy and follow this recipe. To offset the richness of your main course, a crisp salad made with fresh spring greens, peppery radishes, crunchy carrots and other seasonal bounty from the farmstalls will pair beautifully with a platter of dock to dish, farm to fork surf and turf. Throw in some Newgate Farms baked potatoes and you’ve got yourself a full spread.

Peas & Carrots Peas and carrots are one of history’s greatest pairings as they go together like two peas in a pod, one might say. Peas are cool weather-loving plants, which means that June is a prime month for these exploratory climbers before they become sapped by the arrival of hotter temps. Snow, snap, and garden peas are all members of the legume family. Though they may look similar, each one has a different texture and level of sweetness.

Peas and carrots have been part of the human diet since the Bronze Age. The two plants are native to Western Asia in the region that is now known as Afghanistan. The duo makes for good companion plantings as both crops thrive in cool, moist conditions while low-growing carrots won’t compete with peas for sunlight. It is thought that because they grew so well together that they were eventually cooked and eaten together. The pair has stuck together ever since through thick and thin.

Celebrate the freshness of the season with this bright and colorful green pea and young carrot salad or throw the two into this spring veggie vegan pot pie featuring a medley of vibrant farmers market produce.

Strawberries & Rhubarb Strawberries and rhubarb are considered as fine a culinary pairing as there is. This iconic combination is a classic case of opposites attract, with the sweetness of strawberries counterbalancing the complex sourness of rhubarb. You can find this longtime twosome showcased in goodies such as Peck's of Maine's Strawberry Rhubarb fruit spread and tasty tarts from the farmstalls. To make your own strawberry rhubarb compote with fresh ingredients from the farmers market, follow this simple recipe and don’t forget to top it with a big dollop of Willow Pond Sheep Farm's creamy sheep milk yogurt or Goodness Dairy's vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons Newgate Farms honey or Maplebrook Farm maple syrup

2 tablespoons water

3 large stalks of rhubarb from the farmstalls, cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces

1 pint Great Joy Family Farm strawberries, stemmed and halved if small, quartered if large

Of course there will be many more delicious alliances to celebrate as the season progresses, from cherries and chocolate to tomatoes and basil to peaches and cream. In the meantime, let us know what unexpected flavor fusions you’ve discovered in the farmers market, as we always love to read a great romance story that is poised to live happily ever after.

[sonorous-eisfyl]

what are your muse’s aesthetics? BOLD any which apply to your muse! remember to REPOST! feel free to add to the list!

[ COLOURS ]  ~  burgundy. red. crimson. scarlet. maroon. mahogany. copper. amber. chocolate. brown. tawny. tan. bronze. brass. orange. gold. saffron. yellow. chartreuse. spring green. lime. mint. green. olive. forest. turquoise. teal. cerulean. blue. navy. cobalt. periwinkle. indigo. pewter. plum. purple. magenta. fuchsia. lilac. lavender. pink. coral. peach. ivory. cream. white. silver. grey. smoke. charcoal. ebony. black. pastels. vibrant. matte. metallic. muted. dark. light.

[ BODY ] ~ mutations. claws. fangs. wings. tails. feathers. webs. spikes. scales. fur. stripes. spots. freckles. acne. bruises. scars. scratches. gashes. lashes. wounds. amputations. burns. brands. teeth. gums. tongues. lips. beards. mustaches. cheeks. noses. ears. eyes. eyelashes. eyebrows. hair. heads. neck. shoulders. collar bones. arms. elbows. wrists.  hands. fingers. breast. back. ribs. abs. belly. hips. curves. butts. legs. thighs. knees. shins. ankles. feet. toes. nails. sweat. spit. tears. blood. heart. stomach. lungs. liver. veins.  guts. bones. spine. muscle. skin. feline. canine. masculine. feminine.

[ WEAPONS ]  ~  bites. fists. sword. dagger. spear. arrow. bow. crossbow. hammer.  shield. poison. (bow)guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. tasers.  machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. bombs. missiles. boomerangs. lethal pets. lasers.

[ MATERIALS ]  ~ metal. gold. silver. platinum. pewter. titanium. iron. steel. copper. bronze. brass. tin. bismuth. diamonds. pearls. rubies. garnets. sapphires. emeralds. jade. peridots. alexandrite. opal. topaz. jasper. quartz. rose quartz. smoky quartz. amethyst. citrine. fluorite. amber. malachite. turquoise. lapis lazuli. sodalite. pyrite. labradorite.  moonstone.  petrified wood. wood. paper. parchment. hemp. canvas. burlap. oils. skin. muslin. rayon. faux. wool. fur. lace. leather. skins. suede. corduroy. silk. satin. chiffon. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. rocks. flint. asphalt. brick. granite. marble. dust. rust. glitter. sand. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. carbonate. rubber. synthetics. nylon. polyester. plastic. glass. porcelain.  bone. shells. coral.

[ NATURE ]  ~ grass. leaves. trees. bark. flowers. roses. daisies. forget me nots. tulips. lavender. petals. thorns. seeds. hay. roots. ocean. pond. river. stream. waterfall. creek. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rain forest. tropical. jungle. marsh. moors. swamp.  plains. hills. highlands. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. space.  clouds. mountains. fire. lava. ice. frost. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun.  heat. cold. steam. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise.  sunset. dewdrops. shadow. tornado. hurricane. water spout. thunder. hail. twisters. humidity. dryness.

[ ANIMALS ]  ~ birds. penguins. eagles. owls. falcons. vultures. hawks. swans. parrots. parakeets. doves. pigeons. ducks. robins. cardinals. blue jays. bluebirds. blackbirds. crows. ravens. magpies. mockingbirds. flamingos. ostriches. seagulls. albatross. peacocks. condors. finches. pelicans. chickens. geese. quail. bats. sheep. cows. buffalo. deer.  hedgehogs. elephants. horses. giraffes. cats. lions. tigers. pumas. cheetahs. jaguars. foxes. dogs. wolves. coyotes. bunnies. mice. rats. monkeys. apes. bears. pandas. polar bears. snakes. iguanas. chameleons. alligators. crocodiles. turtles. lizards. frogs. toads. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. stingrays. octopus. lobsters. crabs. bugs. spiders. ants.  moths. butterflies. flies. maggots. roaches. ladybugs. beetles. cicadas. dragonflies. fleas. termites. leeches. worms. snails. mosquitoes. werewolves. unicorns. pegasus. dragons. dinosaurs.

[ FOODS/DRINKS ]  ~  pepper. salt. sugar. honey. syrup. caramel. candy. bubblegum.  mints.  candy canes. gumdrops. lollipops. chocolate. vanilla. cinnamon. ice cream. cake. cookies. brownies. biscuits. pie. tarts. lemonade. soda. champagne. wine. brandy. rum. whiskey. vodka. tequila. sake. beer. soju. gin. crema de cacao. cocoa. latte. coffee. tea.  spices. herbs. fruit. apples. oranges. lemons. cherries. strawberries. blueberries. raspberries. cranberries. watermelons. cantaloupes. bananas. coconuts. grapes. kiwi. pomegranates. tomatoes. vegetables. potatoes. cucumbers. carrots. turnips. onions. leeks.  celery. broccoli. cabbages. lettuces. roots. nuts. white meat. red meat. raw meat. veal. pork. chicken. beef. venison. fish. lobster. oysters. pizza. ambrosia. pasta. sandwiches. soup.

[ HOBBIES ]  ~  music. piano. flute. woodwinds. whistles. drums. guitar. cello. synthesizer.  violin. lute. harp. fiddle. harmonica. trumpet. brass. singing. composing. folk.  classical. bluegrass. blues. jazz. big band. pop. country. rock. punk. metal. electronica. hip hop. reggae. ska. rap. vinyl records. cassettes. cds. soundcloud. itunes. spotify. art.  sculpting. pottery. painting. watercolour. drawing. pastels. charcoal. sketching. graffiti. printing. inking. collecting. fighting. martial arts. self-defence. boxing. fencing. sumo. wrestling. jousting. paintball. lazer tag. duelling. hunting. fishing. climbing. weight lifting. training. sports. football. football (usa). rugby. baseball. cricket. lacrosse. volleyball. basketball. tennis. badminton. skating. cycling. sailing. rowing. hiking. running. gymnastics. dancing. ice skating. hockey.  reading. writing. cooking. sewing. acting. photography. video games. horseback riding. gardening. smithing. shopping. traveling. movies. theatre. libraries. books. magazines. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. science.

[ STYLE ]  ~ nudism. perfume. cologne. piercings. tattoos. henna. body paint. war paint.  make up. lipstick. mascara. eyeliner. eye shadow. powder. beauty marks. blush. nail polish. lingerie. fishnet. pantie-hoes. socks. stockings. leggings. long johns. under armor. corsets. sports bras. bustles. camisoles. blouses. button ups. tunics. vests. waistcoats. leather jackets. ponchos. sweaters/jumpers. hoodies. skirts. jeans. kilts. breeches. scarfs. cravats. ascots. belts. sashes. gloves. heels. sandals. platforms. tennis shoes. penny loafers. jordans. slippers. boots. cowboy boots. rain boots. army boots. armor. justaucorps. trench coats. capes. cloaks. burqa. suits. tuxedos. kimonos. saris. sun dresses. gowns. jewelry. earrings. nose rings. lip rings. tongue piercings. belly rings. gauges. eyebrow rings. necklaces. pearl strings. leis. bracelets. bangles. cuffs. watches. friendship bracelets. rings. pendants. lockets. broaches. boutonnieres. pocket watches. cuff links. hats. crowns. circlets. flower crowns. helmets. hijabs. turbans. baseball caps. cowboy hats. brocade. doublet. gorget. bracers. masks. cowls. braces. glasses. sun glasses. eye contacts. pyjamas.

[ MISC ]  ~ balloons. bubbles. candles. battle. war. diplomacy. peace. money. power.  clocks. photos. mirrors. pets. diary. fairy lights. madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. pessimism. loneliness. family. friends. assistants. co-workers. enemies.  loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. sex. hugs. duality. sin. lust. greed. wrath. envy. sloth. gluttony. pride. virtue. chivalry. honour. piety. charity. diligence. chastity. gentleness. aggression. romance. hatred. grief. pity. success. bitterness. sorrow. joy. fear. anger. good. evil. relativity. vampirism. sapphism. life. birth. time. death. illusion. silence.

[project1939]

100+ Films of 1952

Film number 140: Under the Red Sea 

Release date: October 2nd, 1952. 

Studio: RKO 

Genre: documentary 

Director: Hans Hass 

Producer: Sol Lesser, Hans Hass 

Actors: Les Tremayne, Hans Hass, Lotte Hass

Plot Summary: Biologist and diver Hans Hass takes a small crew, including his wife Lotte, to explore the underwater world of the Red Sea. They have adventures finding coral reefs and caves, sharks, starfish, Manta rays, barracuda, and many other kinds of wildlife both above and below the waterline. 

My Rating (out of five stars): ***¼  

I haven’t been able to find many documentary features from 1952, so this was a fun and interesting watch. I can only imagine what it would have been like to see this the year it was released, though! Underwater film and photography were in their infancy, and most people watching it in 1952 had probably never seen anything like it. In a scene with a Manta ray, for example, the narrator said it was the first time one of them had ever been photographed! 

The Good: 

Obviously watching all the beautiful wildlife was the best part of the film. There were vast varieties of fish, plants, birds, and mammals. The underwater footage was really amazing, and the viewer was given ample time to take it all in. 

The underwater cinematography was magnificent. 

There was an exploration of an island with thousands of birds on it that I found compelling. I especially fell in love with little crabs on the beach who made pyramids out of sand. I also got jealous when they ate fresh crab and lobster at the shore!

We got to see some intriguing shots of the local city and villages, opening a window into what the human culture looked like at the time. I was curious about how much things may have changed in 72 years. 

My favorite scene in the whole film was when Hass took a speaker under the water and played music by Strauss for the fish. Many of the fish came over to the speaker and began swimming in circles around it. They didn’t appear to be distressed, and Hass described it like a fish ballet. It was beautiful.  

Hass and his crew were all Austrian, so they spoke German, and I liked the fact that the film didn’t change or dub over it. 

I gotta say, I love the 1950s pulp style poster- it was clearly trying to sensationalize the movie to pull customers in. People who expected something flashy and salacious would have been pretty disappointed, though. The style was almost identical to that of a nature show on television. 

The Bad: 

The use of black and white film was kind of a shame. I’m sure the technology wasn’t available or cheap enough to film in color, but when you are looking at an underwater wonderland, it’s disappointing to be restricted to black and white. After the film ended, I googled several of the fish described in it so I could see them in color.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about all the underwater hunting that went on. Nowadays you don’t see underwater documentaries where the hosts kill and capture some of the wildlife! I’m sure being a biologist Hass wouldn’t have done something to harm the environment, but still...  

There was an unfortunate moment of racist stereotyping. In an early scene in Port Sudan, the narrator described “rich Arab merchants who still practice polygamy,” “poor and apathetic Negroes,” and “warlike and unpredictable” nomads. A lot of the racism seemed more steeped in classism, and thankfully the above example was pretty much the only one. 

It was kind of frustrating that there were no subtitles when the Austrians were speaking to each other. I don’t know if that was only an issue with the print I saw, but sometimes I was a little confused. 

I think it got a bit long for this kind of film. It was 82 minutes, and the drier style and lack of any clear plot made it drag somewhat at times. It wasn’t boring, however. 

[menuandprice]

Tante Maalaea Restaurant & Bar – Wailuku, Maui, HI

Happy Hour at Tante Maalaea Restaurant & Bar – Maalaea, Maui, HI

Updated 1/2/2023 by the Maui Happy Hours team

Happy Hour at Tante’s Maui from 12pm to 6pm Daily

Happy Hour Specials (12pm-6pm) - $3 for All Draft Beers - $3.50 Mai Tais - $3.50 Margaritas - Happy Hour Pupu Specials Everyday Food Specials at Tante’s Maui - $6.95 Pancit - $15.95 BBQ Baby Back Ribs - $29.95 Steak and Lobster - other specials every day *Located at the Maalaea Harbor Shops where the snorkel and whale watching tours depart (perfect happy hour for before or after the boat trip!) —————————— Address: 300 Maalaea Rd, Wailuku, HI 96793 Phone: (808) 868-2148 Website About: Tante’s Maalaea Restaurant & Bar is a full-service restaurant located in Maalaea, Maui, Hawaii at the Harbor Shops. We specialize in the freshest ingredients that arrive daily. Our poke bowls to go are the talk of the island. Tante’s is locally owned by full-time Maui residents and we are very proud of our fresh menu which has the best seafood, local food, and sushi on the beautiful island of Maui. Popular dishes at Tante’s Maui include our Fried Ahi Belly, Garlic Furikake Chicken, Halo Halo, Lobster & Steak Special, Bangus (whole fried fish), Teriyaki Beef, and our many sushi selections. Our fully-stocked bar offers a wide selection of tropical signature cocktails such as Tante’s Mai Tai, Lava Flow, Blue Hawaii, Coconut Mojito, Mango Sunset, Green Melon Cooler, and Pina Colada. We also offer a large selection of wine, draft beers, bottled beers, premium liquors, and sake.  We are located near the Maui Ocean Center, an aquarium and oceanography center noted as the largest tropical reef aquarium in the Western Hemisphere. The Maui Ocean Center was recently named one of the “Top 10 Aquariums in the World” by TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards and is ranked #2 on Tripadvisor for “Things to Do in Maui”. Other nearby businesses at the Maui Harbor shops include Hula Cookies, Pacific Whale Foundation, Maui Gift Outlet, Boss Frogs Snorkeling, Diving, & Activities, Maui Island Treasures, Wortheim Contemporary Art Gallery, GeoTrek & Red Dirt Shirt, U’l Makana, Octopus Ink Tattoo, Hawaiian Charters, and more. Are you looking for delicious Filipino cuisine? Look no further than Tante’s Fishmarket Restaurant & Bar in Maalaea, Maui, Hawaii. Happy hour at Tante’s Maui is from 12pm-6pm daily featuring discounted draft beers, Mai Tais, Margaritas, and appetizers. Every day food specials at Tante’s include $29.95 Steak & Lobster, $15.95 BBQ Baby Back Ribs, and $6.95 Pancit.

According to these Tante’s Maui patrons

“Made a last minute stop here for dinner. The food here is outstanding and reasonably priced. Great fish and happy hour specials. It was very busy and did not have reservations, but was able to sit in the bar. Definitely would recommend having reservations. Stop here after whale watching, snorkeling, or going to the aquarium.” GJ Fly Fisherman, January 2023 “Went to Tante’s for lunch after the Maui aquarium, excellent food and good happy hour drinks.” Pickle H., January 2023 “Cool fish restaurant with an awesome happy hour and friendly staff. I guess you can’t get cheaper food and drinks during the day than here, quality was very good. How can you beat $13 Ramen (Saimin deluxe) and $5 22oz craft beers? During happy hour a must to visit if you are in the area!” Daniel W., November 2022 “In the middle of the day, hot as heck, tired & hungry, where to go where there was no wait, a view of the harbor, no feral chickens running around and did I mention sweet AC. Plus it was happy hour! We loved it. Family oriented, aloha staff and great food. My family will be back

” Keila L., November 2022 “Ashley is awesome at her job. We showed up impromptu for happy hour and she was fast, y’all, so fast and knew the menu and the drinks. She was epic. Visit her and tip her well.” Beth A., July 2022 “Furikake fries were great and $3 draft beers for happy hour! Awesome!” Bill B., May 2022 “A friend and I stopped by for the “Happy Hour” Mai Tai/Margarita. Oh my both drinks were excellent, especially when we had the bar tender lace the rims with Li Hing Mui try it!!!! A good place to go after work. Wonderful location. Enjoy!” Welen H., February 2022 “Never a bad plate of food at this place! I have been to this restaurant twice and both the times I have enjoyed my order. The food is always fresh and delicious. They have great cocktails too. The ambience is chill and I love the location of this restaurant. In love with their chicken papaya soup, so delicious.” Pushpita C., February 2022 “Wonderful mahi mahi. The drinks and the ambiance made us feel fancy. Waitress took our picture! Fun place. Best cooked fish we had.” Stephen C., February 2022 “We couldn’t believe the EXCELLENT FOOD!! AND THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY! We ate to our hearts content, AND STILL asked for a take-home box! We left a generous tips for the non-stop HEAVENLY SERVICE that was provided…I will tell EVERYONE I can tell about this Tante’s at the harbor! Loved it!” Ron R., February 2022 “Service was extra good. Food tasty-soup, salad, main dishes-loved the shrimp, clam chowder & fish. We would go again.” Eileen B., January 2022 “Amazing! The staff was highly efficient and made an emphasis to observe all covid guidelines. The lobster tail was generous in size and the steak was excellent! We did appetizers, entrees, and dessert! Will be coming back with just my family and for date nights. Very impressed and extremely satisfied. Shoutout to Christiana and Marie for superb service.” Dylan S., June 2021 “We had Christmas dinner there. My wife had prime rib, I had seafood trio. We shared a Mud pie for dessert. We are very pleased with the taste of our meals. The dessert was great. Our waitress was wonderful. We will definitely be back.” Jon Q., May 2021

Are you a fan of Tante’s Maui? Tell us in the comments below.

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[mnoonthego]

Day 30- Back on the Water

Today we took our first tour, a snorkelling and dolphin boat trip in the Watamu National Marine Park and Reserve. It was a bit shocking to suddenly be spending the day with 20 other people. I was impressed that we were told that no single use plastic bottles were allowed to be brought into the park. (Single use plastic bags were banned in Kenya prior to 2020). The amount of plastic bottles littering the beaches, streets and wilderness areas throughout Kenya has been disappointing and overwhelming.

Our first destination was to find the dolphins. It was a bit like the Masai Mara of the Ocean, a number of boats all started to crowd the pod of bottlenose dolphins. I talked to our captain about the regulations and was glad to hear that there were some and then a few minutes later I spotted the Parks boat coming out to talk to those that were infringing on the dolphins space. That said, it was still beautiful to see them!

Our next stop was the reef for some snorkelling. Unfortunately, we forgot Oriana’s underwater camera which was so disappointing as I would love to be able to revisit the seascapes we swam through. Snorkelling from Shela was good but this was great! I don’t know the names of most of the fish but the colour and movement was spectacular and the amount and diversity of fish was impressive. The coral was washed out in most places but there were a few patches of the brightly coloured coral you hope to see return on mass in the future. My favourite spotting was an octopus that was tucking its self under a rock when I spotted it! There were lion fish (we didn’t get close), tons of parrot fish, angelfish, damselfish, butterflyfish, clownfish, pipe fish, blue stripped snappers, red snappers, puffer fish and so many more. We also saw a bunch more of the giant clams that we had seen in Shela. I don’t know how it is possible to get cold but eventually that is what took Tamsyn and I back to the boat. The girls both raved about what they saw and I am so proud of their ability to swim and snorkel. Mark has taught Oriana how to dive while snorkelling and so away she would go to have a closer look at something of interest.

By this time we had worked up an appetite and were excited to head up Mida Creek for lunch on a small island. This is tour life so our boat and four others pulled up to the island and walked the short distance to a covered area with about 20 tables. After we were served our drinks, the courses started to arrive. Prawns, King Fish and lobster were all on the menu! What a feast!

Although the food was good the highlight of the lunch was meeting a lovely family who were visiting from Nairobi. Their daughter Joy had recently moved to Toronto to work for a software engineering firm and so we instantly had a connection. They were the nicest people and had all kinds of insight on growing up in Kenya. When we were getting ready to head back to our boats, Eileen handed us a gift- a bowl with a carving of an Elephant and the word Jambo on it. She had been surprised that we had chosen Kenya of all of the vacation destinations in the word and wanted to be sure we wouldn’t forget out trip (how could we??). She mentioned that the word Jambo isn’t actually used by locals and is only used when interacting with tourists. I couldn’t believe it! Here I thought we had been so smooth in adopting a Swahili word for greeting others. I refused to use the word for the rest of the day!

On our way back to the beach we were lucky enough to see a few turtles but they were a fair distance so I’m not sure what type they were. When we arrived at the beach we headed to the tiger shark nursery. Typically you don’t want to be anywhere near a tiger shark but the babies are ok and you know that the mom’s aren’t around (they are on the other side of the reef) so it was very cool to walk into the water to observe them.

We were so full from lunch that, other than Mark, we weren’t hungry. As he was craving a hamburger and we just wanted some more of that amazing gelato, we headed out. The gelato place was closed so we tried the tex-med place that had a table with comfy looking chairs that was street level and therefore would allow for people watching. Mark and I started with margaritas and the girls had milk shakes. The margaritas came with a side of shots!? The bartender said that Tequila is just summer water with a side of lime. I think as far as the girls were concerned, the best part was the restaurant kitten. Finally they had a cat they could pet and cuddle. My highlight, the “boy band” (a bunch of young boys with a water bottle drum) that sang Jambo Bwana, a popular song heard throughout Watamu, to us from the road. Mark loved his hamburger and I think the onion rings were the best we have ever had! We ended up having an interesting conversation with the owner, a Frenchman, his wife (kenyan) and their son which just added to the success of the evening.

[teenyfish]

Marine Biology Story of the Day #13: The Collection

Hey everybody, long time no see—we’ve been dealing with hurricanes and vacations and I’ve been extremely worn down from work so I have not posted anything in the last two weeks.

But, since it’s early spooky season and I’ve finally had a chance to sit down, we are going to do a special post today and go over my collection.

My collection of “dead things”, as my husband likes to describe it.

I like to describe it as my natural history collection. It’s a collection I’ve been curating since I got go college, and I have either collected and cleaned them myself, or received them as gifts from others who share my strange hobby.  I have not personally killed any of these animals, however I’m sure some were road kill or were killed by barotrauma (if they were fish).  Also, these are not all from dead animals, I have a large collection of molts and shells as well.  For me, these are found objects, and I am giving them life again in my house.  If you are uncomfortable with the idea of animal bone collection and processing, I suggest you stop here.

If you have a morbid curiosity like I do, welcome.

Lets start with the bones.  On the first row we have what I think is a squirrel skull that I found on a beach (I’m not 100% sure because I don’t have any teeth from it) and a cormorant skull I found completely bleached and cleaned on a dock.  On the second row we have a pair of deer antlers I spent $2 on at an antique fair, we have an otter that I cleaned for my university that I was allowed to keep, we have rocky the raccoon, also from my university, a cat skull I found on a washed up beach (there were no tags attached, no tissue left, it could have been a pet or a stray, but considering we were in the middle of nowhere, there was no way to tell), and a Atlantic sharpnose shark jaw I cleaned while on a NOAA trip.  The back row we have a blacktip reef shark jaw from the same trip, and a red drum skull collected from a beach.  

Now, rocky is one of my favorites—we have a long relationship.  When I was in college, I took a mammalogy class and one of our assignments was to go find a dead animal and bring it in, dissect it, and clean it.  Like for a grade.  Our professor had tenure and was pretty eccentric, so he got away with it much to the chagrin of the president.  I found rocky on the side of a highway, while I was driving home to my parents’ house for fall break, and he looked pretty freshly dead, so I thought that would be the best way to go.  It didn’t stop him from stinking up my car though, and my mom was not pleased that I stuffed him in the basement freezer.  He made it back to school in a Styrofoam cooler, and I got an A on that assignment, and then we put all of our skulls in the “beetle tank” so that they could finish cleaning the skulls for us.  I forgot about it.  Fast forward to two years later, I was working for the graduate department while getting my graduate degree, and we were asked to clean out the “bone room” and process the skulls, and I found him, a tag with my name on it attached.  He came home to live me ever since.

Next we have the molts, all of which, with the exception of the sea urchin, all came from live animals that continued on living after they had shed their shells. On the bottom left we have my horseshoe crab molts, the larger one was collected on a fisheries survey I was on, the little one I found at a hotel beach in Florida.  Just above the horseshoe crabs, we have an urchin that I found in Maine—this one was likely smashed against the rocks by a seagull, because when an urchin dies, it usually doesn’t leave behind it’s spines. Next to it is the large, American Lobster, which came from the lobster at the aquarium I used to work at!! And then, in the bottom right is a spiny lobster molt.  Spiny lobsters come from the south eastern united states, but our aquarium collected a spiny lobster in North Carolina.  She was one of my favorite animals I worked with in the aquarium.

Then we have the full bodied organisms that were preserved fully.  We have European hornets pinned in the bottom block, which are from a small project I worked on as an undergrad.  These are invasive to the states.  The large blue jar contains a baby sandbar shark. My friend (who is also a biology nerd) found this one for me at a thrift store, so WHO KNOWS how it got there originally—but I gave her a new home none the less.  The last three small jars are fish and invertebrates that were collected on my trip studying marine plastics in the Pacific.  In one is a Velula velula, or a by-the-wind sailor, which is a small siphonophore (similar to a jelly fish, or like a small man-o-war) that “sails” on the surface of the water with it’s little biological sail!  The next one is a myctophid, which I’ve covered in previous posts, but it’s a small, very numerous deep sea fish with bioluminescent photophores on it’s belly.  The last is a dragonfish or a viperfish, which is another deep see fish similar to an angler fish, but it’s bioluminescent lure is on it’s chin.  

I’ve been putting this collection together for almost 10 years now, and they all have their little spots on my shelves at my home.  I just find these pieces of biology so beautiful, and I want to give these animals a second life.  I’m not just into dead animals, I have a 55 gallon saltwater tank and a sweet baby puppy as well, but I just love natural specimens--it is just so cool to be able to reach up on your book shelf and be able to study anatomy from the real thing. 

Now, there are a myriad of methods required for preserving biological samples, many of which you can do at home with your own materials.  Cleaning a skull successfully also depends on the condition that the remains are found in.  I rarely do a skull that has a lot of tissue still on it, it’s a lot of work. I do stress though, unless you want to get into some really nasty stuff, it is not for the faint of heart (or people who are easily nauseated).  If you want any information on how to clean skulls, both from mammals and from fish, please feel free to contact me in the notes or in the asks.

That being said, as a reminder, there are some legal issues regarding many species.  Marine Mammals and endangered species are a no go, even if you find the animal already dead.  Make sure to be aware of that when you go out in the field looking for bones.  It is also is typically illegal to collect things from state and national parks in the U.S., and I don’t have all the rules for other countries, so just educate yourself before you head out.

As always, if you have any questions or comments PLEASE do not be afraid to ask!