2021-03-05
Mineral-laden water in the Rio Tinto in Minas de Rio Tinto mining area, Huelva province, Andalusia, Spain (© David Santiago Garcia/Getty Images)
力拓河中含矿物质的水，西班牙里奥廷托矿区 (© David Santiago Garcia/Getty Images)
If you like your landscapes on the surreal side, then this weird and wonderful river in the Andalusia region of southwestern Spain should be to your liking. The Rio Tinto (Red River) gets its name from the reddish hue of its water, which contains high levels of iron and sulfur, making it very acidic. This unusual chemical makeup may or may not be a result of the area's long history of mining, which dates back at least 5,000 years. Ancient residents like the Tartessians and Romans dug for copper, silver, gold, as well as the mineral pyrite, commonly referred to as 'fool's gold.' Legend has it that Rio Tinto was the site of the fabled mines of King Solomon.
Mineral-laden water in the Rio Tinto in Minas de Rio Tinto mining area, Huelva province, Andalusia, Spain (© David Santiago Garcia/Getty Images)
力拓河中含矿物质的水，西班牙里奥廷托矿区 (© David Santiago Garcia/Getty Images)
If you like your landscapes on the surreal side, then this weird and wonderful river in the Andalusia region of southwestern Spain should be to your liking. The Rio Tinto (Red River) gets its name from the reddish hue of its water, which contains high levels of iron and sulfur, making it very acidic. This unusual chemical makeup may or may not be a result of the area's long history of mining, which dates back at least 5,000 years. Ancient residents like the Tartessians and Romans dug for copper, silver, gold, as well as the mineral pyrite, commonly referred to as 'fool's gold.' Legend has it that Rio Tinto was the site of the fabled mines of King Solomon.
2021-03-06
Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia (© Thrithot/Adobe Stock)
弗洛勒斯岛上的纳闽巴霍，印度尼西亚科莫多国家公园 (© Thrithot/Adobe Stock)
Welcome to Komodo National Park, founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon—a monitor lizard that evolved in this insular environment to be much larger-'scale' than its fellows. Found only on the islands we see here—Komodo and Padar—and a handful of others nearby, it's the biggest lizard walking the Earth today. Not only walking but sprinting: Since adult Komodo dragons often prey on swift Timor deer, you'll sometimes see a dragon in a dead sprint after its would-be dinner, reaching up to 13 miles an hour.
Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia (© Thrithot/Adobe Stock)
弗洛勒斯岛上的纳闽巴霍，印度尼西亚科莫多国家公园 (© Thrithot/Adobe Stock)
Welcome to Komodo National Park, founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon—a monitor lizard that evolved in this insular environment to be much larger-'scale' than its fellows. Found only on the islands we see here—Komodo and Padar—and a handful of others nearby, it's the biggest lizard walking the Earth today. Not only walking but sprinting: Since adult Komodo dragons often prey on swift Timor deer, you'll sometimes see a dragon in a dead sprint after its would-be dinner, reaching up to 13 miles an hour.
2021-03-07
Great blue herons in the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach, Florida (© Marie Hickman/Getty Images)
德拉海滩Wakodahatchee湿地的大蓝鹭，佛罗里达州 (© Marie Hickman/Getty Images)
Take a stroll through the Wakodahatchee Wetlands and you'll likely spot great blue herons, like the fluffed-up pair we're featuring today. Located in Delray Beach, Florida, and created on 50 acres of wastewater utility property, the park first opened to the public back in 1996. A three-quarter mile boardwalk takes visitors over ponds and through marshes, offering the chance to see more than 150 bird species, plus turtles, fish, frogs, alligators, and other Floridian fauna. Every day, the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department pumps about 2 million gallons of highly treated wastewater into the wetlands. Then the algae and other plants naturally finish the purification process before the water seeps back into the water table. Quite an upgrade from a yucky wastewater pond.
Great blue herons in the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach, Florida (© Marie Hickman/Getty Images)
德拉海滩Wakodahatchee湿地的大蓝鹭，佛罗里达州 (© Marie Hickman/Getty Images)
Take a stroll through the Wakodahatchee Wetlands and you'll likely spot great blue herons, like the fluffed-up pair we're featuring today. Located in Delray Beach, Florida, and created on 50 acres of wastewater utility property, the park first opened to the public back in 1996. A three-quarter mile boardwalk takes visitors over ponds and through marshes, offering the chance to see more than 150 bird species, plus turtles, fish, frogs, alligators, and other Floridian fauna. Every day, the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department pumps about 2 million gallons of highly treated wastewater into the wetlands. Then the algae and other plants naturally finish the purification process before the water seeps back into the water table. Quite an upgrade from a yucky wastewater pond.