Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sea

What can you see in satellite photos?

k. — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:33:01 -0800

Satellite photos: what interesting features can be seen or measured in them (or other aerial photos), and where can I get a supply of images? Examples I have already seen, from some crude Google-searching:
Roads
Buildings
Degree of development (urban/suburban/rural)
Oil spills (apparently these are usually hard to see)
Blooms of algae (cyanobacteria) in the Baltic Sea
Damage to buildings from earthquakes

More would be appreciated--the more specific, the better. These will be used in a computer vision system, so I'd especially like to know where I can find a supply of images containing whatever feature I'm looking for (including the above)--easy for buildings or roads, but hard for rare events like oil spills. Natural disasters seem interesting, if there are pictures available.

I would also consider some other kind of non-photographic data as well, if it could be combined with maps or photos. Don't worry whether you think it's suitable; any idea you have will help!

What kind of water to sea lions in zoos need?

edavidoff — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:38:32 -0800

Do sea lions in zoos need to have salt water to swim in? I saw a video about sea lions in the Pittsburgh Zoo. Pittsburgh is pretty far far from the ocean, so any sea water for the animals would have to be artificially made.

I know that different species of fish are very specific about whether they need salt water or fresh water, but what about seals and sea lions? Is it necessary to provide them with salt water, or are they just as happy swimming around in fresh water?

San Diego-filter

answergrape — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:37:42 -0800

We're setting sail from San Diego on May 25 for a cruise, but we have two days in San Diego beforehand. How can we work the transportation to Sea World and the wild animal park before our cruise while not being stuck going all the way back to the airport for a rental car? Is there a better area to stay or a better way to arrange transportation to support this?

When it comes to those lost at sea I'm...well I'm lost at sea myself

rileyray3000 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:01:05 -0800

Is there a book or museum or resource that specifically lists the stories of people who survived in Lifeboats? I need a LOT of personal stories of people who had to live in lifeboats and I'm having trouble finding them. I've tried one or two maritime museums, a lot web searching and one call to the coast guard where I think THEY thought I was pranking them. Because they hung up.

I don't need books, or even long stories. What I need is "1938, SS Coleman went down in the atlantic. Nine people survived in a wooden lifeboat for sixteen days. They had a candle, some cans, matches and a blanket. They were picked up by a swedish trawler."

And some rough biographical info on the people would be great too.

Frankly I thought this would be some statistical database somewhere but, if it is, I can't find it.

Buying Property on New Jersey Shore. Is it time?

nightwired — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:46:27 -0800

I'm considering buying property on the New Jersey Shore. I like the look of some of the Sea Isle properties that are available under the million mark. The prices have come down nicely since I've been watching but I'm not sure it’s the right time to get into the real estate market yet. I've read here that it will still be some time before the prices bottom, but at the same time I don't want to miss the bottom and house prices shoot up again.

Is it a good time to buy and if so any tips for buying along the New Jersey shore?

What is this strange sea creature?

miffed — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:09:06 -0800

Can anyone identify this mysterious sea creature? My sister saw four of them swimming at the surface in Boca Raton, FL. They were undulating like squids; when contracted they look like black slugs, when stretched they look like that fellow in the photo. An entire crowd formed to watch, as they were so very weird.

New Jack City

theyexpectresults — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:32:46 -0800

What is the (english) name of this diving technique? I know the Japanese name. I am trying to find the name of the technique used by police divers (frogmen) when searching an underwater surface for bodies (or anything else).

It involves anchoring a buoy to the centre of the search area. Then a wire is tied to the centre buoy line and swept around in circles by several divers. The seabed is like a clock face with a line of divers pushing one of the hands around.

In Japanese, this has a very specific name, ジャックシティ. This is difficult to google for since it basically reads "jak city" and hence turns up crap like this.

I think it is more specific than (or different to) a "tight wire search".

Thanks.

Ultima Thule or bust!!

Mister_A — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:21:01 -0800

Have you ever gone to Greenland? How did you get there? Ideally I'd like to know the best ways to get there from the US, Canada, Iceland, and Europe. I'm thinking more "serious business" than ecotourism, for what it's worth. Did you fly, take a boat, hitch-hike or what?

Bonus points for anecdotes and local customs.

Arrggghhh I Be Feelin Funny

chrisalbon — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:53:03 -0800

Medication for Sea Sickness? (Just in case) I will be on a Navy ship for two weeks and am wondering what I can bring/take for motion/sea sickness?

The only time I get motion sickness is when I try to read in a car. I've never been on a large sea vessel (except a cruise liner), so I don't know how my body will react.

Does anyone have suggestions for medications to bring?

I can haz job? will travelz.

sully75 — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:35:09 -0800

I'm interested in jobs where you go to some possibly unpleasant place, work really hard and come back flush. I just spent 3 weeks hitchhiking in Atlantic Canada and heard of many, many people going to Fort McMurray to work in the oil fields. I also have a friend who works as a merchant seaman, and does well (although he's often gone for 3 months at a time).

What other jobs are there like this? I'm thinking about doing something like this, maybe just for a year, to build some capital for some other projects that I'm working on. But I'd like to know what the possibilities are for situations like this before I commit to one.

For the record I'm healthy and strong. Would prefer to avoid extremely dangerous situations but I've worked in boatyards and with machinery before. I'm pretty handy and can usually fix things, but not a mechanic and don't really understand IC engines. But otherwise I think I'd be good at something like this.

Israel Travel Tips Needed

tickettrader — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:37:04 -0800

I'm traveling to Israel next month for a family wedding. Most of the hotels and transportation are taken care of but I looking for other sidetrips/places that are worth visiting. Details - Me, wife and baby (10 weeks). My wife and I are pretty seasoned travellers but are English speaking only. All of our hotels are prepaid so any deviations from the plan will waste money. At the same time, money isn't a huge issue as this will be a once-in-a-long-time trip for us.

Day 1 questions. We'll be pretty much on our own in the Netanya area. We'll probably stick close to the hotel after the long flight. Is there anytime in the immediate area worth seeing?

Jerusalem questions. We've basically got 36 hours there. We get in Wednesday morning and leave Thursday night. I realize there are a lot of things to see there but would a trip to Bethlehem be realistic? I've heard horror stories about some people trying to get there and others say it's very easy. Anyone with any advice there?

After seeing the Dead Sea and Massada, we're heading down to BeerSheva. Is Eilat and the Red Sea worth the extra couple hours to drive down and spend the night - and then snorkel in the Red Sea? I'd love to see Petra but that will have to wait until the next trip - circa 2025.

Thanks in advance.

Shooting Gallery

Oriole Adams — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:58:42 -0800

OldArcadeGameFilter: I'm trying to find a video/arcade game that my mom used to love back in the mid-1980s. About twice I year I used to take my 60-something mom to the Niagara Falls, Canada, area to visit friends/relatives and to just relax for a few days and get her away from household chores. One of her favorite things to do was to go the the video arcade at Maple Leaf Village. She particularly enjoyed a game which was technically a video game (I guess) since it employed a large screen (sort of like a big screen TV). It was a shooting gallery-type game, though, and instead of a joystick or similar control, the player held a toy rifle and aimed and shot at the animated characters on the screen. The graphics were not quite as crude as "Boot Hill," but not as sophisticated as, say, "Paper Boy." The game consisted of various types of animated creatures (some of which were bird-like) wandering across the screen. You shot at them. If you missed, a graphic saying either "Missed, turkey!" or "Missed again, stupid!" would momentarily pop up. The character worth the most points was a road runner, which dashed across the screen quickly (much like the submarine in "Sea Wolf"). At the end of the game, a MIDI file of "The Party's Over' played, unless you'd achieved a high score, in which case it would play "A-Hunting We Will Go."

Does this game ring any sort of bells with the hive mind?

trying to find THE most brutal whale picture

domakesaypat — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:08:12 -0800

I've been trying to find a really brutal picture/print/woodcutting of an old-school whale/sea monster for awhile, as a potential tattoo. You know the kind, double blowholes that look more like horns, fangs, the kinds you see in the corners of old maps. Bibliodyssey has some ok ones, but I'm looking for the perfect one, because I know if I settle for another, I'll just find the perfect one the second I've permanently inked myself with a mediocre monster. Any ideas of where I could look?

Name that kids drawing show hosted by a sea captain?

Captain_Science — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:58:02 -0800

Does anyone remember kids drawing/painting show from the early 80's hosted by a stereotypical type New England fisherman/sea captain? I remember it being on CBS early on Saturday mornings, 6am or so.

Sea rescue by big-ass vessels?

George_Spiggott — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:39:42 -0800

What is the "man-overboard" or "we just spotted a stick-thin and hairy Tom Hanks on a makeshift raft" scenario for very large and heavy ships, like container ships? It's not practical to stop them and it can't be done in any reasonable amount of time or distance, and I assume they don't keep a helicopter on board. Do they drop a speedboat to go and pick the guy up, which then catches up with the ship? Also, in the second scenario, I'm curious as to whether a massively-laden vessel running on tiny margins would effect a rescue of somebody in ragged loincloth on the open ocean. I assume maritime law requires it, but I'm cynical about corporate behavior when no-one's looking (imagine that) and wonder if anyone knows how this would play out in practice.

Anyone know about obscure Portuguese snacks?

imperium — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 07:28:40 -0800

When in Portugal recently, we ate a snack food which looked like a bean, tasted like a bean, and which we were told, to our surprise, was some kind of sea produce. Any ideas? It began with a "b", I think, and had to have a very thin clear hull removed. Roughly square, rounded corners, with a small circular hole in the hull at one corner, and yellow-brown. Delicious, but possibly not vegetarian?! And purchased in the town of Tomar. The internet has not answered this for me.

Buying a Versatile Kayak

jimmyjimjim — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:18:27 -0800

Can anyone suggest a kayak that's light, sturdy, AND handles decently in lakes, whitewater, and ocean? I mostly have kayaked rivers and streams, but just moved to western CT, where there's not much of that. Most local kayaking is on ocean, which I've never done. I'm not thrilled with the idea of battling big waves, but there are local clubs for this, so I'll join and try to acquire a taste for it.

The problem is that sea kayaks should be longer and heavier, e.g. fiberglass. But fiberglass kayaks get badly dinged up as they scrape over rocks in the sorts of streams I like to paddle....and plastic kayaks (sturdier for streams) handle like crap on the sea.

Also, I'm going to be loading the kayak by myself onto my car's roof rack, and if doing this is a major ordeal, I'm not going to want to kayak much!

So is there anything fairly light, farily rock-scrape-resistent, and yet decent enough handling that it could imaginably be used in the ocean? I don't mind paying extra to get this rare combination of qualities.

Also, I'm not real serious...at least not yet. So I wouldn't mind buying a more specialized kayak later if I really get into sea kayaking.

Get us away from the world for a couple of weeks' honeymoon

TrashyRambo — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:14:01 -0800

My fiancée and I are looking for an isolated honeymoon cottage on the coast, in a temperate region. Can you find it for us? We want to go somewhere wild and green and blowy where we can read books together - but on our own. Think cottage on the Atlantic coast of Ireland, west coast of Canada, Brittany. July this year with a wood fire, outside of villages and complexes, no internet (I'm bad with this). Anywhere in the world would be OK but preference to North America and Europe (languages: English, French, Spanish best but not fussy).

Starfish Aquarium

stewiethegreat — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:13:12 -0800

What animals are needed in an aquarium to keep sea stars? What size tank? We'd like to start a saltwater aquarium (I have c. 15 years freshwater experience with larger tanks) for the purpose of keeping sea stars. We were thinking:

-acrylic tank
-live rock, live sand
-protein skimmer
-refrigeration unit
-hood/light/etc...

Our question is: what animals do we need to cohabitate with the sea stars to keep them healthy and happy? At the local Aquarium of the Bay, they feed them daily by hand - chopped up fish and squid - with only a few sea cucumbers living with the many sea stars.

Are other invertebrates/fish are necessary to keep them happy? They appear to eat snails, corals and urchins, so we should probably stay away from those (except for supplying prey). Do sea stars even need fish?

How large should the tank be to accommodate a few hand-sized sea stars?

Thanks!

Topical movies?

hampton — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 14:49:24 -0800

I am looking for movies about summer camp, movies about people lost at sea, movies about private school, and movies about World War I. Thanks for any suggestions.

Best PFD for a beginner sea kayaker on a week long trip?

cast4321 — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 21:44:32 -0800

What is the best PFD (personal flotation device) for a beginner sea kayaker? Is it an essential to try on before buying and is a used PFD something to avoid? I'll also be using it, hopefully, for mellow whitewater canoeing. The REI in Salt Lake has put away the water sports stuff and I can't find a close store to try on a nicer quality PFD.

I'm planning on buying a type III PFD.

Thanks!

Beach camping & fishing in Quintana Roo, Mexico?

Jujee — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 20:18:11 -0800

Hubby and I are planning a last minute trip to Mexico. We're going to fly into Cancun and don't plan on renting a car since we're on a tight budget. We'd like to find a beach campground that's along the Caribbean Sea where we can stay away from crowds and just relax and maybe even do some shore fishing. Would be great it's within walking distance to a small local restaurant of sorts or even if it's just stalls. Does one exist? For the life of me, I have not been able to find any budget beach camping information online. I guess what makes it more difficult is that we'd like to be able to get there by bus and/or colectivo, if possible and it will be during the holidays! I knew I should have researched before booking but we got a good price and well...it will be winter and we could use the sun! Anyone BTDT? :) p.s. I'm totally open to suggestions! TIA!!!

traveling to sanibel and need help finding the perfect accomodation.

libelula — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 05:55:38 -0800

I want to travel to Sanibel or Captiva Islands - I am looking for accommodation, but I find it very hard to make a decision based exclusively on online research. I would welcome any advice on where to stay. I am not very fond of big chain hotels like Holiday Inn's etc.... I much prefer small motels or self-catered cabins, but I am afraid to book a shabby place because online everything looks pristine..... so, ideally I would love to find a small motel or cabin by the sea, in a quiet part of town. Another thing to consider is that I am traveling with my parents and our baby, therefore I am looking for places that have a apt-like layout, with ideally the choice of one or two bedrooms and a kitchenette. Any advice on this and other must-see, must-eat, must-do attractions would be greatly appreciated.

Any reasonably priced boutique hotels in Singapore?

beatnik808 — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 16:08:18 -0800

Travelling to Singapore at the end of the month. Does anyone know of any reasonably priced boutique hotels there? A nice place to be my base camp during my visit. One more thing -- if you know of any places of intrest to visit or particular activities to do while in Singapore please let me know. Thanks

From Hawaii To The Shores of Peru

fandango_matt — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 04:11:14 -0800

Somewhere Beyond The Green: I'm assembling a playlist with a "Deep Blue Sea" theme. I've already got the obvious ones that spring to mind:
Beyond The Sea / Bobby Darin
My Love Is (A Deep Blue Sea) / Little Willie John
Rock Lobster / The B-52's
Surfin' U.S.A. / Beach Boys
Surfin' Safari / Ramones
Smoke On The Water / Deep Purple
They Came In / Butthole Surfers
Hawaii Five-O Theme / The Ventures
Sea Of Love / Tom Waits
Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay / Otis Redding

I'm looking for suggestions for:
Dick Dale & The Del-Tones
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

And I'm looking for others--anything goes, provided it's ocean-themed or sea/surf-related. Or maybe not. Do you have ideas, recommendations, or suggestions? Let's hear 'em!