Rubjerg Knude: The Lighthouse Buried in Sand

Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse is an abandoned lighthouse located on the coast of the North Sea in Rubjerg, in northern Denmark. The light in Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse was lit for the first time the 27. December 1900. The lighthouse was built on the coastal slope’s highest point 60 meters above sea level and a good 200 meters inland.

The lighthouse tower is 23 meters high, and when it was built there were no large dunes around it. But with time the sea moved in closer and the wind blew large amounts of sand up from the cliff. The sand piled up in front of and around the lighthouse, filled the well and ruined the kitchen gardens.

To suppress the sand pine grates were set in and lyme grass and helmet was planted in the dune, but the efforts went vain as the sand dune continued to grow. At last the sand was so high that at times it was impossible to see the light from the sea. On August 1, 1968 the struggle was given up and the lighthouse was lit for the last time.

Since then the lighthouse has become a popular visitor attraction on the Jutland coast. For a number of years, the buildings were used as a museum and coffee shop, but continually shifting sands caused them to be abandoned as well in 2002. It’s predicted that the lighthouse will fall into the sea in 15 to 20 years time.

Anchors Graveyard at Tavira Island of Algarve, Portugal

Tavira is a bustling fishing port on the Algarve in Portugal surrounded by rolling countryside consisting of orange, fig and almond trees. A short walk from the town is the beautiful Barril beach of fine white sand that stretches for over 14 kilometers. Lying among the sand dunes on the beach is what locals call the “Cemitério das Âncoras” or the Cemetery Of Anchors. For centuries, Tavira thrived on the Tuna fishing industry but when the fish stocks declined and fishermen gave up their occupation, these anchors were left behind on the beach to rust.

It’s not certain who was the first to line up the anchors but evidently those who followed thought it was an idea worth emulating.

The tuna fishermen and the fishing industry is long gone now replaced by hotels and tourists. But this strange cemetery remains as a reminder of the past, when tunas were a living resource.

The Mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs

Weeki Wachee Springs is one of Florida’s oldest and most unique roadside attractions. It’s located about an hour north of Tampa at the crossroads of U.S. 19 and State Road 50. For nearly 60 years, this 430-acre theme park has attracted visitors who come to watch beautiful women dressed as mermaids with fins about their legs swim in the cool, clear spring waters.

Each day, more than 170 million gallons of clear, fresh 72-degree water bubbles up out of the subterranean caverns at Weeki Wachee. The basin of the spring is 100 feet wide with limestone sides, and it is there, where the mermaids swim, some 16 to 20 feet below the surface. The current runs a strong five miles per hour, so it’s quite a feat for the mermaids to stay in one place in such a current. Besides the Mermaid Shows, there were beautiful gardens, jungle cruises and a beach. Peacocks roam the beautiful grounds at Weeki Wachee Springs, and visitors can pose with the mermaids, take a riverboat ride down the Weeki Wachee River, or even go swimming in the springs.

Photo credit Weeki Wachee Springs State Park

The attraction was created in 1947 by an ex-Navy frogman named Newton Perry, who based the show on underwater air hose breathing techniques which he experimented at Weeki Wachee. He built an 18-seat theatre into the limestone at the edge of a spring and recruited pretty young girls to swim underwater. He taught them to smile and breathe with his new air hose — while underwater. Without masks, mermaids learn to take gulps of air from the hose, balancing the pressure on their ears and sinuses while being buffeted by a 12-mile-an-hour (19-kilometer-an-hour) current. They also learned to drink beverages and eat underwater.

There was no marketing at the time and traffic was sparse, so when the girls heard a car coming, they would run outside in their bathing suits and lure travelers inside for a performance. As the performances became more sophisticated, Weeki Wachee's fame grew and so did the crowds. By the 1950s, Weeki Wachee was one of the nation's most popular tourist stops. At its height, during the 1960s, the mermaids performed ten shows a day.

During its heydays, Weeki Wachee Springs attracted celebrities including Elvis Presley, Arthur Godfrey, and Kevin Smith. But then novelty wore off, and it no longer attracted headlines, investors, or crowds. Many people at Weeki Wachee werr worried that the park will soon shut down, a victim of changing times and local politics.

Fortunately, the government converted Weeki Wachee Springs to a Florida State Park in 2008. The state plans to preserve and continue to stage the mermaid show for the public, with a permanent staff of around 15 mermaids and five mermen.

Photo credit Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

Photo credit Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

Photo credit Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

Photo credit Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

Photo credit Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

Photo credit Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

Photo credit Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

Two lovely Mermaids from the new 1968 underwater show at Weeki Wachee, Florida pose with one of the elaborate props built especially for the aquatic productions staged in the depths of the Underwater Grand Canyon at Weeki Wachee. 

Florida's Spring of Live Mermaids has assembled a cast of 20 lovely mermaids for the new underwater musical revue. Postmarked 1963.

Heaven-Linking Avenue or the Big Gate Road

Heaven-Linking Avenue, also known as the Big Gate Road, in Tianmen Mountain in the Hunan province of China as been called the “most dangerous” roads in China. Starting from 200 meters below sea level the serpentine road reaches 1300 meters above sea level making a total of 99 hair-pin turns along the way. In Chinese culture, 9 is considered a lucky number because it is believed that heaven has 9 places. A road with 99 turns symbolizes heaven, and hence the term Heaven-Linking Avenue or Avenue Towards Heaven.

The road took eight years to finish with work starting in 1998, and finishing in 2006.

If the road is a little too scary for you, there is an alternative. A cable car goes from of Zhangjiajie City to the top of Tianmen Mountain. The cableway is 7455 meters in length which makes it, as the Chinese claim, the longest cableway in the world.

The Original Supermodels Of 80s, 90s: Now And Then [PHOTOS]

The Original Supermodels of the 80s and 90s: Now and Then

The fashion world of the 90s saw supermodels like Naomi Campbell ruling the ramp. These famous faces, which graced the cover of every glossy magazine back then, set the standard of beauty for generations and running.

Their mega-celebrity status also got their careers running well into their forties. Age hasn't withered them, and they look as fabulous as they were twenty years ago.

Take a look at the original supermodels who rocked the fashion world in the 90s.

 

Claudia Schiffer

This German-born beauty is one of first to be labeled as a supermodel thanks to her stauesquese presence she brought on the ramp. Here are pictures of the stunning model seen in 1994 and 2011.

 

Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell is considered the first black model to make a breakthrough in the fashion world. The catwalk beauty didn’t just stand out for her exotic looks but also for her string of violent brawls she had with employees and law enforcements. Here’s Campbell pictured back in 1994 and 2012.

 

Kate Moss

Moss’s waifish looks boldly stood out in a world predominantly ruled by statuesque supermodels. The model also made it big with her Raunchy Calvin Klein ads in the 90’s. 

 

Elle Macpherson

Macpherson famous appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in the 80s prompted a new nickname for her as “The Body”. The Australian model is currently playing host and executive producer for Fashion Star on NBC. Here’s Elle Macpherson seen back in 1994 and 2012.

 

Linda Evangelista

The Canadian model sent shockwaves across the nation when she chopped her hair into a sleek bob during the late 80s. Her new style triggered a trend for pixie cuts, with women of all ages seeking to sport Evangelista’s new look. Here’s Evangelista, as seen here in 1994 and 2009.

 

Christy Turlington

Christy Turlington was another one of Calvin Klein’s favorite cover girls and is accredited as one of the first models to have made naval piercings hugely popular during the 90s. Turlington pictured here in 1996 and 2011.

 

Iman

The American model of Somali decent, made a mark in the fashion world with her exotic features. Iman a highly accomplished entrepreneur and is noted for her work in philanthropy. She is currently married to singer David Bowie. Here’s Imam as seen in 1994 and 2011.

 

Eva Herzigova

Eva Herzigova is one of Victoria Secret’s favorites faces, and is also spokesmodel for the Wonderbra. Here are snapshots of the Czech model back in 1995 and 2011.

 

Tyra Banks

In addition to being a high-rise supermodel during the 90s, Tyra Banks is an actress, author and businesswoman. Banks is also the creator and host of reality show America's Next Top Model, as well as The Tyra Banks Show. Here’s the supermodel seen back in 1996 and in 2011.

Rebecca Romijn

Apart from being a top fashion model during the 90s, Rebecca Romijn is also an actress, best known for her role as the as Mystique in the X-Men series. She’s also had stints on the small screen, including television series Ugly Betty. Here’s Romijn, as seen in 1998 and 2008.

 

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy

The former supermodel was among the top highest-paid models before quitting the ramp to become a singer in the 90s. Bruni is now married to French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Bruni as seen here in 1995 and 2012.

Rare Photos of Titanic Tragedy and New Hypothesis for the Ship's Sinking

Titanic

It is a century since the ill-fated Titanic hit an iceberg in the early hours of 15 April, 1912 and sank in the Atlantic Ocean. The generally accepted explanation for the accident is that the captain failed to correctly spot the size of an iceberg, which led to the tragedy.
However, in a new turn of events, an Indian newspaper - The Hindu - offers other explanations why the tragic event occurred. Quoting a book by Tim Maltin, Titanic: A Very Deceiving Night, The Hindu said there could be two precise reasons why the Titanic sank that day.
The first says Earth's nearness to the Moon and the Sun - a proximity not matched in more than 1,000 years - resulted in record tides that help explain why the Titanic encountered so much ice, including the fatal iceberg. The conclusion was reached by a team of researchers from the Texas State University, working in collaboration with Sky & Telescope magazine. They published their findings in the magazine's April issue.
"We don't claim that our idea is conclusive," Donald Olson, a physicist at Texas State, said in an interview. However, he did also say that there was an increasing amount of evidence that seemed to be pointing to a similar direction.
A second, put forward by a Tim Maltin, a Titanic historian from Britain, contends the icy waters created ideal conditions for an unusual type of mirage that hid icebergs from lookouts and confused a nearby ship as to the liner's identity, delaying rescue efforts for hours.
As the world remembers the tragedy, it also begins another round of questioning and retrospective investigations.
"There were no heroes, no villains. Instead, there were a lot of human beings trying to do their best in the situation as they saw it," Maltin explained.
The Titanic was, in its time, the world's most luxurious ship... and it met with the greatest tragedy of all times. In memoriam, this year another cruise ship, the Balmoral, is retracing the voyage of the Titanic and will conduct a memorial service at the same spot where, a 100 years earlier, the ship sank.
Check out some rare black and white photographs...