#stingrays

A bat ray (Myliobatis californica) off the coast of Los Angeles, California

"See? Snake!" Palaeophis/Presbyornis/Striatolamia/Myliobatis/Pseudamia/Eutrichiurides Paleogene, 49 million years ago, Margaret Formation This was posted last week on my Patreon, available to $10 supporters!

For millions of years, the Earth has existed in a hothouse age.

Water evaporates and rains down, increasing the amount of freshwater flowing through Earth's rivers. As they drain into the enclosed Arctic Ocean, a non-salty layer of water emerges at the top.

Right now, the arctic is warm. It's practically entirely free of ice, even during the long polar darkness. Alligators lurk in the lakes under the midnight sun. And today, in the ocean, so does an enormous, almost-twenty-foot snake, coming up for air and startling a gaggle of Presbyornis in the process. Large even for her kind, she made her way through the ancient North Sea to bask in the polar summer. Warm-blooded, she is more resistant to changing temperatures than your average snake, and the bounty of food has encouraged her to remain here for the time being. With the ability to drink from freshwater on the ocean's surface, this Palaeophis toliapicus thrives in an environment where this is the norm. As the sun sets over the next few weeks, she will swim back the way she came, and repeat the journey every year.

Bizarrely, the Eocene arctic possesses relatively low diversity in marine life. It appears to be dominated by scores and scores of shed teeth belonging to relatives of sand tiger sharks and eagle rays. Aside from that, we see hairtail, smelts, and potentially bowfin. With the mingling of fresh and salt water, this ocean can potentially accomodate species from both environments.

Also notable is the presence of a dense plant carpeting the sea surface: Azolla. They capture carbon dioxide from the air, and as they die, sink to the seafloor, locking it away from the atmosphere. It is these plants that will send the planet spiralling into a cooling climate, culminating in the famous ice ages. Lush forests will slowly but surely be replaced by hardier fare, and then by sprawling glaciers. The arctic will freeze over, and the area will be rendered unrecognizable until a strange species of hairless apes dig up a plethora of shark's teeth in the Margaret Formation millions of years later.

But today, there's no need to worry about that. Today, a visitor arrives, takes a breath of that fresh, fresh air, and submerges herself in the water again, swimming off into the blue, as she has done for much of her life.

Palaeophis is a "sea snake" (actually related to the adorable elephant trunk snake) the size of a python. The toliapicus species is part of a clade of more flattened species with distinct oceangoing adaptations. I like to think that maybe they drank rainwater from the ocean's surface much like modern sea snakes, but that's speculation. It's possible the tropical climate of the time was what allowed them to grow to such massive sizes, and we have another species, colossaeus, from Mali that grew longer than an anaconda. We have no evidence of them ever going this far north, but I think it's possible. Presbyornis is a bird that looked as if one stretched a duck into the proportions of a flamingo, that was common during the Eocene. Its lineage has a long and storied history dating back to the latest Cretaceous, though none of its kind exists today.

SeaWorld Abu Dhabi: Впечатляющие приключение в мире морской жизни.

SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, открытый в 2023 г. на острове Яс в Абу-Даби, — первый парк SeaWorld за пределами США и крупнейший крытый морской тематический парк в мире. Он построен на стыке развлечения, образования и заботы об экологии. Парк занимает площадь более 183 тыс. м² (это примерно как 25 футбольных полей). Он расположен в закрытом помещении, что делает его круглогодично комфортным: жара снаружи может достигать +45 °C, а внутри — стабильные +22 °C и легкий морской бриз от огромных аквариумов.

Главная фишка парка — концепция 9 тематических зон, каждая из которых посвящена конкретному региону Мирового океана или определенному экосценарию. 9 миров — 9 океанических приключений.

One Ocean — центральная зона парка. Это не только отправная точка маршрута, но и важный центр, напоминающий, что океан — один, а мы — его часть. Здесь находится гигантский цифровой экран, который показывает смену морских условий в реальном времени, и стартует шоу с эффектами и светом. MicroOcean — подводное царство для самых маленьких. Все оформлено так, как будто вы уменьшились до размеров планктона и попали в мультик: яркие цвета, мягкие формы, безопасные аттракционы. Детям тут можно даже «нырнуть» в пузырьковый вулкан. Rocky Point — береговая зона с морскими львами, морскими котиками и зонами кормления. Здесь же проходят шоу с животными — но об этом позже. Tropical Ocean — самый фотогеничный мир с лазурной водой, пальмами и подводной лодкой, на которой можно прокатиться. Тут же обитают фламинго, дельфины и скаты манта. Arctic — прохладный мир, где можно посмотреть на белых медведей, моржей и научиться строить иглу (виртуально, конечно). Температура — ощутимо ниже, так что джемпер не будет лишним. Antarctica — как и положено, здесь царствуют лед, пингвины и ощущение, будто вы на краю света. Даже ветер здесь симулируется. На локации работает «молчаливый театр», где пингвины дают свои ежедневные представления. Endless Ocean — сердечная мышца SeaWorld: огромный аквариум объемом более 25 млн л воды. Это крупнейший в мире аквариум по объему и количеству обитателей. Abu Dhabi Ocean — культурная зона, рассказывающая о связях между морем и Эмиратами. Здесь вы узнаете про традиции ловли жемчуга, морскую кухню и приключения арабских моряков. Polar Ocean — небольшая зона, которая предваряет миры Арктики и Антарктики. Самое интересное тут — местные магазинчики.

SeaWorld Abu Dhabi: An impressive adventure in the world of marine life.

Opened in 2023 on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is the first SeaWorld park outside the United States and the largest indoor marine theme park in the world. It is built at the intersection of entertainment, education and concern for the environment. The park covers an area of over 183,000 m2 (about the size of 25 football fields). It is located indoors, which makes it comfortable all year round: the heat outside can reach +45 °C, and inside — a stable +22 ° C and a light sea breeze from huge aquariums.

The main feature of the park is the concept of 9 thematic zones, each of which is dedicated to a specific region of the World Ocean or a specific eco—scenario. 9 Worlds — 9 oceanic adventures.

One Ocean is the central area of the park. This is not only the starting point of the route, but also an important center, reminding that the ocean is one, and we are part of it. There is a giant digital screen that shows the changing sea conditions in real time, and the show starts with effects and lights. MicroOcean is an underwater kingdom for the youngest. Everything is designed as if you have shrunk to the size of a plankton and got into a cartoon: bright colors, soft shapes, safe rides. Children can even "dive" into the bubble volcano here. Rocky Point is a coastal area with sea lions, fur seals and feeding areas. There are also animal shows here, but more on that later. Tropical Ocean is the most photogenic world with azure waters, palm trees and a submarine on which you can ride. Flamingos, dolphins and manta rays also live here. Arctic is a cool world where you can see polar bears, walruses and learn how to build an igloo (virtually, of course). The temperature is noticeably lower, so a jumper will not be superfluous. Antarctica — as it should be, ice, penguins and the feeling of being on the edge of the world reign here. Even the wind is simulated here. There is a "silent theater" at the location, where penguins give their daily performances. Endless Ocean is the heart muscle of SeaWorld: a huge aquarium with a volume of more than 25 million liters of water. It is the largest aquarium in the world in terms of volume and number of inhabitants. Abu Dhabi Ocean is a cultural zone that talks about the connections between the sea and the Emirates. Here you will learn about the traditions of pearl fishing, seafood and the adventures of Arab sailors. Polar Ocean is a small area that precedes the worlds of the Arctic and Antarctic. The most interesting thing here is the local shops.