KristysWorld

These rescued baby ducklings are thrilled to be experiencing their new home. They only stayed here a short while until transportation was arranged to a proper wildlife rehabilitation centre. The ducks were found by a kind motorist who stopped after seeing that their mother had been hit by a car while crossing a road. With the help of a friend, he was able to catch all of the ducklings and take them to a wonderful woman named Lucy who cares for animals of all sorts. She runs Wagging Tails Pet Resort and she is famous for her rescue efforts. The ducklings spent their first night protected and warm before making their way to a nearby veterinarian with a small pond. The veterinarian checked the ducklings and reached out to wildlife rehabilitation centres, finally locating one with some room for a little family of baby ducks. She took them three hours by car to their more permanent home where they were cared for until they could be released. Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre deserves full credit for taking these little orphans in. They do incredible work. Thanks to a real team of animal lovers, these ducklings had a second chance.

Japanese zeroes were legendary for their role in the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II. They became even more infamous after becoming the tool for kamikaze suicidal pilots during second world war. Divers exploring this wreck didn’t fully understand the mystery behind the plane until later that night when their boat Captain, Alan Raabe began telling them the dark, yet fascinating tale. This Japanese Zero has a mysterious history that has only recently come to light. The wreck of this plane was found in 2004 by a villager in Papua New Guinea, William Nui, who was freediving for sea cucumbers to feed his family. When he saw it, he first thought it was the wreck of a small passenger plane that had been lost several days before after taking off from Hoskins Airport in Papua New Guinea. But when he dove again and inspected it closer, he saw that it was a much older wreck. He informed the local authorities and word spread to the ears of a man named Max Benjamin. Max runs the Walindi resort and dive operation. He dove on the wreck to investigate the mysterious discovery and to learn more about it. He found it in remarkable condition, with no signs of combat damage or bullet holes. This suggests that the pilot was not shot down. The throttle lever and pitch control were in a position that suggested that the plane was likely running out of fuel and that the pilot had executed a controlled water landing, probably after becoming lost. Using the serial number of the plane and factual war records, Max learned that the plane had taken off from West New Britain on December 26th 1944, flown by Tomiharu Honda. Records show that planes making such emergency landings after running out of fuel were not uncommon in the Pacific during WWII. Honda was obviously a skilled pilot to conduct a water landing that placed him 50m (150 feet) from shore in an undamaged plane. Although the wreckage of the plane tells us the story of what happened to the pilot that day, what happened to him afterwards remains a mystery. Stories of the local villagers suggest that Honda was helped to the village of Talasea. While this may be true, cannibalism was still practiced in that time and some people believe that he may not have survived long after his landing. His fate remains unknown. There is no record of him making it home. This dive site and the history behind the wreck provide scuba divers with a fascinating place to explore. Walindi Resort and the MV FeBrina dive boat make this excursion regularly. The wreck is surprisingly intact, although corals and sponges are slowly taking over and the ocean is claiming the plane as her own. This plane had rested undiscovered at the bottom of the bay for almost 60 years.

Meeka is a wonderful pig with a love for people. She also loves attention. She is a very lucky pig and the smile on her face shows that she knows it. Meeka belonged to a loving owner and lived in a wonderful home that she shared with her brother, Hilton. Hilton and Meeka were bought as tiny piglets that had been advertised as miniature pot bellied pigs. As it turns out, they grew much more quickly than expected into two very large pets. They soon became well over 100lbs and they became more of a handful than the owners could manage. They were people pigs now though and could not be placed on an ordinary farm. And they could not be kept indoors. The pigs faced a serious dilemma with no place to go. But there was one place where these beautiful and intelligent creatures would be welcomed with open arms. A woman named Lucy Davidson runs a pet boarding haven called Wagging Tails Pet Retreat in Millbrook, Ontario. The facility is part of a huge expanse of land and a farm where many different animals have found a home. Lucy is known far and wide for her huge heart and her history of caring for animals that have no place to go. She took one look at these pigs and knew that they would love life at her farm. Meeka and Hilton love their food, as all pigs do, and having been pets, they are used to people hand feeding them. They are gentle and careful and they wag their tails like happy dogs when they are given treats or shown love. Meeka is particularly fond of belly rubs. She knows the words and she will lie down on command to get her belly rubbed or patted. This wonderful farm is home to a donkey, horses, dogs, cats, pigs, and many other animals. Each of these animals is here because they have faced a struggle or challenge, but each one has found the best home an animal could ever want!

Sea turtles are one of the most endearing animals in the underwater world. Scuba divers delight in swimming with them and taking photographs and videos. Even those who do not venture beneath the waves dream of seeing one in the wild and getting a close look. Usually shy and reclusive, sea turtles avoid humans and most often swim away soon after being spotted. But occasionally, a lucky scuba diver will have an interactive close up experience like this one and they will not soon forget the encounter. This green turtle is a threatened species but there is a healthy population of them on several reefs in Mexico, where this inquisitive little fellow lives. A young turtle, and full of curiosity, he spent some time looking at Kristy and her camera. He checked her out for a minute or more before he spotted her diver partner, and husband, Dave a little ways away. He turned and swam directly to Dave, immediately focusing on his GoPro camera. As if it were something to taste, he opened wide and tried several times to nibble on the camera. Almost indestructible, the camera will easily stand up to even the powerful jaws of a sea turtle, so Dave wasn’t at all worried and he let the turtle chomp away. Completely fascinated with the turtles behaviour, Dave drifted along, staring at the amusing little creature. Other divers in the group watched with equal fascination. The turtle actually bit at the camera from different angles several times. Sea turtles are not aggressive at all and Dave was never in danger of being bitten. An interaction like this doesn’t happen every day and this is a dive that Dave and Kristy will never forget. As a bonus, this dive resulted in some very unusual footage as well as a few laughs.

Pufferfish are strange and fascinating creatures. They have enormous faces with huge, bulging eyes. Their mouths are almost human in appearance. They have a baby faced look that is very endearing. Clumsy swimmers, they are not swift enough to flee from predators easily. Despite this, they are still perfectly adapted for defending themselves in what can be a very hostile world. Pufferfish are extremely toxic when eaten, containing enough poison in their organs to kill thirty grown men. Even the slime on their skin has some toxin, making them dangerous to touch. They are capable of inflating themselves with water or air, making them much too large for a predator to swallow. When threatened, they will balloon up to many times their size. When they inflate, sharp spines protrude, causing even more difficulty for any creature trying to eat them. Despite their cherub face and gentle look, they also possess sharp teeth and a powerful bite. If provoked, they are capable of biting off a finger of a human. This adorable little fellow was swimming around the crevices on a coral head in Belize when he spotted a shiny underwater camera that was held motionless. He decided to approach and gaze right into the camera to see what it was all about. Inquisitive and unconcerned with the diver, he provided quite a show and some very interesting closeup footage.

Whale sharks are among the most majestic and beautiful creatures on earth. Reaching lengths of up to 18m (55 feet), and weighing upwards of 46,00kg (100,000lbs), they are the largest fish in all the oceans. Only a few whale species are larger. But, despite their enormous size, they are the gentlest of giants. They are incapable of harming a human, even if they wanted to. They have no teeth and they have no aggression towards people. Whale sharks feed by swimming through the water with their mouth open, filtering plankton, fish eggs, and krill, along with the occasional tiny fish. They have huge combs called baleen that allow them to capture food and expel water through their gills. They are able to outswim humans easily and they can swim away from predators or dive deep to avoid them. These swimmers in Mexico were part of an ethical tour that allows wildlife photographers and videographers to enter the water cautiously and wait for a whale shark to swim near enough to record them. Strict about the rules and regulations regarding distance from the animals, photographers and guests may only enter the water with a licensed guide and they must avoid causing the sharks any stress. These photgraphers were thrilled to see a whale shark headed right toward them. With its mouth open, it gave them a close look down its throat as it passed within inches of them. As required, the swimmers remained motionless and waited. The shark was close enough to touch, but there are good reasons why they refrained. As the shark passed by them, they turned and followed. This whale shark casually swam along, unconcerned with their presence. A close encounter with a creature so magnificent is a once in a lifetime experience. Anyone considering a tour like this should seek only an ethical operation. Serious Diving in Isla Mujeres not only follows the rules carefully to avoid negative effects on the animals, but they also contribute to development of protection policies and to conservation efforts.

Loggerhead sea turtles are the second largest of the living turtles, capable of growing to almost 2m (6 feet)in length and weighing up to 450kg (1,000lbs). The average size of a fully grown male is approximately 190kg (418lbs). They are enormous and powerful, with a head as big as a Saint Bernard dog. They feed on conch shells and the jaws are strong enough to pulverize the shell of even a large conch. Most scuba divers have heard of these turtles and some have been fortunate enough to see one, but they are a threatened species, with some populations listed as endangered, and sightings are very rare. These lucky scuba divers were taking in the sights on the reef near San Pedro, Belize when they caught sight of this massive male cruising over the coral, looking for shells. They swam alongside this beautiful turtle for almost fifteen minutes. Strong enough to outswim a diver with just a few flaps of its powerful flippers, it was unconcerned with the humans around it. It continued looking under ledges and along coral fingers for food. It occasionally slowed or stopped and looked directly at the divers as if slightly curious about the clumsy creatures that followed it. The dive master was in complete awe over the size of this beast and he can be seen holding out his hands to emphasize the width of the turtle’s head as it gazed right at him. Despite being a very seasoned diver, he has never been lucky enough to see a loggerhead only a few feet away from him, looking him right in the eye. This male weighed approximately 180kg (400lbs) and has very little to worry about, aside from a large shark. Once mature, they have few predators. Being able to witness such a magnificent animal in its natural environment is a thrill that these divers will not soon forget.