Earth ChangesS


Attention

Shark attacks surfer off Ho'okipa, Hawaii

Shark attacks
At 5:01 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, 2016, Pā'ia firefighters responded to Ho'okipa Beach Park for a person with a possible shark bite.

When firefighters arrived at 5:09 p.m., paramedics already had the male shark bite victim loaded in the ambulance and transported him shortly after to Maui Memorial Medical Center in serious condition.

The victim is a 36-year-old male from Pā'ia . The man was surfing about 50 yards from shore off the west point of Ho'okipa Beach Park at the surf spot known as "H-Poko."

A surfer near the victim looked over after hearing the man scream, and saw a five-foot reef shark biting the surfer's left arm.

The shark let go and then bit the man again in the left leg.

Other surfers came to the victim's aid and helped to paddle the man back to shore.

Firefighters and state conservation officers from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement cleared the ocean of surfers at the beach park and will warn people against entering the water until an assessment is made at noon tomorrow.

Attention

2 sperm whales wash up on Kenya and Tanzania beaches

Tanzanians view the dead sperm whale found three days ago in Kilwa
© Alphonce GariTanzanians view the dead sperm whale found three days ago in Kilwa
Marine scientists have raised concerns about the safety of sea mammals after two large sperm whales were found dead in Kenya and Tanzania along the shores of the Indian Ocean.

The first sperm whale was found dead two weeks ago at Ngomeni Beach in Magarini subcounty. Three days ago another one was spotted in Kiilwa, Tanzania. It was larger than the one found in Kenya.

The one found in Ngomeni was stranded while the one in Tanzania died under unclear circumstances.

Fishermen believe the two could have died as a result of offshore oil and gas exploration.

"No one is sure what's caused the death of these sperm whales," Hadley Becha of Conservation and Community Advocates said. The organisation raises awareness about the problems of the oil and gas industry.

Experts say oil and gas survey interfere with marine animals' hearing and orientation and cause stranding.

Arrow Down

Earthquake causes large sinkhole outside Ioannina, Greece

Sinkhole
An investigator from the fire department takes photographs of a large sinkhole that swallowed up part of a dirt track and an olive grove in Kalpaki, a rural area outside Ioannina in northwestern Greece, on Saturday.

The sinkhole is estimated to have a depth of 20-30 meters at least, and an overall surface area of around 200 square meters, and is believed to have been caused by a series of earthquakes that struck the region a week ago.

On October 14, Ioannina was hit by a strong tremor measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale and followed by hundreds of aftershocks, some of them quite powerful.

Bizarro Earth

Hundreds of thousands evacuated as Typhoon Haima strikes southern China

Typhoon Haima
© Bobby Yip / ReutersPeople run away from a big wave on a waterfront as Typhoon Haima approaches in Hong Kong, China, October 21, 2016 .
Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated as Typhoon Haima slammed into southern China after killing at least 13 people in the Philippines.

The storm struck the city of Shanwei in eastern Guangdong on Friday afternoon, forcing more than 700,000 evacuations from the region, according to CCTV News.

The tropical cyclone reached wind speeds of up to 166 kilometers (103 miles) per hour before weakening to a tropical storm.

Comment: Update: Typhoon Haima kills at least 8 in the Philippines; tens of thousands of homes destroyed


Cloud Grey

'Angel cloud' captured on video over South Carolina

angel cloud
© Cory Hearnon/Facebook
This unusual shaped cloud has been spotted in the sky over South Carolina.

Cory Hearn captured the rare weather phenomenon on camera, which appears in the shape of an angel with its wings spread wide.

Speaking on the footage, Cory says: "Check that out. Is that not an angel or what?"

"Nobody would believe me if I didn't do this live but I want you to look at this cloud in the sky.

"I don't know that I've ever seen with my own two eyes this type of cloud. Isn't it amazing?

"I'm seeing an angel, I don't know if anybody sees anything different."

He later told People that it was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen in my life.


Cow

Woman killed in cattle attack in County Down, Northern Ireland

cow face
A woman has been killed after she was attacked by cattle on a family farm in Co Derry.

The pensioner, who has been named locally as Brigid McKeefry and is aged in her 70s, was rushed to the Causeway Hospital for treatment.

However she later died from her injuries and a post-mortem is taking place.

The tragic incident happened on the family farm off Carhill Road in Garvagh at about 2.30pm when the woman was attacked by cattle.

It is understood Mrs McKeefry had been working with livestock at the time.

DUP east Londonderry MLA Adrian McQuillan expressed his sympathies to the elderly woman's family.

Mr McQuillan said late last night: "This news is very shocking to the entire close-knit community of Garvagh and the surrounding areas.

Attention

Whale washes up on beach in Cameron, Louisiana

WHALE WASHES UP ON BEACH IN CAMERON
Whale washes up on beach in Cameron
A dead whale has washed up on a southwest Louisiana beach.

The whale was discovered Thursday, October 20th on Little Florida beach just west of Holly beach in Cameron Parish.

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries agents say the 21-foot animal is believed to be a sperm whale.

An examination of the whale is underway to determine what happened.

Attention

Elephant kills tourist in Kenya; 3rd attack in a month

African elephant
A Belgian tourist was trampled to death by an elephant near Kenya's famed Maasai Mara wildlife reserve.

It was the second such incident in a month.

"He was badly injured by the rogue elephant and succumbed to injuries at the Talek Health Centre," a police officer said.

The death of the Belgian man on Monday in circumstances that remain unclear comes after an Italian man was trampled in the Tsavo National Park, southeast Kenya, while trying to take a photograph of an elephant.

Kenyan daily The Standard reported that in a separate incident on Tuesday, a Kenyan secondary school student had been killed by an elephant while on the way to school.

The Kenya Wildlife Service warned that a fierce drought was pushing wildlife further from their traditional habitats in search of food and water.

Source: AFP

Comment: See also: Tourist trampled to death by elephant after provoking it by moving too near to takes pictures in Kenya


Ice Cube

Freak hailstorm hits drought stricken Bloemfontein, South Africa

Bloemfontein hailstorm
© Arrive Alive official Facebook page.Hail storm in Bloemfontein on 20 October, 2016 around Langenhovenpark.

A heavy storm passed through Bloemfontein last night with hail wreaking havoc in the drought stricken area.

The hail storm caused damaged to some cars.

The thick layer of hail, which could almost be mistaken for snow, covered the streets of Bloemfontein.


People on Twitter, though, have reacted with relief and have expressed how happy they are to receiving the rain:

Bizarro Earth

Magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits western Japan's Tottori

Richter magnitude scale
© AFP 2016Richter magnitude scale
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 shook western Japan on Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, adding that a tsunami warning was not issued.