Adventure Quickies: Shark vs. Squid, Safari Industry in Shambles, and More

It’s Friday, which means its time for another “Adventure Quickies” post here at the Adventure Blog. This weekly story is a round-up of some of the other news items that I didn’t have time or space to share elsewhere, but are still important to have on your radar. With that in mind, here are a few things you might have missed this week.

Shark vs. Giant Squid: If there are two sea creatures that none of us want to meet in the ocean, it is probably a shark and a giant squid. While sharks are seen with some frequency throughout the planet, giant squids remain elusive and rarely spotted. But recently, a professional underwater photographer snapped some photos of a whitetip shark taken near Kona, Hawaii. What was so unusual about the image was that it appears that the creature may have had recent encounter with a giant squid, and was still showing the marks of their battle.
Coronavirus Impacts African Safari Tourism: We all know that the COVID-19 pandemic has already had an impact on economies around the globe, and likely will continue to do so for months—or possibly years—to come. One of the areas that is already hardest hit is the African tourism sector, where the safari industry has been devastated by the lack of clients. That isn’t going to change soon and the impact could be catastrophic for countries already struggling economically.
Patagonia’s CEO Steps Down: In somewhat of a surprise move, Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario has announced that she is stepping down from the company, effective today. She’s been at the helm of the eco-friendly gear brand for more than 12 years.
Microplastics Threaten America’s National Parks: The impact of microplastics on the Earth’s oceans has been documented for some time, but what about other parts of the planet. As it turns out, a recent study has revealed that even America’s national parks, which are remote, wild, and federally protected, are already seeing mciroplastics enter their ecosystems.
Outside Launching Contribution Model on Website: The Internet is a fast-changing, quickly evolving place that can e difficult to monetize at times. Case in point, earlier this week Outside magazine announced that it would soon launch a contributor model for Outside Online, giving readers an opportunity to pay money to support the content found there. The iconic mag lays out is case for why this is necessary for the future of the company here.
Ground Penetrating Radar Maps Roman City: We’ve been expounding on the virtues of Lidar as a tool for explorers and archaeologists for some time now, but it turns out that ground penetrating radar can also be a game changer. Recently, this technology that can be used to look below the surface of the Earth has been used to map out an entire Roman city that sits beneath the ground.
Grand Canyon Rafting Resumes This Weekend: With lockdowns easing and more places opening up following the coronavirus pandemic, we’re now starting to see some of our favorite adventure activities resuming operation too. Case in point, this weekend whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon resumes for the first time in several months. You might not be able to score a trip on such short notice, if you want to give it a go later in the year, Western River Expeditions still has some openings.

That’s all for this week. Have a great weekend and we’ll be back with more adventure news soon.

Author
Recent Posts

Kraig Becker

Kraig is an outdoor and adventure travel writer based in Nashville, TN. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to numerous online and print outlets, including Popular Mechanics, Gear Junkie, Outside Online, National Geographic, Digital Trends, Business Insider, TripSavvy, about.com, and of course The Adventure Blog.