Questions tagged [sea]
Questions specific to the sea or oceans
91
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Pacific Northwest - how can I find about sea Bioluminescence events?
I happened to stumble upon the last bits of a bioluminescence event on Cortes Island, in BC, in 2011. It was absolutely amazing, but most of it had happened in the previous days.
I'd love to go ...
7
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1
answer
850
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Locations of origin for castaway on Papua New Guinea
I'm sketching a scene in a story involving a castaway washing up on the shore of Papua New Guinea. It would work best if he made an involuntary ocean voyage from a long way away, perhaps having been ...
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4
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1
answer
236
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Why did ships use to have a prefix identifying their engine kind?
Ships used to have something like "S/S" (for "Steam Ship") or "M/S" (for "Motor Ship") in front of their name.
Why exactly did they do this? Why did it matter ...
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1
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What baby fish is this? (UK)
What fish is this? I found them in England, near Portsmouth, south of Hayling island on the breathtakingly stunning sand flats out to sea :)
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Finding fish offshore
I'm trying to understand the process of fishing with a net. Two people with a small boat and a net, fishing in the sea within sight of shore. (My actual interest in this is that I am writing about ...
- 1,691
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1
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What kind of sea creature leaves this skin/shell?
While hiking the beach at Cape Scott in British Columbia last summer, I kept on seeing these weird pieces of organic flotsam. I'm familiar with kelp, dead jellyfish, sea urchin shells, etc... but ...
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1
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Sea water as mineral supplement
If you are stranded in Alaska and you have plenty of fresh water in the form of snow
Can you get the potassium you need by adding a small amount of sea water to your melted snow? At what ratio?
And ...
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23
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4
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How efficient is travel by canoe?
How efficient is travel in a canoe, in terms of effort/time required to cover distance?
Or kayak, pirogue, any kind of small boat that is moved by paddling instead of sail or motor - is there a ...
- 1,691
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2
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How can divers be sure that there are no sharks or other lethal water animals where they dive?
I've always been scared of sharks. It seems like the most natural thing in the world to be afraid of. I instinctively haven't forgotten what it was like for my ancestors to swim around in that big, ...
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8
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5
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833
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Did any lighthouses provide directional navigation signals?
Rather than shining in all directions, lighthouses usually produce a directed beam of light that continuously sweeps in a circle.
This allows:
the light to be more concentrated and so appear brighter....
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7
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How do I make and test a radar-reflecting hat?
At significant risk of tin foil hat jokes, I’ve read compelling evidence that a homemade hat incorporating angled and crumpled aluminum foil may slightly increase a kayaker’s visibility on radar — not ...
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What is this plastic net with a wide middle and bottom that looks like an upside-down flower hanging from a tree?
We recently (July, 2019) went to Bar Harbor, Maine, United States, to visit friends who live on the ocean. My husband took a walk on an established path (he's very serious about Leave No Trace) at the ...
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2
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415
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What can I do to be more visible to other ships’ radar when traveling in a sea kayak?
I’ve seen small radar reflectors for sale. Should I carry one when kayaking? What else can I do such that boats can use their radar to be aware of my location when they can’t see me due to poor ...
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2
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How would a sea turtle end up on its back?
There is a video going round of two guys flipping a sea turtle that had ended up on its back so it could get back into the water.
How would a sea turtle end up on its back in the first place (it sure ...
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What's the difference between the Norwegian fjord and the Scottish sea loch?
I want to know the major differences between these two systems.
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Is it possible to 'live off the sea'
I've recently become aware of the american 'survivalist' or 'prepper' phenomenon.
The general idea seems to be that 'something bad' (exactly what seems to vary) is going to happen, civilization will ...
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1
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How can I tell if there's a camouflaged octopus in a coral reef, so I can keep from disturbing it?
This question is based on my desire to avoid disturbing, injuring, or scaring away an octopus which is camouflaged to look like a coral reef. Since it's so difficult to see, I'd like to know how to ...
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2
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232
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How to make my kayak Eskimo roll reliable in rough water?
How do I develop my kayak “Eskimo roll” from something I can do most of the time in a calm lake or pool to something I can trust to work close to 100% of the time in real sea or river conditions?
- 3,486
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What’s the best thing to wear on your hands when sea kayaking in very cold weather?
What product or combination of products best protects your hands while kayaking in winter? I’m interested in a system which provides comfort for extended paddling but also the peripheral activities ...
- 3,486
4
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2
answers
844
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What are the differences between a lighthouse and a light station in terms of the specific purpose?
One summer evening we drove to Race Point, the farthest tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. We were told there was a lighthouse at that spot, and wanted to see the light shine through the darkness, ...
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What type of boat is this with a single mast and a square sail? [closed]
What type of boat might this be? Or what category of boats would it fall under?
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How predictable are the doldrums?
There have been a few Atlantic and Pacific row boat crossings. Poor weather is a significant risk. While it might be nice to row with the wind at your aft (back of boat), it might also be nice to ...
- 30.3k
2
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How much food is needed for three months of food when rowing across an ocean?
Related to this question, if one were to go on a three-month rowing trip across an ocean, is there an estimate of how much the food would be needed?
It's certainly possible to give an estimate when ...
- 69.2k
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What are the shortest and longest crossing points of the Atlantic?
Inspired by a recent question. If I want to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a boat, what are the shortest and longest possible crossing sites?
Where crossing = going from one continent to another where ...
- 30.3k
8
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What is head/lift indication in a digital compass on a sailboat?
A simple explanation would be great.
I am reading a manual for digital compass and there is a paragraph with the following words:
The SpeedPuck automatically detects when a sailor is trimmed to a
...
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1
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1k
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How can you identify whether brackish water is too salty to drink?
Sometimes there are sources of water which are slightly contaminated with salt, such as coastal wells or pools of rainwater in rocks near the coast, or water containers with pinhole leaks which have ...
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5
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2
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120
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How reliably can you assess the condition of a reverse-osmosis desalinator?
Handheld desalinators operating on the principle of reverse osmosis are available for emergency use in lifeboats. Sometimes they appear for sale unused in their original packaging at a very steep ...
- 3,486
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1
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How to recognize an ocean desert from the surface?
There are large areas of the ocean that are essentially lifeless, often called ocean deserts.
If I am traveling the ocean, and not familiar with potential sea life in the area, can I tell from clues ...
- 30.3k
5
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1
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When fishing in the Ocean off the US coast, at what point do fishing laws stop?
If you are fishing in the ocean off the United States Coast. At what distance from shore do US fishing laws no longer apply?
The US Coast Guard listes, boundaries at 12, 24 and 200 Miles.
...
- 30.3k
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Portable desalination hand pump filter life?
I was looking into portable desalination hand pumps. and I found this one one Amazon for $959 it says
the Katadyn Survivor 06 is the world's smallest hand-operated desalinator and can easily fit ...
- 30.3k
5
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1
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Can I get fresh water from ocean plants?
In the answer to Can I get fresh water from ocean fish flesh? I learned that the water I can get from eating fish has a low enough salt content that it will hydrate me, BUT the high protein count will ...
- 30.3k
4
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1
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138
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How do some of the materials in the clothing we wear endanger marine life and the undersea environment?
I was recently told that many of the clothes we wear are made up of materials that are dangerous to marine wildlife, and the undersea environment. I'm curious as to whether or not it's true.
I know ...
4
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1
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478
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If you are stranded at sea with a basic set of fishing equipment, how reliable of a food supply are fish?
We have a question about desalinating water while stranded at sea, and another that asks if you can get desalinated water from eating fish.
However, even if you could get desalinated water from fish ...
- 69.2k
15
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1
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Can I get fresh water from ocean fish flesh?
Ocean water has about 35 Grams of salt per liter. For the human body salt content in body fluids is about 9 Grams per liter. See related question How much sea water can I safely drink?
While it is ...
- 30.3k
4
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1
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Does a hands-free kayak bilge pump exist that is as speedy and reliable as a hand pump?
Does anyone have any experience they can share with actual use of a hands-free kayak bilge pump? I’m curious about foot-operated/electric/other, purchased or custom built, anything that lets me keep ...
- 3,486
2
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0
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98
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I feel little stings in the sea [duplicate]
Yesterday I went to the beach when I get in the water everything was fine the water not cold the sea very clear. Then I started feeling little stings at all my body.I thought it was my idea. When I ...
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3
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1
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Telescopic surf fishing rods - Are less segments better?
I am looking for a telescopic surf fishing rod of about 14 feet length & lure weight up to 250grams/8oz.
Is it better if a telescopic surf rod has less segments or does it not matter ?
This one ...
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6
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1
answer
128
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Beach fishing - Should I get waders or long rod to cast further into the sea?
Many beaches where I want to do surf fishing (from shore) are almost flat for many feet into the sea. Some of the beaches have a steep slope into the sea. I hope to catch striped bass, perch or ...
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1
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Are coasteering routes graded, or does one have to rely on a qualitative description of the difficulties of a route?
What, you may ask, is coasteering? Does saying it is similar to kloofing help? Thought not. Many sites describe coasteering; here is a brief description exerpted from outsideonline.com, What Is ...
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Kayak for fishing and low class rapids?
I am in the market for a kayak and am wondering what type of kayak or what features I should look at given my requirements. Here's the details you'll probably need to help me out:
I'm 6'1" and 215 ...
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1
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What are those white spots on the sea
Yesterday I was flying above the Mediterranean sea, it was a nice day, without storms or strong winds. I fly around 20 minutes above it before arriving to the ground.
During these 20 minutes I saw ...
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Is it legal to sail a personal-size boat in the ocean in Massachusetts during a thunderstorm?
When I was younger, during the late 1960's and 1970's, my Dad had a personal-size sailboat, called the Sunfish. He loved it because it was lightweight, easy to sail on his own, and had room to ...
6
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2
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192
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What part of the world has the largest variety of corals?
I'm fascinated by corals. I've been told there are more than a thousand varieties spread out in bodies of water throughout the world.
What part of the world has the most varieties of corals in a ...
6
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1
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1k
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What is the history of the Duckbill rock formation in Oregon?
During an internet search for fun places to go in the Western United States, I came across a number of articles about an unusual rock formation in Oregon called Duckbill. It was called iconic, ...
5
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1
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363
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Where exactly is this rocky shoreline in the Downeast region of Maine, USA?
During the second week of October, 2016, my husband and I went for a drive from our home in Massachusetts to the state of Maine. One of the things we wanted to see was the town of Bar Harbor.
...
11
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2
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521
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Is sunscreen toxic to marine life, especially coral reefs?
As part of an effort to be a responsible user of the world's waterways, I've been thinking about ways to reduce marine pollution. A friend told me that certain chemicals in common brands of sunscreen ...
16
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2
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533
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What safety equipment should I carry for sea-touring by kayak?
What equipment should I carry in case of emergency on a coastal kayaking trip? I normally do short trips (1 week or less) around the islands of northwest Scotland. I tend to travel solo (sometimes no ...
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1
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Identification of a jellyfish-like, shapeless sea-creature from India
Photographed off the Western coast of India, Goa, to be precise. Not even sure this is a creature since I've never seen anything like it. It appeared to move by shooting tiny jets of water from its ...
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1
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Which color of these Swim Goggles would be easiest to spot in/ on warm coastal ocean water?
Which color of these Swim Goggles would be easiest to spot in/ on warm coastal ocean water?
Aqua Sphere Kayenne Swim Goggles
PS: This is not a shopping question (I'm already planning to buy, just ...
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14
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4
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2k
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How to get out through surf in fins?
I got myself some short fins since as a fairly weak swimmer especially in my legs I wanted a bit more confidence and power when swimming in the sea.
However one basic problem I've encountered - how ...
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