Welcome to the Weekend Dispatch. Here are our top finds for Jan. 29.
A tunnel opening along Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Photo by Jade Oscar Photography / Instagram
01. Photographer pick: Jade Oscar Photography
Jade describes herself as a free spirit with a wild heart and a gypsy soul, and her photos reflect just that. Based around Victoria, Australia, her photos of the ocean, sky, ponds and forests show that nature can soothe your heart and your soul.
Check her out at @jadeoscarphotography.
The koala, inaccurately called "koala bear" by many, is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. Photo by David Clode / Unsplash
02. Article pick: 10 Interesting facts about koalas
This Aussie native is one of the country’s most famous animals, but unfortunately their numbers are declining fast due to deforestation and bushfires. Give this quick article a read to learn more about these adorable, sleepy and slow yet fascinating creatures that are being forced to the brink of extinction.
“Underwater Australia” by Nigel Marsh. Provided photo
03. Book pick: Underwater Australia: The Best Dive Sites Down Under
The Land Down Under has one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. It is the only place in the world where scubadivers encounter endemic species — think vibrant seadragons, cross-dressing cuttlefish, unusual handfish and disquisable wobbegongs — and has an unbelievable amount of coral reefs, shipwrecks, pinnacles, artificial reefs, kelp forests, sponge gardens and muck sites to explore.
Written by underwater photographer and photojournalist Nigel Marsh, “Underwater Australia” is a guidebook for Australians and tourists alike with a passion for life under the sea, and is filled with pictures and everything you need to know about the best dive sites all around the continent.
You can order the book on Discover Books, Amazon or Ebay.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system and one of the world’s great natural wonders. Photo by Kristin Hoel / Unsplash
04. Audio pick: The Great Barrier Reef
Composed of around 3,000 separate coral reefs (and making up 10% of the world’s coral reefs), the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. While harmful fishing and tourism in the area are being limited, the reef has lost more than half its coral cover since 1985 due to runoff, climate change, coral bleaching and other weakening effects caused by human activity.
This podcast episode sounds like a chapter from a textbook but covers everything you need to know about the reefs in 12 short minutes — from fun facts to marine life to the stressors endangering the reefs. Give it a listen here.