Photographer Captures Fabulous Photographs of Deadly Crocodiles While Snorkeling in Cuba

Ricardo Castillo an adventurous photographer from Mexico certainly got some holiday photos with a difference. Castillo, 39, was snorkeling in the sea off Cuba hoping to capture underwater photographs of sharks but in its place came across another deadly predator in the shape of crocodiles. And he had nothing to look after him from the 12ft long reptiles apart from his camera and years of experience of swimming with treacherous creatures. With his experience as a result he was able to get to within a few inches of the Cuban crocodile and get fabulous shots of one of the world's most fearsome animals in its natural environment. However, at one point the reptile even touched the lens of Ricardo's waterproof camera, permitting him to get a photograph of the inside of its huge and lethal jaws.

Ricardo, actually he was snorkeling in the mangroves of the Gardens of the Queen marine park in Cuba.  I was there to take shark photographs and the crocodiles abruptly happened to be there. I was in the water to get these photographs it is normal to snorkel with crocodiles in this place. Well, few of the crocodiles come by when they listen to the boats because some fisherman cleans their fish close to the mangrove where the crocs live. When you realize the crocs and the size of them you just need to stay all the time in the front or the back of it never to the side because it is very easy for the croc to bite someone then. I was very close to it. I use a 14mm lens and the croc touched the lens dome of the camera. When people view the pictures the first thing they say is “you are crazy” but people are scared by the unidentified. I always say that diving with sharks or crocs is not about bravery or gallantry; it is about experience and knowledge you have. No doubt the risk is always there, but they’re wildlife but if you learn to observe their behavior you can envisage what is happening. The thing is to know the time to get out to the water safe.Source: Dailymail

Artist Vainius Kubilius Drills Coconuts into Lamps That Shine Striking Patterns of Lights

Talented Artist Vainius Kubilius prudently crafts lamps that visually exhilarating and exotic patterns of light on adjacent walls. Not like your typical light designer, Kubilius doesn't like to simply work with metals and manmade materials. However, instead, the creative innovator gets an idea and incorporates coconuts into his products, which he designs under the label Nymphs. Because the head of the lamp is made out of coconut, and after careful shaving, waxing, and drilling the project, it shines like some sort of jewel. So, it takes 9 months to finish his first lamp project, and he has since improved his technique and time productivity. 

Therefore as the time passes, it takes the talented artist only a few days to completely realize each of his creations. Notwithstanding his skill to compress the time required for production, each lamp continues to demand the artist's shrewd attention to detail, not to mention his skillful hand and profound eye for design. Though, Kubilius designing light patterns is even harder than preparing coconuts as lamp heads.  He explains that not all light patterns look good, but by creating several of them I’ve learned what looks finest and what people like to enjoy the most. Eventually, he admits, I want people who turn my lamp on in the evenings to feel like they are in an enchanted place surrounded by an exclusive and calming atmosphere. Nymphs’s lamps create a small oasis in every interior. Though we were extremely lucky enough to inquire his incredibly designed lamps and the light patterns they fill their respective rooms with. You can read his brief thoughts as below.

Well, after finding the biggest and roundest coconut, I’ve shaved it, sand it, and then wax it to make it flat and shiny. Then I drill a 2cm hole at the bottom and with a small knife, prudently, bit by bit; extract the white meat from inside. Once I’ve done it, I drill tiny, precise holes for several hours to make a pattern. You know, it wasn’t easy and I took it several tries before I learned how to avoid making errors and ruining the coconut. So, creating the lamp base starts from perceptive physics and doing electricians work knowing what type of light makes sharp shadows, however, upon taking the correct components, welding them right and testing every lamp. After that, I make shape by adding flexible wires, soft parts, and painted wine corks to the body which are also covered in suede for the elegant finish. However, cork is used to mount the coconut on the body; it holds it firmly and doesn't have any hooks that would ruin the clean design. 

Also, it's very easy to remove the coconut to change the light bulb. I stumbled upon some shadow art projects on the internet. I was astonished by the concept of art not having boundaries like paper; I started desiring to own a piece of it. The problem is that either the light art was poorly made or it was amazing, but too expensive. So I decided to make it myself. From then, I became fanatical with it. I'm a massive admirer of geometry, ornaments, and patterns. Therefore for me, the patterns don't have one meaning or one idea. They are full of concepts. For me, every pattern stands for something adding some emotion, atmosphere or even a story but I don't add them. That would make them lose the chance of having various different interpretations by different people. Well, look at how Kubilius's lamps turn an ordinary room into an astonishing oasis. As I likes to create lamps that dominate the room.Source: My Modernmet

Rare Chicken Legs Just Like Dragon

An unusual Vietnamese chicken breed named “Dong Tao”, high prized for its delicious meat, has one of the thickest legs, which you might not frequently seen among birds of that size. This rare chicken breed is endemic to the Dong Tao commune in Khoai Chau district, around 30kilometers from Hanoi. Once the chicken bred exclusively to serve the royal family and mandarins, this sporadic breed is now prized by chicken breeders and its meat is served in luxurious restaurants that cater to the wealthy. The legs themselves are fragility and however, the Dong Tao chicken has a striking figure, a healthy body and stout legs covered with reddish scales. Therefore, a male adult Dong Tao chicken can weigh up to six kilograms and grow legs as thick as a human’s wrist. The hen’s colors are generally white, while the cocks have colorful feathers. 

Due to its delicacy and taste the bird is in high demand but unluckily in short supply, which obviously leads to its high price. A pair of Dong Tao chicken can fetch $2,500. The chickens are very sensitive to weather conditions and tend to lay fewer eggs than normal chicken. Their unhelpfully big feet make the hatching process even more problematic, so breeders are very careful to have to assist the hens in order to produce chicks. Thus a new born chick takes 8 months to one year to become a sellable bird of 3 to 5 kilograms.

Source: Amusing Planet 

The Amazing Floating Hotel

This floating hotel with catamaran apartments are offering visitors the flawless opportunity of an uninterrupted view of the nature around them. The mega project is developed by Salt & Water design studio with the aim to encourage tourism on inland waters and the plans freshly won the Millennium Yacht Design Award, an international competition for yacht designers. A central unit where visitors will check in and be able to interact with others is connected to a set of floating catamaran pods, accessed by a portable walkway. The designers have faith in the floating hotel would provide the textbook solution for tourism without any violation of natural harmony. The floating hotel is formed of two different parts a central floating construction and apartment catamaran units. The central unit houses a reception, a restaurant, an event hall, offices for staff and a café. Visitors can then access pathways which are linked to the apartment catamarans. 

Moreover, each apartment is an innovatively designed catamaran which can be simply separated from the dock and navigated, letting visitors to select the perfect location for their vacation by themselves. Catamarans comprise of a reception, a galley, a lovely bathroom, a hall with ample storage space and a sleeping area. Visitors can also relax at two separate outdoor locations the flying bridge and the beach platform. Every apartment can accommodate between 2 and 4 people, thanks to the ability to convert the salon into a double bedroom. From the beach platform it is very easy to access the water for swimming, fishing, diving, and sun bathing. The key idea is to let users to relish their visit through navigation at a very slow speed and with an uninterrupted view of nature. For this purpose the catamarans have a rare shape with big windows in the front. Indeed this is a spectacular idea, but whether or not it will work will depend on where the hotel is located. Salt & Water is a Serbian-design studio specializing in yacht interior design and exterior styling, aircraft interior design and architecture. 

Source: Dailymail