Ghost octopus – aka Casper. Courtesy of NOAA

A “Ghost” Octopus – 2.6 miles down: Scientists discovered a white octopus lying on a flat rock 2.6 miles below the ocean surface during a recent expedition in the Hawaiian Archipelago by the NOAA exploration ship Okeanos Explorer  “This ghostlike octopod is almost certainly an undescribed species, and may not belong to any described genus,” writes Michael Vecchione, a zoologist with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It’s also the deepest finless octopus ever seen. Nicknamed “Casper” (for the friendly cartoon ghost), the octopus is probably new to science and yet to be described. Watch the video and learn more

-Dindim the Magellenic Penguin. Courtesy of University of Rio di Janeiro

DinDim the Magellenic penguin returns to his friend every year! It’s been some 5 years since 71-year-old Pereira de Souza found an oil-coated Magellenic penguin on a Brazilian beach, took him home  and nursed him back to health. The rest of this story defies understanding. The penguin remained with him for eleven months until he had a new coat of feathers, then went off. But  he returns every June, making a 5,000 miles journey back to his friend – a location distinctly different from his usual Patagonian home range. Watch the video and story.

Grand Canyon Colorado River courtesy NPS

Grand Canyon saved from mega-development: News from the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA): “ Last week, the U.S. Forest Service rejected an application by a private developer to widen roads and build infrastructure through the Kaibab National Forest, which borders the park. This permit would have paved the way for a sprawling urban development near the park’s southern entrance.” HOORAY!

“Stilo Development Group sought to construct more than 2,100 housing units and 3 million square feet of commercial space in the tiny town of Tusayan. Park officials and supporters, including NPCA, were worried about negative effects on the park–especially the dozens of fragile creeks, springs, and seeps that rely on underground water sources that this development could have legally tapped. “

It seems this is not the end solution to all of the prospective development around the Grand Canyon, but certainly a step in the right direction.  For more go to, NPCA’s #ParksInPeril initiative or check out their web site.

While you’re at it —send a thank you note to Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Heather Provencio,

Embrace of the Serpent poster

Director Ciro Guerra in the Amazon

Academy Award nominee Embrace of the Serpent:  It’s a thriller set in Colombia’s Amazon rainforest, with plenty of drama and threats. An American ethnobotanist is in search of a sacred plant that he can only find with the help of an indigenous guide Karamakate. Director Ciro Guerra notes in his facebook page: “Whenever I looked at the map of my country I saw a great unknown. Nearly half was covered by a hidden territory, a green cloak about which I knew nothing. It’s the Amazon, a vast land that we have reduced to a few notions: Coca, drugs, rivers, Indians, war. Is there really nothing more there? Isn’t there a culture, a history? A transcendent spirit? The explorers taught me that the answer is yes.” The good news: Colombia is now stable enough – after years of narco-terrorism — for movie production  and other culture pursuits to bloom. Read the Washington Post story  Go to the movie’s facebook page . Watch the trailer.