Some Interesting Things Discovered Along The Way During My Decal Researches

The Earth is the only planet in our solar system known to have water in liquid form. Liquid water is thought to exist on 3 of Jupiter's 4 Galilean moons: Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Although water may exist on other planets or moons it is believed to be in gaseous or iceous form. Below is a NASA picture of Callisto.

The Chinese White Dolphin of the Indo-Pacific (pictured below) is a species of hump-backed dolphin 1st discovered in 1637 near the Pearl River of Hong Kong by Peter Mundy. Another unusual dolphin of similar color but more exotic body shape is the Pink Amazon River Dolphin which was 1st described by Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville in 1817. The Chinese River Dolphin or Baiji was another very unusual mammal, similar to the Pink Amazon River Dolphin with a long slim snout. The Baiji lived in China's Yangtze River until 2006 at which time it was pronounced extinct following an unsuccessful six-week search to find one.

The Legend Of The 9th Wave

A famous master artist of seascapes is Ivan Aivazovsky. Above, his 1850 Painting called The 9th Wave

In Russia, the homeland of artist Ivan Aivazovsky, Seamen believe waves to come in a series with the nineth being the most powerful. This is also believed by most who dwell on or near the sea, from ancient times to present day surfers. Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) in his poem Idylls Of The King wrote:

... And then the two dropt to the cove, and watch'd the great sea fall,

Wave after wave, each mightier than the last, till last, a ninth one

Gathering half the deep and full of voices, slowly rose and plunged roaring,

And all the wave was in a flame. ...

Two Irish folk tales also refer to the 9th Wave, The Legend Of The Anu in which negotiation of nine waves, each with its own quest and culminating with the most difficult nineth wave, granted welcome to the island and The Legend Of Cliona for whom the nineth wave is known in Ireland as Clion's Wave.

Below is a Cork Pilot Boat built by SafeHaven Marine of Ashgrove Cobh, Co Cork Ireland displaying its sturdiness & maneuverability in very stormy seas. and facing what appears to be a 9th wave.

NEPTUNE'S HORSES

Neptune's Horses by Walter Crane 1892

Do You See Them? ... (Photo by JRL)

In Mythology, the Roman Neptune ruled both fresh water, the sea, and horses. Parallelling this, the Greek Poseidon, ruler of the sea, created the horse from the crest of a breaking wave. And, in Irish Myth, Nechtan is master of the well from which all waters flow and the breakers of the sea are his horses.  Since ancient times, mariners have referred to the foam at the crest of waves as Neptune's Horses.