What is a Slick Line?
Slick lines form on water when a very thin layer of oil spreads out across the water. The oil dampens ripples creating calmer patches. Over…
Find out how to read water
Tag: sea
What is swash?
Swash is the name given to the waves that rush up the beach after a wave has broken. They are intriguing little waves that inhabit…
The Nature Instinct
The Nature Instinct has been published in the US! “A captivating guide to finding one’s way in the wild.” —The Wall Street Journal “An imperative…
A Brief Guide to Overfalls
Whenever the tide turns, water heads from one area to another. This sets up a flow known as tidal currents. Tidal currents moving over a…
Stick Charts at the Royal Academy
Last night I was invited by the very nice people at Tourism New Zealand to the opening of Oceania, a wonderful exhibition at the Royal…
The Colour of Water
The colour of water is determined by: A) What’s under it. B) What’s in it. C) What’s on it. D) And by light levels and…
Brendan the Navigator
Writing the sorts of books I do is hard work, at times dauntingly so. But emails like this make me want to charge out there…
Beach Stripes
Can you work out the cause of the beach stripes in the picture above? There are 6 stages. ———— Answer: 1. As waves break, water…
How to Spot a Dangerous Sandbank or Reef
How to spot a dangerous sandbank or reef: Note the change in colour and the breaking waves. At night only the sound of the breakers…