Water Flows the Wrong Way at the Edge of Rivers
At the edge of rivers, friction causes water to slow down. This leads to eddies – water that turns in circles. In some places the eddies…
Tag: water clues
How to Spot Subtle Patterns in Water
To spot subtle patterns in water, look where dark and light reflections touch each other. On calm days, the surface of water can appear still,…
Surface Patterns Reveal Water Depth
Whenever waves meet shallow water, the patterns change. We can use these new patterns as clues to the depth of water. It doesn’t matter the…
The Gower Peninsula
I’m recently back from a 4-day series of natural navigation exercises on the wonderful Gower Peninsula, in South Wales. To see photos and videos of…
The Stickiness of Water
Water rises up and forms individual droplets on leaves because it is ‘sticky’, it is literally attracted to itself. The hydrogen atoms in each molecule…
Does Dowsing Work?
An old investigation into dowsing, also known as ‘water divining’. Let’s us start with an interesting extract on the subject of dowsing, or water-divining, from…
From a Raindrop to a River
Here is an extraordinary and fun website that shows where any raindrop will end up over the US. https://river-runner.samlearner.com/ Have a play! You might also…
Fish Frenzy at Water Surface – Predator Sign
Early this morning I saw an interesting sign in the water, a clue that fish were trying to defy a predator. At about 6am, I…
Wind Against Tide – A Sign of Choppy Water
The yacht is on a ‘swing mooring’ and will swing with the tide. This shows us that the water is flowing from right to left.…
What is a Wind Shadow?
A wind shadow is a place where the wind doesn’t reach. There is a calm, sheltered zone on the downwind side of all obstacles, a…
The Case of the Lost Flamingo
Have a good study of the picture above. Something looks out of place, but what is it? It is tempting to think that this snowy…
Nature’s Clues and Signs – Thorney Island
I’m just back from a wonderful walk, exploring the unique landscapes of Thorney Island in southern England. Most of Thorney Island is a military base,…
Nature’s Clues & Signs – The National Gallery
During a break from recording an audiobook, I visited the National Gallery, a major art museum in Trafalgar Square, London. It has been a long-running fascination…
How to Spot Patterns in Calm Water
If you are trying to work out what calm water is doing, it is sometimes tempting to feel like nothing interesting is happening. There are…
David Hockney Reads about Reading Water
My thanks to Charlie Gladstone for sending an interesting email about a beautiful book, with an intriguing couple of paragraphs. The book in question is…
SUPfm Podcast Interview
I recently did a fun interview with Simon Hutchinson for the SUPfm podcast (Stand Up Paddle board). As you’d imagine, we mostly talked about reading…
How to See Through Reflections on Water
Anyone who spends time on or near the water will have noticed that sometimes we can see through water, but often we can’t. For those…
Why do waves bend towards the shore?
When waves meet shallow water they slow down. When one side of a wave slows down, the wave bends towards that side. It is a…
Winter Sea Cumulus
The clouds always make a map for us. On winter mornings, the cumulus clouds map the sea. A lot more about this and the other…
5 Sea Colours That Are Easy to See
Every time we look out at the sea there are lots of colours. Our brain tends to mash them all up because it is busy…
Water-pepper, Persicaria hydropiper
Water-pepper, Persicaria hydropiper, is a bitter tasting map-maker. It is an inconspicuous annual plant, but it is useful to natural navigators. It grows up to…