This Week in Travel: Two Penguins Walk into a Bar…

#1 Giant jellyfish gives us a new reason not to go in the water

Image: Dan Abbott

Two divers off the coast of England recently came face to face with a human-sized barrel jellyfish. The divers – a biologist and an underwater cinematographer – swam with the jellyfish for an hour after it appeared from “murky waters”.

Barrel jellyfish can grow to be 90cm in diameter and weigh 35 kilograms. Although they look like the stuff of nightmares, they’re luckily not harmful to humans and are only interested in eating plankton.

#2 New Zealand police called to save sushi bar from penguins

Described as “waddling vagrants” by police in Wellington, New Zealand, two blue penguins were temporarily detained after breaking into a sushi bar. The two, who were likely attracted by the smell of fish, were found hiding under the bar’s refrigerator. The penguins, which are 25-centimetres tall, were later released into Wellington Harbour.

In defiance of law and order, however, in the dark of the night, the penguins snuck back into the very same sushi bar. They were once again returned to the sea, but we suspect this is far from last time we hear of the penguins. One of them had been intercepted by the police previously – it had taken a stroll down a busy inner-city street a few days earlier.

Read also: 5 stunning secret places Kiwis want to keep to themselves

#3 You may now enter the Bent Pyramid

Photo by Nacho Díaz Latorre on Unsplash

For the first time since 1965, Egypt is allowing visitors into the Bent Pyramid, a 4,600-year-old structure built for Pharaoh Sneferu. Visitors will be able to climb down a 79-metre tunnel to reach two chambers within the structure.

The pyramid’s reopening is seen as a way to boost tourism to the area of Dahshur, which is 28-kilometres south of Cairo.

#4 Japan’s elderly are travelling the world via virtual reality

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have developed new therapies for elderly Japanese thanks to the power of virtual reality. Therapist and lead researcher, Kenta Tomisha travelled the globe capturing 360-degree videos to show his older patients. His team’s goal is to provide patients with joy and a new motivation to live, as they can see the places they enjoyed in the past, as well as venture to new parts of the globe – all without needing to leave the safety of their homes.

Read also: 19 underwater photos that will terrify you or make you want to go freediving

Elisabeth Forsman

Our predictably unpredictable adventure nomad, Elisabeth is the yogi who wants it fast, the ultra-runner who prefers taking a hike, and the swimmer with a fear of lap pools. A consummate lover of all things outdoors, she’s on a perpetual quest to get those around her outside and moving.

No Comments Yet

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.