Antarctica Scary Critterfest

Antarctica-we brought you the video of what life is like on the surface a few weeks back. Chilling stuff.

Now researchers have begun sending small probes beneath the ice in search of life. Part science fiction, part exploration, what this team has discovered has trumped any theories put forth over the past 10 years.

It was once thought that the floor of Antarctica would be a vast wasteland, the opposite is true.

With new critters being identified faster than the US Gov wastes money in Iraq (that's a lot by the way) the future of scientific study beneath the ice is bright indeed.
This predatory fish, called a stareater, uses its luminous red chin appendage to lure prey into striking distance.

The fish in this image was one of more than 30,000 marine creatures hauled up by a team of 26 scientists and 18 crew during a census of Antarctic life in early 2008.

The team endured icy weather as cold as 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 13 degrees Celsius)—which caused equipment to freeze up and samples to ice over as soon as they landed on deck. Think we'll stick to shark diving.

China-Rare Rainmaker Fish

Last week a rare if not almost extinct fish was celebrated by local fishermen...and then promptly sold and eaten.

Turns out the swim bladder (not the whole fish) is worth it's weight in gold and this particular fish species called the Bahaba flavolabiata has not been seen in this region of China for almost 50 years.

The fisherman who caught this rare "Last of the Mohicans" is set to make almost 1 million Yuan or close to $150,000 US.

In April 2007, a fisherman in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong province, netted a 49-kg Chinese bahaba and sold to a restaurant for 580,000 yuan. The restaurant cooked the fish meat but has kept the dried fish maw (mouth), tagging it at 2 million yuan with words "not for sale."

It is into this environment that the worldwide shark fin market is pouring the oceans sharks into. With scarcity-pricing for rare animals used for just their maws, fins and swim bladders runs at all time highs.

Competitive Eating Champion Sets New Record-36 Pounds

Bahamas News Daily--Denny "Mad-Man" Pelkin, a competitive eater whose feats of gluttony earned him a spot in the Competitors Speed Eating Hall of World Records has set a new all time eating record on a recent fishing trip to the Bahamas.

Stunned onlookers out for a day trip to Muriels Reef watched in horror as Denny first caught a world record spotted grouper of 77 pounds-and then proceeded to eat half of the fish, live, in exactly 3 minutes.

"It's the most amazing thing I ever seen", said 73 year old captain Ron Freeman of Sunrise Charters out of Freeport, "and I seen some things in the Navy".

According to other fishermen who were there at the time Mr. Pelkin then proceeded to wash the fish down with a six pack of Grand Bahamas Kalik Beer before passing out on the back deck for the rest of the afternoon.

The International Speed Eating Commision or ISEC issued the following statement last week, "We have reviewed the video tape submitted and have verified the actual weight and the time in which this fish was consumed, it's another speed eating record for Mr."Mad-Man" Pelkin.

The following underwater Onion was brought to you by Shark Diver Always wait an hour to go in the water after you eat.

Radisson Hotel-Where's Da Sharks?

So they built another hotel in Berlin. It's got 427 rooms, swimming pool, sauna, steam bath and fitness room.

They also went all out with their high tech conference area on the ground floor-offering a conference foyer and 10 air-conditioned meeting rooms. All pretty standard stuff as far as mega hotels go.

Oh, and it's also got the world's largest cylindrical aquarium, the AquaDom. Filled with one million litres of saltwater and the new home to about 2,500 tropical fish. Making the AquaDom the largest free standing aquarium on the entire planet.

The only problem is that they totally forgot to add the sharks. How can any self respecting hotel with a giant aquarium in the lobby hope for any business without a few sharks swimming around!?