Planet Earth. You see and hear a lot about it. Nowadays, all we see are posts about how polluted, or doomed Earth is. What most of us don't know is that, there's a whole other side to the story. It depends on where you shine the spotlight. There's a myriad of people who are constantly working to save the planet, and I believe that we can do so too through actions, be it big or small. But this ain't an Anti-Pollution series.
In Peculiar Places on Planet Earth, we'll be shining the spotlight on some strange, wondrous, lands that have been existing right under our noses the whole time.
So let's begin!






The Red Beach

Where's the sand? Well the Red Beach is mostly covered in this red seaweed called sueda or seablite. It starts to grow around April and May, then stays green. Come Autumn, and the seablite displays its vibrant crimson colour. The beach is located at Panjin, China, and is also the biggest wetland and reed marsh in the world!

Most of the beach is closed to the public, but a small section is open for tourists. You can walk on the jetty built on the large landscape to marvel at the sight of the whole area.

The beach is home to more than 200 species of birds and wildlife, including the rare and endangered Red-crowned crane (go google it!). Just a random thought but could they use these red seaweed to make awesome looking red sushi?   Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)






The Flooded Desert

The rain water will then accumulate in the valleys  in between the sand dunes and forms beautiful clear bluish, greenish lagoons. The lagoons might seem devoid of life, but thanks to neighbouring rivers that link up to some lagoons, you might find some fish hanging out in one of the pools.

Other fish, like the Wolffish spend the season burrowed far under the sand to reach damp mud.If the water levels are high enough, visitors can even take a swim in the pools. But getting there isn't easy. You gotta fly to a town in Maranhão, a state located in the northeastern region of Brazil. Then you can head for the lagoon via bumpy jeep rides.

Crystal clear, yet ever so mysterious

The Giant's Causeway

Formed naturally from ancient volcanic activity, The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, consists of thousands of interlocking columns, most of which are shaped so neatly and symmetrically, that it sparked some debate as to whether they were manually created by men with picks and chisels. Local legends state that The Giant's Causeway was built by Finn McCool, a giant who wanted to reach Scotland without getting his feet wet. There is also my personal theory of the place forming as a result of the BFG, but let's not get into that.

"Look twice and you might see a hobbit somewhere"

Anyways, many special species of seabirds can be seen as well from atop the columns such as petrel and razorbill, along with strange plant species on the cliffs and nearby rock formations. The Causeway was also declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the 1980's, and has been flourishing as a popular site for tourists as well. If you wanna experience what it's like being there, you can check out this link real quick. Oh, and make sure ya switch on the sound. http://panoramas.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway/1/


That concludes this issue of Peculiar Places on Planet Earth! As always , don't forget to say Masha Allah