{"id":19609,"date":"2020-09-02T06:20:39","date_gmt":"2020-09-02T13:20:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/?p=19609"},"modified":"2020-11-23T07:38:24","modified_gmt":"2020-11-23T15:38:24","slug":"articles-on-beaches-and-the-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/articles-on-beaches-and-the-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"Articles on Beaches and the Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Art of Swimming<\/h2>\n
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Illustration from Everard Digby’s De Arte Natandi (The Art of Swimming) published in 1587.<\/span> PUBLIC DOMAIN.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

De Arte Natandi<\/em> (\u2018The Art of Swimming\u2019), by Sir Everard Digby, published in England in 1587 but written in Latin, was the first treatise on the topic published in Britain. Written in an age when many people could not swim and drowning was a regular cause of death, it features advice on different swimming techniques, detailed information on how to enter the water safely and advice on what kinds of water were safest to swim in.<\/p>\n

People claimed that they regularly saw dead bodies being retrieved from the New River in London, which sparked an interest in the resuscitation of the apparently drowned. The Royal Humane Society was founded in 1774 to aid resuscitation of the near drowned, and still exists today.<\/p>\n

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Illustration from Everard Digby’s De Arte Natandi (The Art of Swimming) published in 1587.<\/span> PUBLIC DOMAIN.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Peep at the Mermaids<\/h4>\n

The late 18th century saw a growing advocacy of the health-giving properties of the seaside \u2013 and of sea bathing. This included not just the growing practice of sea-bathing but the voyeuristic nature of summer amusement or \u2018a peep at the mermaids.\u2019<\/p>\n

Swimming at the Modern Olympic Games<\/h4>\n

Although competitive swimming had been part of the modern Olympic Games since their inception in 1896, the 1912 Games was the first to feature events for women \u2013 the individual 100 metres and the 400 metres relay. The introduction was not uniformly welcomed: only three teams entered the relay and prior to the games both the French and American delegations opposed swimming being introduced to the Games for women.<\/p>\n

Pioneer Health Centre<\/h4>\n

Aiming to uncover the factors that resulted in positive health, the Pioneer Health Centre was a family health and social centre located in Peckham in London.\u00a0 At the centre of the building was the swimming pool \u2013 the second largest in London at the time.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Captain Webb: The First Person to Swim the English Channel<\/h2>\n
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ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF THE JEFFERSON R. BURDICK COLLECTION, GIFT OF JEFFERSON R. BURDICK\u00a0 \/ ALLEN & GINTER, CC0 1.0<\/a>, via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS<\/span><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On August 24, 1875, Captain Matthew Webb of Great Britain becomes the first man to successfully swim the English Channel without assistance. After the feat, Webb became an international celebrity, admired for both his prowess in the water and his penchant for risk-taking.<\/p>\n

Born in Shropshire, England on January 19, 1848, Webb taught himself to swim in the River Severn at Coalbrookdale. At just 12 years old, he enlisted as a merchant seaman, and eventually was named captain of the steamship Emerald<\/em>. Webb had a well-deserved reputation for recklessness, and often had trouble convincing sailors to remain in his employ. In August 1872, he became a hero in England when, while traveling on a ship, he dove into the Atlantic to rescue a fellow passenger who fell overboard. Although the man drowned, Webb emerged unscathed 35 minutes later and was rewarded with medals of bravery for his efforts. He then embarked on a career as a professional distance swimmer, taking huge risks in order to add to his fame and fortune.<\/p>\n

After hearing of a failed attempt to swim the English Channel by British swimmer J.B. Johnson in 1873, Webb set his sights on becoming the first man to swim the treacherous body of water without assistance. He made his first attempt on August 12, 1875, but was stymied by high winds and bad conditions. Unfazed, he tried again less than two weeks later.<\/p>\n

After covering himself with porpoise oil to keep warm, Webb, trailed by a flotilla of three boats, entered the water near Dover\u2019s Admiralty Pier. Though he was stung by a jellyfish eight hours into his attempt, he persevered after being soothed by a nip of brandy. He swam into the out-rushing tide toward Cape Gris-Nez, which is now often used as the starting point for Channel swims. Finally, after 21 hours and 45 minutes of swimming against the tide\u2014the equivalent of 39 miles\u2013he waded onto the beach at Calais at 10:40 a.m., the morning after he began his swim, exhausted. His achievement was celebrated all over the world.<\/p>\n

On July 24, 1883, Webb attempted his final stunt: a swim across the Niagara River, downriver from Niagara Falls<\/a><\/u>. Many warned him the stunt was suicide, and, unfortunately for Webb, they were right. Webb drowned in the whirlpool approximately 10 minutes after entering the water. His body was found four days later.<\/a><\/p>\n

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That Sinking Feeling: 10 Cities Could Disappear by 2100<\/h2>\n
\"Dhaka
People walk on the water as roads are flooded due to heavy rain in Dhaka, Bangladesh July 26, 2017.<\/span> PHOTO COURTESY OF REUTERS\/MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Global temperatures and sea levels are rising. Low-lying coastal cities are already experiencing devastating floods and working to come up with creative solutions to combat rising tides.<\/p>\n

Some cities are sinking due to increasing sea levels slowly encroaching on their coasts, while others are sinking because of excessive groundwater pumping that creates a change in pressure and volume that causes land to sink.<\/p>\n

Here are 10 sinking cities that are in danger of disappearing.<\/p>\n

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  1. Jakarta, Indonesia<\/strong>. Jakarta is sinking up to 6.7 inches per year due to excessive groundwater pumping (which creates a change in pressure and volume that causes the land to sink). Much of the city could be underwater by 2050. The Indonesian government recently approved a plan to move the capital 100 miles away from its current location on the island of Java in order to protect its 10 million residents from more flooding. The move would take about 10 years and cost $33 billion.<\/li>\n
  2. Lagos, Nigeria<\/strong>. Lagos’ low coastline continues to erode, and rising seas caused by global warming put Africa’s largest city in danger of flooding. A 2012 study from the University of Plymouth found that a sea level rise of three to nine feet would ” have a catastrophic effect on the human activities in these regions.” Global sea levels are expected to rise 6.6 feet by the end of this century.<\/li>\n
  3. Houston, Texas<\/strong>. Parts of Houston are sinking at a rate of 2 inches per year due to excessive groundwater pumping. The more Houston sinks, the more vulnerable it becomes to increasingly frequent disasters such as Hurricane Harvey, which damaged nearly 135,000 homes and displaced around 30,000 people.<\/li>\n
  4. Dhaka, Bangladesh<\/strong>. Bangladesh produces 0.3% of the emissions that contribute to climate change, but the country is facing some of the biggest consequences of rising sea levels, according to The New York Times. Oceans could flood 17% of Bangladesh’s land and displace about 18 million of its citizens by 2050.<\/li>\n
  5. Venice, Italy<\/strong>. Venice is sinking at a rate of 0.08 inches every year. Italy began building a flood barrier consisting of 78 gates across its three inlets in 2003. It’s known as \u2018Mose.\u2019 The barrier was supposed to be completed in 2011, but will likely not be ready until 2022. When a series of storms hit Venice in 2018, the $6.5 billion project was still incomplete. The flooding was the worst the city had seen in a decade. Read more: A $6.5 billion sea wall was supposed to stop Venice from flooding. Now, most of the city is underwater.<\/li>\n
  6. Virginia Beach, Virginia<\/strong>. Virginia Beach has one of the fastest rates of sea-level rising on the East Coast, factoring in both rising water levels and sinking land. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that Virginia Beach could experience up to nearly 12 feet of sea level rise by 2100.<\/li>\n
  7. New Orleans, Louisiana<\/strong>. Parts of New Orleans are sinking at a rate of 2 inches per year and could be underwater by 2100, according to a 2016 NASA study. Some parts of New Orleans are also 15 feet below sea level, and its location on a river delta increases its exposure to sea-level rise and flooding.<\/li>\n
  8. Rotterdam, The Netherlands<\/strong>. According to The New York Times, 90% of the city of Rotterdam is below sea level. As ocean levels rise, the risk of flooding increases. The Dutch have built “water parks” that double as reservoirs for the swelling water levels in a project called Room for the River, as well as enormous storm surge barriers.<\/li>\n
  9. Alexandria, Egypt<\/strong>. Alexandria’s beaches have been disappearing as sea levels continue to rise. The Mediterranean Sea could rise as much as 2 feet by 2100, according to NPR.<\/li>\n
  10. Miami, Florida<\/strong>. Environmental author Jeff Goodell previously told Business Insider that ” there’s virtually no scenario under which you can imagine [Miami] existing at the end of the century” and referred to it as “the poster child for a major city in big trouble.” Miami’s sea levels are rising at faster rates than in other areas of the world, resulting in floods, contaminated drinking water, and major damage to homes and roads. The city may soon have to raise its structures to stay above water.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Chloe McCardel: Swimmer Beats Men’s Channel Record and Quarantine<\/h2>\n
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    Australian marathon swimmer Chloe McCardel reacting aboard her support boat, off the coast of Calais, France, after completing her 35th swim across the English Channel on August 16.<\/span> PHOTO COURTESY OF AFP\/JASON KELVIN VIA NEWGATE COM<\/span><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    A swimmer has broken the men’s record for the number of cross-Channel crossings – and been assured her fears of falling foul of the UK-France quarantine rules are unfounded.<\/p>\n

    Australian Chloe McCardel took 10 hours and 40 minutes to complete her 35th Channel crossing, after setting off from Kent on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n

    She was worried arriving in Calais would require her to self-isolate.<\/p>\n

    But she said UK and French coastguards have given her the all-clear.<\/p>\n

    “I’m in great spirits,” Ms McCardel said.<\/p>\n

    “I would like to have a little celebration this evening in England. I’m extremely lucky to be surrounded by so much love and support, from my English host to my support boat captains and crew, and I’m excited to celebrate this achievement together with them.”<\/p>\n

    The 35-year-old started her 21-mile swim from Abbot’s Cliff beach near Folkestone at 20:00 BST on Saturday, and arrived in France just before 07:00.<\/p>\n

    She intended to spend only a few moments on the French shore before swimming back out to her support boat for the return journey.<\/p>\n

    “We don’t go anywhere near the border officials or passport control, so I’m hoping technically the quarantine thing won’t apply,” she had said ahead of the swim.<\/p>\n