Polterabend

Polterabend is a German pre-wedding tradition where friends and family come together for an informal party. While that may not seem odd, what they do at these parties certainly is. They break dishes, flowerpots, tiles, toilets, pretty much anything except glasses or mirrors. To symbolize working together through future difficulties, the bride and groom must clean everything up. Due to the need to replace all the broken goods, I suspect that German sellers of housewares are quite fond of this custom.

Monkey Buffet Festival

No, this isn’t a festival that offers a variety of all-you-can-eat monkey dishes. Rather, the monkeys are the ones doing the feasting at this annual event in Thailand. Over 3,000 kilograms of fruit and vegetables are offered to the monkey population of the Lopburi province in Bangkok.

Gurning

A “gurn” is a distorted facial expression, and English rural tradition has celebrated making these humorous grimaces since 1267. At the World Gurning Championship in Egremont, England, competitors don a horse collar and attempt to make the most grotesque face possible. While this tradition sounds silly, some, like four-time world champion Peter Jackman, take it very seriously. He had his teeth removed in 2000 to make his facial maneuvers easier.

Camel Wrestling

A kinder, gentler version of bullfighting? Perhaps. In Turkey, camel wrestling is a popular event where spectators watch in glee as two specially bred male camels wrestle each other. Serious injuries are rare, but spectators should be wary of being sprayed by the milky saliva of the agitated camels.

Blackening the Bride

To prepare for their marriage, Scottish brides-to-be must go through a very foul pre-wedding ritual. Friends of the bride take her by surprise and cover her with eggs, spoiled milk, feathers, pretty much anything disgusting. The blackened bride is then paraded around town. The purpose of this custom is to prepare the bride for marriage because after going through that, any marital problems will seem like nothing.

Day of the Geese

The Day of the Geese, or Antzar Eguna, is a Spanish tradition in which a greased goose is suspended over water and young men jump from boats and attempt to rip off the head of the goose. This competition serves as a way for young men to prove their strength and eligibility to females. In addition to winning the adoration of young women, the winners also gets to keep the goose. Although this tradition was once practiced all over Spain with live geese, this competition is now only held during the San Antolin festival in Lekeitio, with a dead goose to placate animal rights activists.

Caganers

The people of Catalonia, Spain have quite the amusing Christmas tradition. They hide small statuettes of people defecating in their nativity scenes for friends and family to try to find. These figurines are called “caganers”, which is Catalan for “defecator” or “shitter”. This tradition has existed since the 17th century, and nowadays it is common for famous people to be immortalized in the form of a caganer figurine.

Food Binding

For about a thousand years, young Chinese girls had to undergo the painful and debilitating process of foot binding. To ensure small, desirable feet, girls between the ages of three and fourteen had their feet broken and bound with bandages, in order to prevent their feet from growing “too big”. Despite many attempts to ban this ritual, an effective prohibition of foot binding was not was not enacted until 1949, when the Communists took power of China.

Finger Cutting

While most cultures mourn the loss of family members, women of the Dani tribe in Indonesia must suffer great physical pain in addition to emotional pain. When a family member dies, female relatives must cut off a segment of one of their fingers. This practice is performed to satisfy ancestral ghosts. Luckily for the Dani women, this custom is rarely practiced anymore.

Bathroom Ban

The Tidong are a group of people from northern Borneo with a particularly uncomfortable wedding custom. For the 3 days and 3 nights following the wedding, both the bride and groom are prohibited from using the bathroom. That means no urinating, no defecating, and no bathing. They believe that custom will lead to a long, happy, and fertile marriage. In order to achieve this, the newlyweds are allowed to eat and drink only very small amounts and are watched very closely by family members.

10. Sputnik 2/Laika the Soviet Space Dog

Laika, dubbed “muttnik” in the US, was the first living animal to orbit the earth. When first adopted by the Russian space agency, things were looking up for the stray dog. Unfortunately scientists were more interested in finding out if a trip to space on a rocket could be survived, and not so interested in seeing if that passenger could be brought back alive. The scientists determined she probably survived her 1957 launch by five to seven hours before the stress and heat claimed her.

9. Everest 1996 – The IMAX Expedition

In spring of 1996 a group of inexperienced adventure seekers and their well paid guides set out to conquer Mount Everest. Overcrowding and weather lead to the death of 12 climbers, including some of the very experienced guides. Some controversy was raised, following the expedition, about the responsibility of offering commercial tours to the top of the highest mountain on earth to amateurs.

8. Apollo 13

In April of 1970, Apollo 13 launched. What was to be the third manned mission to the moon, ended abortively when a short circuit caused an oxygen tank to explode. The ship managed to hold together as it passed the dark side of the moon and limped back to earth. That there was no loss of life is a testament to the bravery and skill of the astronauts and the ground support team.

7. John Franklin/Northwest Passage

John Franklin set out in 1845 looking for the legendary northwest passage, a navigable sea lane past North America. The problem for Franklin was that, despite actually existing, the Northwest Passage is choked off with ice almost year round. When in 1846 Franklin’s expedition became stuck in the ice, it was only a matter of time before the cold and starvation claimed the entire crew.

6. Charles Francis Hall North Pole Expedition

Charles Francis Hall was an experienced Arctic explorer after having been on two previous expeditions. In June 1871 he set out on an expedition to the North Pole. He died aboard ship in November in what is now called Hall Bay. Later investigation found he had ingested large amounts of arsenic, likely poisoned by his crew. His second in command, Sidney Budington took over the expedition, despite reaching a record latitude, failed to reach the Pole.

5. Percy Fawcett Expedition – The Lost Inca City of Z

Percy Fawcett may well have found his goal, the lost Inca city of Z, when he entered the Brazilian jungle in 1925. We’ll never know, as Fawcett never returned. Despite the rumors that have surrounded his fate, there has been no actual evidence of what became of Percy Fawcett, or the city of Z.

4. Amelia Earhart Expedition Around the World

Amelia Earhert and her navigator Fred Noonan were on the last leg of their trip around the world in 1937. While trying to land on Howland Island they fell out of communication with the Coast Guard vessel that was to guide them onto the tiny isle. A thorough search by the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy found no trace of either the plane or it’s passengers.

3. Robert Falcon Scott South Pole Expeditions

A British expedition to the South Pole in 1911 led by Robert Falcon Scott was lost after having successfully reached the South Pole in 1912. On the return trip Scott’s expedition succumbed to the weather, when the remains were found they located Scott’s journal which ended in March of 1912. Adding insult to injury, the Norwegians led by Roald Amundsen arrived at the South Pole a month before Scott and claimed the honor of being the first.

2. The Donner Party

George and Jacob Donner decided it was time to head out west to California from Illinois in April of 1846. With a group of several other families they were swayed by promises of a shorter and easier trail. In reality, it was a longer and harder trail than had been advertised, and the Donner party arrived at the Sierra Nevada mountain range after winter had set in and blocked the pass. Of the 90 original members of the Donner party, 48 survived to see California. Starvation during that winter caused the survivors to resort to cannibalism, a specter that haunted the survivors for the rest of their lives.

1. Shackleton and The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition

Ernest Shackleton set out to cross the antarctic in 1914. When ice caught the ship and eventually sunk her, the crew had to resort to camping on the ice floes and Elephant Island. Shackleton decided to leave his men and gather a rescue party. An arduous journey followed, but Shackleton finally made contact with the outside world. Four attempts later, Shackleton finally reached Elephant Island with a rescue boat.

Fuzhou, China

In September 2007, a visitor to the Fuzhou Zoo was taking pictures of Assamese macaques when one of the monkeys grabbed his phone and began chewing it. The man climbed over the railing to get his phone back and was scratched by three enraged monkeys.

Beijing, China

In January 2009, a visitor at the Beijing Zoo jumped over a barrier to retrieve a toy dropped by his son. Instead of getting the toy, he got attacked by a 240 pound panda named Gu Gu, who bit his legs and refused to let go. Apparently this cuddly panda has developed a taste for human flesh, as it has previously attacked two other humans.

Kiev, Ukraine

In July 2008, a visitor at the Mykolaev city zoo was trying to take some close-up pictures of the Siberian Brown bears. The visibly intoxicated man lost his footing and fell into the enclosure. He was promptly attacked by three bears, who ripped him apart, killing him.

San Francisco, California

On Christmas 2007, four visitors to the San Francisco Zoo were seen taunting a 243-pound Siberian tiger named Tatiana. Less than an hour later, the tiger escaped from her enclosure and attacked three of her agitators, killing one of them. It is unclear how the tiger escaped and there is suspicion that it was aided by humans.

Calgary, Canada

In October 2009, two drunken men snuck into the Calgary Zoo at one in the morning to surprise a friend working there. They climbed over a safety fence and approached the tiger cage. One of the men was mauled and severely injured by a Siberian tiger named Vitali. Their friend was no doubt surprised, not by their visit, but at how stupid they are.

Guwahati, India

In December 2009, a visitor at the Guwahati Zoo jumped over a barrier to get an up-close shot of the tigers on his cell phone. Although there were bars separating the man from the tigers, one tiger managed to rip off the man’s hand and another tiger soon joined in on the attack. It seems these tigers were quite camera-shy, as their would-be photographer was later pronounced dead.

Manitowoc, Wisconsin

In March 2010, a woman ignored barriers and warning signs and approached two bears, intending to feed them. While humans enjoy chicken fingers, apparently bears prefer human fingers, and one bear bit off her thumb and forefinger and partially severed her middle and ring fingers.

Hyderabad, India

Along with driving, operating heavy machinery, and calling your grandma, add “feeding large carnivorous felines” to the list of things that don’t mix well with alcohol. In August 2009, a drunk man snuck into the Nehru Zoological Park after visiting hours. He approached a white tiger, with grass in hand, and tried to feed it through the bars. The tiger found his arm much more appealing and mauled him, ripping a great deal of flesh off of his right arm.

Berlin, Germany

Desiring to play with the animals, a woman jumped into an animal enclosure at the Berlin Zoo in April, 2009. She soon learned that polar bears, the world’s largest land carnivores, don’t make good playmates, as the polar bears bit her several times, severely injuring her.

Kiev, Ukraine

It seems lions hate having religion shoved down their throats just as much as humans do. In June 2006, a man climbed into the lion enclosure at the Kiev Zoo, ranting about God and how he would not be killed by the lions. One lion disagreed and seized him at the throat, killing him.

The Piglet Squid

The Piglet Squid (Helicocranchia) is perhaps not as weird looking as entirely adorable. This odd creature was first discovered of the coast of Nigeria and lives in deep ocean the world over. It is about the size of an orange and uses its small rastafari-like fins to swim around.

Narwhal

With the long tusk that extends from their heads, these whales look like unicorns of the sea. Although it would be awesome if they used their tusks to impale others when hunting and fighting, they are actually used to attract females and for other social activities.

Illustration by: Clarisa Swenson

The Hatchetfish

The discoverer who first stumbled across this deep sea fish should have rightfully called it The Fish of Death with it dead eyes and chilling stare. It also comes equipped with a light-producing photophores to scare off enemies and guard the depth of Hell, also nowadays known as the Gulf of Mexico!

Dumbo Octopus

Little is known about the dumbo octopus, which was named after the Disney cartoon for looking like an elephant without a trunk or tusks. They live 3000 to 4000 meters below the surface and use their ear-like fins to swim.

Blobfish

This sad looking fish lives 800 meters under the sea off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. Their blob-like appearance is due to the fact that they have no muscles and are made up of a gelatinous substance. Just like humans that look like blobs and have very little muscle, these fish are rather lazy and usually just stay in one place and wait for their next meal to come by.

Axolotl

Although these Mexican salamanders look pretty happy, they are actually nearly extinct. And while they have the ability to regenerate most of their body parts, that didn’t help much when one of the only two lakes they are native to, Lake Chalco, was drained by humans. The low population of Axolotl is also threatened by non-native fish that prey on the axolotl’s young.

Yeti Crab

The Kiwa hirsuta was discovered in March 2006 in the South Pacific Ocean and was nicknamed “yeti crab” for the hair-like bristles that cover its arms. While this crustacean looks pretty fearsome in its own right, just imagine how terrifying a yeti with giant crab arms would be.

The Barreleye

This sad looking fellow was first discovered back in 1939ish but had until recently only been found dead in the nets of fishermen. In 2004 scientists release the first image and video recordings of a live and well Barreleye. No wonder he’s got the blues; everybody can see what he’s thinking.

The Goblin Shark

If there were unicorns of the bad kind they would look like this. The Goblin Shark is a deep water predator that can be found worldwide, though more frequently in the waters near Japan.

Hagfish

Many animals have strange defense mechanisms; skunks spray musk, possums play dead and turtles retreat into their shells. And as for hagfish? They squirt slime. Hagfish excrete a mucus-like substance that becomes thick and sticky when combined with water. This slime is used to distract predators and to help them escape from the jaws of fish. They feed on marine worms off of the sea floor as well as the bodies of dead or dying sea creatures. Hagfish enter the body through an opening, such as the mouth or the anus, and eat the creature from the inside. Due to their behavior, these creatures have been dubbed the most “the most disgusting of all sea creatures”, and I would have to agree.

10. RMS Rhone

The RMS Rhone was one of the first iron hulled ships and it was used to transport mail, cargo, and passengers between the Caribbean and England. In 1867, the ship wrecked during a hurricane of the coast of Salt Island in the British Virgin Islands. The wreck is now a very popular dive site; the hull is encrusted with coral and a variety of marine life inhabits the wreck.

9. SS Thistlegorm

In 1941, this British Merchant Navy ship was sunk by a German bomb in the Egyptian Red Sea. The wreck was discovered by Jacques-Yves Cousteau in the early 50s and later became a popular dive site. Trucks, motorcycles, rifles, and many other items can be found when exploring the ship’s holds.

8. SS Yongala

When this passenger ship got hit by a cyclone on March 23, 1911, it sank and all 122 passengers perished in the waters off the coast of Cape Bowling Green, Australia. This 110 meter long ship is one of the largest shipwrecks and is visited by over 10,000 divers every year due to the vast array of marine life.

7. Rainbow Warrior

This Greenpeace-owned ship was intended to lead a protest against French nuclear testing in French Polynesia. However, on July 10, 1985, French intelligence agents sabotaged these plans by detonating two bombs and sinking the ship. The wreck is now popular with divers, dolphins and manta rays are common sights.

6. SS President Coolidge

This 199 meter long luxury ocean liner sunk in 1941 when it hit a mine in the South Pacific, off the coast of Vanuatu. It is now a popular dive spot because the ship is mostly intact and lies in relatively shallow water.

5. Fujikawa Maru

Truk Lagoon in Micronesia is the home to many shipwrecks, including this Japanese freighter that was sunk in 1944 by a torpedo. Divers come to see the hold full of Zero fighter planes and the other assorted artifacts, including fossilized sake bottles.

4. USS Oriskany

In May 2006, this former US Navy aircraft carrier was deliberately sunk in the Gulf of Mexico, 37 km off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. At 275 meters long, it is the world’s largest artificial reef.

3. L.R. Doty

This wooden steamship disappeared near Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 25, 1898, during a violent storm on Lake Michigan. It was recently discovered, 112 years later, on June 25, 2010. Divers found the wreck, along with its cargo of corn, perfectly preserved by the cold fresh waters. In addition, at 90 meters below the surface, it is deep enough that the wreck is not disturbed by storms.

2. Skeleton Coast

This section of the Atlantic coast in Namibia is littered with the remains of thousands of ships that have wrecked due to the heavy surf and even heavier winds. Many of the wrecks are at least partially covered by sand and some are completely buried, with only the mast visible. While it was once a treacherous place, Skeleton Coast National Park is now a popular tourist area, due to the shipwrecks, as well as the variety of wildlife that can be found further inland.

1. Whydah Galley

This 31 meter long galley was the flagship of the pirate Sam “Black Sam” Bellamy. On April 26, 1717, the Whydah Galley was pummeled by a heavy storm and sunk off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The wreck was discovered in 1985, along with the thousands of artifacts on board. The ship’s inscription, “THE WHYDAH GALLEY 1716“, makes this wreck the only positively identified pirate shipwreck in history.

10. MT Haven

On April 11, 1991, this tanker exploded, caught fire, and sank 7 miles off the coast of Genoa, Italy. The wreck, which is the largest shipwreck in the sea, leaked oil for the next 12 years. Much controversy followed as the owners of the ship were charged and later acquitted on various charges, including intimidating and attempting to bribe witnesses.

9. Amoco Cadiz

Amoco Cadiz broke into two near the coast of Brittany, France on March 16, 1978, after its rudder was damaged in a storm. Its entire load of 69 million gallons was released into the English Channel and millions of dead birds and sea creatures washed up ashore in the subsequent weeks.

8. Castillo de Bellver

This tanker caught fire about 70 miles off the coast of South Africa on August 6, 1983. The fire caused the ship to break into two and 79 million gallons of oil was spilled.

7. ABT Summer

On May 28, 1991, there was an explosion aboard the ABT Summer, a Liberian supertanker. The explosion resulted in five deaths and a burning 80 square mile oil slick about 900 miles off the coast of Angola.

6. Nowruz Oil Field

Several spills occurred at the Nowruz Oil Field in 1983. The initial spill was caused by an oil tanker hitting a platform. Further spills happened when more platforms were attacked by Iraqi helicopters. Ultimately, 20 people died and 80 million gallons of oil was spilled.

5. Mingbulak Oil Spill

The largest oil spill in the history of Asia occurred in 1992 in Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan. On March 2, there was a blowout at the Mingbulak Oil Field, which caught fire and burned for two months. The well released 35,000 to 150,000 barrels per day, totaling 2 million barrels.

4. Atlantic Empress and Aegean Captain Collision

On July 19, 1979, these two oil tankers collided off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago and caused the largest ship-based oil spill in history, spilling a total of 88 million gallons of oil into the Caribbean Sea.

3. IXTOC 1 Oil Spill

Permex, the oil company owned by the Mexican government, was drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, about 600 miles south of Texas, when a 1.9 mile deep exploratory oil well blew out on June 3, 1979. The resulting oil spill lasted almost 10 months and dumped nearly 150 million gallons of oil into the water. The spill reduced marine life in some areas by up to 80 percent.

2. Gulf War Oil Spill

On January 23, 1991, Iraqi forces opened valves at the Sea Island terminal, dumping oil from several tankers in an attempt to prevent a landing by U.S. Marines. Although U.S. air strikes destroyed pipelines in an effort to prevent further spillage, eco-terrorism of this magnitude could have only been combated by Captain Planet, and it is estimated that 750,000 to 1,500,000 tons of crude oil was released into the Persian Gulf, causing considerable damage to birds and sea life in the area.

1. Lakeview Gusher

The largest oil spill in history occurred in Kern Country, California, when the Lakeview Oil Company, partnered with the Union Oil Company, began drilling in the area for natural gas and crude oil. On March 14, 1910, the drilling hit a pressurized oil reserve and a massive oil gusher ensued, shooting oil 200 feet into the air and spreading a black mist over the area. Over 18 months, 9.4 million barrels (or 380 million gallons) of oil was released, flooding the valley with oil.