AdvancedElements.com

[PJohanson]

Check out my paddle group's blog for a link to a surprising discovery in McNeil Bay in Victoria, BC. Go to kayakyak.blogspot.com and scroll down to the listing for:

Saturday, November 22, 2008
Make Seals, Not Bombs!
Usually we find only seals and eagles when we paddle in the local waters, but earlier today some local kayakers found what appeared to unexploded military ordinance floating in the water off Trial Island. Did their paddle end in a bang? Read about it here.

It's a real lesson that there are some Important Rules when finding Odd Objects.
Rule 1 is take a photo of it if you can. (Odd Objects sometimes sink suddenly, or current carries them away, or a bear comes out of the woods and you leave quickly.)
Rule 2 is be very cautious about picking up the Odd Object. It could be dangerous, especially if it's an unexploded bomb or water-activated flare or inflator. It could be evidence that needs to be investigated by an expert. Odd Objects that are natural objects or living things can be poisonous or fragile or rare.
Rule 3 is call the authorities at the right time. (You take the photo FIRST because your cell phone's camera may not take photos during a call.) Some Odd Objects are an emergency, some are just interesting.
Find an odd metal object with a military label like these guys did -- call 911. Find odd jelly-like balls growing in a muddy bay like we did -- e-mail a biologist the next day. Find a body part -- call 911. Find an odd metal object within a few miles of a military base, well, call the police non-emergency number and let them figure out whether it's as dangerous as the labelled object the paddlers found in McNeil Bay.

Odd to think that there are so many odd things floating around...

[jokohakan]

Ok checking it out.