New Sweeter, Faster Ripening Tangerine Discovered...By Baboons

Farm workers in South Africa had been noticing year after year that some of the tangerine trees on the farms were stripped of fruit before others.  This confusing situation wasn't explained until one farm worker saw baboons picking the fruit from the tree that ripened three to four weeks before all the other trees at the farm.  Tests were conducted on the tree and the fruit and those tests revealed the fruit is sweeter and ripened faster.  The owner of the farm, Alwyn van der Merwe, grafted more of the quicker ripening and sweeter trees which will help Van Der Merwe get into a profitable niche in the U.S. market because his trees can produce faster.

According to the head of South Africa's Citrus Growers Association, Justin Chadwick, experts are always looking for ways to ripen fruits earlier or later than they naturally would.  Alwyn van der Merwe feels his tree naturally mutated which Chadwick confirms does happen and should be something farmers should watch for.

Van Der Merwe still hasn't named his new tangerine and might just give the baboons who discovered them a nod when the name is chosen.  Even if he doesn't, he will be leaving a crate of tangerines for the baboons when the next harvest comes around.

Source:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41058945/ns/technology_and_science-science/

A Whale of a Story

When Cape Town Sailing Academy Administrator Paolma Werner and her sailing instructor boyfriend, Ralph Mothes set out for a sail this past Sunday they thought it would be another enjoyable and relaxing excursion.  That is, until a 40-ton Southern Right Whale crashed into their 10-meter yacht, The Intrepid. 

Werner and Mothes had been watching the whale for about a half hour when it moved to about 100 to 200 meters from the boat then disappeared under water.  Next thing they knew, the whale was out of the water and crash against the mast of the boat.  While the whale received minor injuries, the mast of the steel boat was destroyed and there was some structural damage.  However, the damage wasn't severe enough to sink the boat or cause it to leak.  The couple were able to get safely back to shore.

You can find out more information and see a series of 6 photographs taken by an individual on a nearby boat by visiting this article at MSNBC.com.  To scroll through the photos, click "Next" on the left side of the page.

Some who have seen the photos and read the article believe this is just a really good fish story helped along by a bit of creative Photoshop work.  What do you think?