Spanning a deep, powerful tidal vent, the Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937, costing $35 million. With a span of 4,200 feet (1.2 km), it is 211 meters above the water. While approximately 100,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day, and thousands of tons of shipping pass beneath, nearly a quarter of the entire bay's water will flow beneath it in each daily tidal cycle. This tidal flow is forms an integral element in the bay's ecology.
Three young elephant bulls get up close and uncomfortable on a walking safari. As large as they appear, these will likely have doubled their weight by the time they reach sexual maturity. Elephant walking safaris have become increasingly popular in South Africa, but 'interaction' has become a tourist euphimism for 'feeding,' the practice resulting in a few serious incidents and some controversy.
Crews hired by Santa Barbara City clean up a beach after a storm swept a number of private boats ashore in the night. Both tourism and pollution are hot-botton issues in the city - owners are sometimes given just 24 hours ro salvage their craft before the wreckers are called in. Although leniency has been shown to those who can't afford salvage, it is yet another controversial 'environmental' topic.
