Geography Of The World
The Longest Uninterrupted Beach In America
America's longest unbroken beach runs some 65 wild, roadless miles along Texas' Padre Island. Why it wins, and how it beats Long Beach and Virginia Beach.
The Rivers The West Would Turn To If The Colorado Failed
No single river can replace the Colorado. From the Columbia to the Mississippi, here are the waters the West eyes, and why each rescue plan keeps failing.
The Lakes Where Yellow Perch Grow Largest
A few lakes have produced yellow perch that shattered expectations, with record fish topping three pounds and holding their place for decades.
The Best Fly Fishing Lakes In America
Some hold record-class trout worth crossing the country for, others put newcomers on fish from shore. Ten of the best fly fishing lakes in America, ranked.
Which State Has The Warmest Lakes For Swimming?
No cold-water shock here. Ten Arizona lakes, from busy Havasu waterfronts to quiet Patagonia in the south, stay bathwater-warm deep into the summer.
The Year The Colorado River Stopped Reaching The Sea
When did the Colorado River stop reaching the sea? Around 1960, when Glen Canyon Dam choked off its flow, with only rare returns since, including a 2014 revival.
American Cities That Reversed Rivers To Protect Their Drinking Water
Can a city really make a river flow backward? Chicago did it in 1900 to save its drinking water, and we are still paying for it today.
The US Coastlines Where Jellyfish Are Worst
The US Coastlines Where Jellyfish Are Worst run from the Chesapeake Bay to Hawaii, where sea nettles, lion's mane, and box jellies turn beach days painful.
Which State Has The Most Fishable Lakes?
Which state has the most fishable lakes? Not Alaska, despite its 3 million. The honest answer is Minnesota, with Wisconsin close behind.
The US Coast With The Biggest Tides
Alaska’s North Pacific coast has the biggest tides in the US; learn more about Turnagain Arm’s record tidal range, bore wave, and beluga whales.
How Much America Spends Fighting Invasive Species In Its Lakes Each Year
America spends hundreds of millions a year battling mussels, lamprey, and carp in its lakes, and prevention is 25 times cheaper than the cleanup. The math.
Where Las Vegas Would Get Water If Lake Mead Failed
How the "Third Straw" Keeps Las Vegas Watered If Lake Mead Fails
The Rivers Where Salmon Returned After The Dams Came Down
The Klamath, Elwha and Kennebec all got their fish back after dam removal. Here is how fast salmon returned, and why Atlantic salmon still have not.
How Many US States Border A Great Lake?
Eight US states share the Great Lakes, but their shorelines look surprisingly different, with islands, cliffs, beaches, and major cities along the way.
The Florida Waters Where Swordfish Run Biggest
From Islamorada's Floyd's Wall to Key Largo and the Gold Coast, here are the Florida waters where swordfish run biggest, and what it takes to land one.
The Ocean Animals That Can Regrow Body Parts
Oceans are natural wonders, with immense biodiversity. However, only a select few species have the power to regrow body parts.
The US Lakes Where Snapping Turtles Live Past A Hundred Years
From Louisiana bayous to a chilly Minnesota lake, these are the US waters where snapping turtles grow into 200-pound, century-old giants.
The Lakes With The Most Waterbird Species In North America
Learn which North American lakes support the most waterbird species, including Great Salt Lake, Salton Sea, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
The Invasive Plants Taking Over US Lakes
The Invasive Plants Taking Over US Lakes mostly spread from fragments, so a single boat trailer can start a new population in a lake hundreds of miles away.
The Lakes Where Gar Grow Largest
Where to target trophy alligator gar: the top Texas reservoirs and Southern lakes that grow this armored giant past 200 pounds.
The Native Great Lakes Fish That Never Came Back
Lake Erie recovered, but its blue pike never did. These are the native Great Lakes fish lost for good, and the one that may not be extinct after all.
5 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In Oklahoma
Cottonmouths, copperheads, and tens of thousands of watersnakes. Five Oklahoma lakes where the snake populations run highest, and how to stay safe.
5 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In Louisiana
Paddling or fishing in Louisiana? These snake-filled lakes, swamps, and reservoirs host water snakes, cottonmouths, and rattlers along their shorelines.
The Sharks Most Likely To Be Found Off US Shores
The Sharks Most Likely To Be Found Off US Shores include blacktip, bull, great white, tiger, nurse, and hammerhead, mapped by where you may meet them.
Country Names With 10 Letters
18 countries have names that contain 10 letters, from Azerbaijan to Uzbekistan. Discover what other countries make the list!
The Best Bass Fishing Lakes In The South
The Best Bass Fishing Lakes In The South include Lake Fork, Santee Cooper, Toledo Bend, and Guntersville, each producing exceptional fish year after year.
How Invasive Species Spread From One Lake To Another
How does a fingernail-sized mussel leap from one isolated lake to the next? Almost always, the answer is us. The vectors, explained simply.
The Lakes Where Crappie Grow Biggest
Home of the 3-pound crappie, a world record from 1957, and a lake born in an earthquake: the US waters where crappie grow into absolute slabs.
The Ocean Currents That Control The Weather
The Ocean Currents That Control The Weather include the Gulf Stream, the Loop Current, the California Current, and El Nino, shaping US storms, fog, and heat.
The Ocean Sounds Scientists Still Can't Explain
The Ocean Sounds Scientists Still Can't Explain include the Whistle, the Upsweep, and an eerie Arctic Ping that no investigation has ever traced.
What Happens To A Town When Its Lake Disappears
From Owens Lake's toxic dust to the Aral Sea's stranded ships, here's what really happens to a town when its lake dries up, and how a few fought back.
What Continent Is Hawaii In?
Although politically Hawaii is considered part of North America, geographically Hawaii is not part of any continent.
How Tulare Lake Came Back From The Dead In 2023
How Tulare Lake Came Back From The Dead In 2023, when heavy rain and Sierra Nevada snowmelt refilled a California lakebed dry for a quarter century.
The Next Invasive Species Threats Facing The Great Lakes
Invasive carp, hydrilla, flowering rush, snakehead and Phragmites: the five species federal scientists are watching in the Great Lakes.
How Many Great Lakes Beaches Close From Pollution Each Year?
Nearly 3,000 beach-days of Great Lakes closures hit in 2024. What triggers them, which beaches get hit hardest, and how to check before you go.
5 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In Maryland
Meet the watersnakes, copperheads, and timber rattlesnakes living along Maryland's most snake-filled bays, rivers, and lakes.
Landlocked Countries In Asia
Twelve countries in Asia are considered landlocked, although some of them, like Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, are along the Caspian Sea.
What Are The Contiguous United States?
Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia share a boundary with at least one other state and jointly make up the contiguous United States.
5 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In New Jersey
5 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In New Jersey, from the Mullica River's Pine Barrens to Lake Hopatcong, where water snakes and rattlers hunt.
What Happens To Your Body At The Bottom Of The Ocean
What Happens To Your Body At The Bottom Of The Ocean depends on salt and cold. Seawater works in days, while a cold lake can preserve remains for decades.