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Google Captures 'Street View' of Underwater Habitats

Posted by Unknown on from the 2.5-kids-and-a-submarine dept.

hypnosec writes "Google has released the first-ever underwater 'street view' images of some of the world's most famous undersea locations — the Great Barrier Reef, Hawaii's Hanauma Bay, and Apo Island in the Philippines. Google collaborated with Caitlin Seaview Survey using a specialized SVII camera to capture the amazing underwater images. The camera travels at 2.5 mph, capturing a 360-degree panorama with geolocation information and a compass heading every 3 seconds." Check it out.

2 of 66 comments (clear)

  1. Not so good by ccguy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    From TFA: "The search engine giant said that with these images, people wouldn’t need to travel to these locations or learn to scuba dive or learn to swim for that matter in order to explore these amazing locations."

    I'm starting to think that street view is really starting to mess with tourism. At least repeat visitors. I worked in Tel-Aviv around 15 years ago, always wanted to come back for a visit, but once the street-view'ed the city and I was able to check out where I lived, worked, and so on I just though "pretty much the same" and closed the browser.

    This 'check everything' from home will soon take a hit on the beauty of traveling, and being places worth seeing.

  2. For those who can never go wonderful! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have worked in seniors facilities helping take care of shut ins and what Google has done with street view is a wonderful thing. There is nothing more satisfying than watching a 90 year old who was born in a Dublin slum cry as you walk them down the shanty streets where they grew up.

    Piss on all the fud that "Google is evil, you can't trust them with your data" that many anti Google paid shill "high tech pundits" are currently spreading.

    Sorry but in the real world what Google has done for those who can't get out is wonderful and beyond that think about how important it is to allow others to actually see your culture and how you live. If someone in China can look at a town in Northern Canada and see the actual poverty of Native Indians or see remote places and poor districts in Chicago I do not find it wrong. They will know that we as a people exist not that differently from them in their ghettos and slums. Is this really a bad thing?

    DO not for one second think that Google's street view is just about that which is perfect in the world. I would highly encourage Google to also use the underwater street view in a few places that would make some people cringe and take notice of what has happened to the environment where people are not just eco tourists as well.