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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.

15 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.

    1. Re:Not so good by i+kan+reed · · Score: 5, Insightful

      On the other side of the coin, that trip to tel aviv can now be replaced by going somewhere new.

    2. Re:Not so good by saveferrousoxide · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Seeing these places in person will never be matched by seeing them on a monitor, no matter how good the resolution gets. What this does do is open up these places to a whole segment of the population without the means to get there. It's a much richer experience to "walk" down the street in street view and explore a bit on your own than to see a static picture from a fixed vantage point in a book.

    3. Re:Not so good by NorthWestFLNative · · Score: 2

      As a scuba diver I have to say, the experience is not the same. Static images don't give you enough information or the same feel as being there in person. You can't see (or experience) a cleaning station from pictures. You can't experience the sensation of floating in mid-water while watching a shark swim back and forth around a reef below you. You can't hear the sounds, feel the water.

      What it does do is give people the ability to see something that they may otherwise never experience in person. Never a bad thing.

  2. Your move, Apple. by radiumsoup · · Score: 3, Funny

    Your move, Apple.

    1. Re:Your move, Apple. by Rhaban · · Score: 5, Funny

      Apple was actually first on this, with their mapping of sub-oceanic starbucks.

    2. Re:Your move, Apple. by sl4shd0rk · · Score: 4, Funny

      Your move, Apple.

      In other news, hot-on-the-heels of Google's release of Underwater Street View, Apple has filed a preliminary injunction against USW claiming Google's use of the the terms "Street" and "Ocean" violate 14 of Apple's patents. Among them, Apple cites two in particular: patent 1345-B which covers the use of "Words relating to rectangular shape or design" and patent 3821-F "Color variations of AppleBlue-13 developed by Apple Inc". A preliminary hearing is set for Dec 13th 2012.

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  3. That ain't a real starfish! by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 2

    > underwater 'street view'

    Watch out for the naked clown fish.

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  4. Reduction of Carbon Footprint by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Surely looking at Tel Aviv through an iPad with an especially low power draw would offset an awful lot of carbon that otherwise would have been spewed into the atmosphere by flying you there to reminisce...

    1. Re:Reduction of Carbon Footprint by LourensV · · Score: 2

      And perhaps more importantly, that increased CO2 increases temperatures, which induces coral bleaching, and it increases the oceans' acidity, which compounds the problem. At least 20% of the world's coral reefs have already been destroyed by climate change and other human activity. Since we're not doing anything to mitigate climate change, Google Maps may well end up the only place where our grandchildren will be able to see coral reefs. So kudos to Google and CSS for at least saving the view.

  5. Damn it! by Arancaytar · · Score: 4, Funny

    I want my home pixelated!

    -Signed, a mollusc.

  6. Re:I misread by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 2

    Gulf of Tolkien

    Wait, wasn't that incident what started the whole Middle Earth war?

  7. 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.

    1. Re:For those who can never go wonderful! by Stiletto · · Score: 2

      This is a great point. Before all this technology, you had to find paper photos of some place that other people took, or had to have the financial and physical means to actually go somewhere to see it. Google has opened up experiences to people who otherwise wouldn't have been able to take part.

  8. ala Google Backpacks program? by milbournosphere · · Score: 2

    I think this is really cool. As a certified diver, I think it'd be a blast to help streetview-ify my local dive spots. Many locals have never even gone snorkeling in the local coves and beaches, much less diving in them; it could really help raise awareness of just how cool and awesome our local ecosystems are. Most people are amazed when they visit the local Scripps Aquarium and see just how much diversity is sitting just off of our coast in 60ft of water.