Slog
News & ArtsMonday, October 12, 2009
Sports Big Pool
Posted by Anthony Hecht on Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Try to imagine how big the world's largest swimming pool might be. You're probably imagining a really, really big pool, like 5 regular pools stitched together, or something.
No, it's bigger.
This man-made wonder is 1013 meters long covers 80 acres, its deepest end reaches 115ft and it holds 66 million gallons of water.
Cost? $2 billion, plus $4 million/year for maintenance. The ocean is about 30 feet away.
via coudal.
2
As much as I want to hate this waste of money I can't help but think to myself "fucking awesome!!"
And #1's right we are totally fucked as a civilization.
And #1's right we are totally fucked as a civilization.
8
The link at the top of that page shows some pictures from Devil's Pool at Victoria Falls. Holy shit. Basically a patch of calm water pushed right against the cliff edge that people dangle precariously from for snapshots.
9
I have to agree that's really cool. It's not like *every* man-made excess has to be twinged with liberal guilt. There's a big difference between playing in the ocean and the pool. The ocean is one big mass of unknown that fucks with my reptilian brain (seaweed, egh) while a swimming pool is 100% safe and comfortable. The 6th shot of the guy on his back blows my mind. It completely changes my perspective on what 'swimming pool' can mean.
11
that site must be mistranslated somehow. The company that did the work (crystal lagoons) quotes ~$350,000/hectare, and the Chilean pool is 8 hectares. Unless the Pentagon was involved in accepting the bid, it probably cost more like $5 million, and the upkeep $500,000/year.
check it out at:
http://www.crystal-lagoons.com/
check it out at:
http://www.crystal-lagoons.com/
14
I think we need to stock it with crocodiles, if sharks don't like it.
Shed not a tear for me, oh croc, thy wisdom teeth do shine from afar, and tear my flesh from spar to spar.
Shed not a tear for me, oh croc, thy wisdom teeth do shine from afar, and tear my flesh from spar to spar.
17
Can you image the tragedy of 10,000 swimmers stampeding out of the pool after someone lays a "floater" there?
18
@17: happened to me in Vegas once, at the Tropicana. I know it's supposed to "stay in Vegas", but fuck 'em, it was a human turd.
Jellyfish are taking over the oceans; eventually, possibly as soon as 20 years, all the fish will be gone and giant clusters of inedible jellyfish will rule the oceans. Joy.
That pool in Zimbabwe scares the fuck out of me. No, no, no, no, no thank you. How many people die there?
Jellyfish are taking over the oceans; eventually, possibly as soon as 20 years, all the fish will be gone and giant clusters of inedible jellyfish will rule the oceans. Joy.
That pool in Zimbabwe scares the fuck out of me. No, no, no, no, no thank you. How many people die there?
21
@18 Fnarf - I was curious of the same thing, and it's about one death per year. I also learned that it's actually in Zambia.
23
@19-20: some jellyfish are. Others will paralyze you instantly, and/or cause indescribable agony that not even opiates can assuage. Then you die. Some of these are too small to be kept away by nets. They are becoming more and more common. Someday, possibly soon, it will be impossible to swim in the south Pacific or Indian oceans.
25
I thought the "Big Pool" title referred to the waterfront tunnel that Seattle is tempted to dig. Big pool indeed should the sea wall break. Then I assumed the pool was in Dubai.
But no: Chile. I'm impressed.
AND repulsed.
over and out.
But no: Chile. I'm impressed.
AND repulsed.
over and out.
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