Earring lost at sea returned to fisherman after 23 years

A Dutch fisherman who lost his earring at sea 23 years ago has had it returned to him by a fellow fisherman. Henk Kuiper had bought the earring in 1985, and had the number of the fishing cutter he worked on engraved on it: sailors have traditionally worn gold earrings to help identify their bodies if they are lost at sea, and pay for their funerals. When his came out of his ear and fell into the North Sea, in 2000, Kuiper thought he’d never see it again, but this year, an apprentice hosing down a deck spotted it gleaming in the scuppers (a valve that allows water to drain from a boat), and tracked its owner down via social media.

Humpback whales thriving in eastern Australia

Humpback whales have been spotted along Australia’s eastern coast in record numbers, in a sign that the species is thriving after decades of conservation work. More than 4,700 whales were counted by scientists and members of the public on one day in June, more than ever before. There were thought to be just 200 humpback whales on the east coast of Australia in the 1960s, but last year their numbers had recovered so much they were removed from the threatened species list.

Double amputee, eight, climbs Orrest Head in Lake District

An eight-year-old double amputee has raised £19,000 for charity by climbing Orrest Head, a 238m-high hill in the Lake District. Tony Hudgell, who had to have both legs amputated after being abused as a baby by his birth parents, was joined for the climb by fellow double amputee and former Gurkha Hari Budha Magar and veteran mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington. “It isn’t going to be hard,” said Tony before the climb, “because I’m very good with this stuff and I’m good with my rock climbing.” He has now set his sights on Scafell Pike.

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