Google is set to unveil Google Ocean today, a spin off of Google Earth that will allow users to explore shipwrecks and reefs in the deep blue sea, Britain's Daily Mail reports.
The new site is being officially launched within the hour at the California Academy of Sciences by Google's chief executive Eric Schmidt. Former Vice President Al Gore is on hand for the launch.
The newspaper says the undersea 3D world was created with help from more than 25 leading marine scientists. It is part of Google Earth software and includes video and photographs of thousands of marine species.
Google Ocean will even allow virtual divers to follow whales and sharks tagged with satellite tracking devices, the newspaper says.
Update at 1:05 p.m. ET: John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Maps, blogs on the unveiling of the new tool from the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
Update at 1:10 p.m. ET: Hanke says Google will be publishing in-depth features about the new Google Earth 5.0 all week at this site.
And I want to be the first third-party developer to announce we’re already shipping support for authoring Google Earth 5 Guided tours in our Visual Nature Studio/Scene Express tools.
http://3dnature.com/vns3fotw-ge5.html