Spinner dolphins
Not long after I moved to Hawaii I was lucky enough to swim with a large pod of dolphins. They hung around the bay where I was for most of the day and, when I was in the water, swam around me with some curiosity. Back then I didn’t have a waterproof camera so didn’t get any photos.
Since then, I’ve seen dolphins from shore, but never got to swim with them again until recently. Then I encountered them twice within a couple of weeks. The first time I caught the tail end of a pod heading south along the coast. The second time I saw them a bit earlier, also heading south at speed and with purpose.
The water was murky so I didn’t get good photos, but since this is the first in-the-water photo of any kind that I’ve got of dolphins, I thought I’d post it anyway. Even though the pod passed without interacting with me, it was still a great moment to see them whizzing by with such grace and power.
Passion vine butterfly at rest
I saw this passion vine butterfly resting one windy late-afternoon. It didn’t seem in any rush to head off into the wind again so I got some decent photos. What I like about the photos is that I was close enough to get clear images of the butterfly’s labial palps, the white appendages sticking up on either side of the proboscis. These palps are covered with hairs that are believed to allow the butterfly to sense whether something is edible or not.
Divers down
It’s always a bit strange to come across divers when I’m snorkeling. For starters, there’s the stream of bubbles. Then there’s these large creatures with splashes of color and shiny tanks.
I’m not sure these two even knew I was floating above them. I took my photos and left them to their explorations.
Anthurium White Lady
An exotic-looking white lady anthurium at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
Uh oh
There are few more disturbing sights than a portable toilet lying on its side. This one was at Upolu Airport, a victim of the strong winds which often blow there. I’d always thought the toilet was fastened to the fence behind it, but apparently not.
Luckily, I didn’t see any suspicious looking puddles, nor smell any untoward aromas, so the unit might have been empty.
Abstracts: Goatfish
Juvenile goatfish gather in quite large shoals close to shore. Sometimes they rest on the bottom, sometimes hang in the water. I like the formations they make as they hover above the sandy bottom, studded with coral and rocks.
Hualalai and Pu'u Ahumoa
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Peace.’ See more offerings here.
I’ve always found looking down on clouds gives me a peaceful feeling. Those fluffy balls of cotton wool look like they would make a comfy resting place. The irony is that those clouds may actually conceal roiling, turbulent air currents that are anything but peaceful, but let’s not allow reality to spoil the image.
This cloud layer blanketed the saddle between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The two peaks poking above the clouds are, in the foreground, Pu’u Ahumoa, and in the background, Hualalai.
Reflective praying mantis
This praying mantis landed on a vehicle window and instantly became reflective. Perhaps it was feeling introspective. Perhaps it has multiple personalities. Perhaps it’s just trying to get away from me.
