A couple of yellow tang swim around rocks as the surface water ripples overhead.
Monthly Archives: July 2016
From a gecko’s point of view
Two gold dust day geckos spot each other on a ti plant. Such frequent, daily encounters can be matter of life and death. More often, they result in a clarification of the pecking order in a given territory.
Giant porcupinefish
These large, wedge-shaped fish are likely not among the favorites in a fish beauty contest. They are, however, surprisingly maneuverable. They’re also somewhat shy and when they see they’ve been spotted, have a tendency to slide into holes or under ledges with the minimum of effort.
Like pufferfish, they can inflate themselves into a ball when threatened. Unlike pufferfish, they’re covered in sharp spines which stick out when inflated. They’re also poisonous so, while I enjoy seeing them, I have no intention of ever bothering one.
In my attempts to identify what I see in the water, I use John P. Hoover’s book The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales, and Seals. His website is hawaiisfishes.com.
Mauna Loa silverswords bloom and die
This is the time of year when silverswords bloom. These plants, members of the sunflower family, are endemic to Hawaii. There are slightly different silverswords growing on Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Haleakala on Maui. The plants are very susceptible to root disturbance and the activities of goats, pigs and humans has led to their decline. They’re making a comeback now thanks to fenced enclosures and careful management.
These photos were taken on Mauna Loa a few years back. The flower stalks were about 6 to 8 feet tall. The plants live for up to 30 years, but once they bloom, they die (like the one in the background of the top photo).
In the second photo, the ongoing eruption of Kilauea’s Pu’u O’o vent can be seen.
For more information about Mauna Loa silverswords, go to nps.gov/havo/learn/nature/endangered_ahinahina.htm.
Rolling down the channel
A sailboat rolls down the Alenuihaha Channel under only a mainsail as Maui pokes through the clouds in the background.
Prepare to pupate
This Hawaiian monarch butterfly caterpillar was getting ready to pupate. It attached itself to the underside of a ti leaf with a silk pad. Just a few hours later it had molted into the blue-green chrysalis to the left.
Only a small percentage of monarch eggs make it all the way to adulthood, so I hope the geckos don’t get to this one. I’ll keep an eye on it over the next week or so.
Flowing to the ocean
In April, I posted here about a trip last year to see lava bubbling up at Kilauea Volcano. That activity was in the Overlook vent of Halema’uma’u Crater. On May 24, Kilauea’s other active vent, Pu’u O’o, began a new breakout of lava toward the southeast. This is a path that flows have taken many times before. The first active lava I saw was back in 2010 when such a flow reached the sea and put on a spectacular show.
This May 24 flow is also headed to the sea. By June 28 it had reached Pūlama pali, a steep slope leading down to the coastal plain. On July 7 it was less than three-quarters of a mile from the ocean, and creeping slowly over previous flows that have taken this path. That’s when I went down to take a look and took these photos.
At its current rate of progress, the flow will reach the ocean in a week. But it could speed up or stop, so it’s really a case of wait and see.
There is one note of irony. I have a map from 1975 showing the road that ran along this coast before being covered by various flows from the volcano. In 2014, a flow from the Pu’u O’o vent headed east, threatening the town of Pahoa and the main highway into that corner of the island. One response to that situation was to bulldoze an emergency highway along the coast, at a cost of $10 million or so, following the route of the old road. It was never used as that flow stopped short of Pahoa. If the current flow travels another a half mile or so, the emergency highway will be covered again without ever being used. Such is life.
For more information about Kilauea Volcano and it current eruption, go to hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php.
Better Days: Farm cottage
When I last was up this way, a considerable while ago, this old farm cottage and its surrounds looked reasonably well kept. My most recent visit found it mostly hidden behind tall grass. When I drove up the dirt road that runs past this place, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to turn around. The road obviously hadn’t had much use and the vegetation was taking over.
Graham's Island 