Category Archives: Activities

Raccoon Butterflyfishes

Racoon Butterflyfishes in the waters of Honaunau Bay (Two Step), Hawaii

Last week, my wife and I fled Hawi in the wee hours of the morning to avoid being trapped at home by the Ironman race. The cycling portion of the race goes past our driveway and the road was closed from 7:00am to 3:00pm.

Our first destination was Two Step, more properly known as Honaunau Bay. Arriving before 6:30am, we were the first people there and had the bay to ourselves for a short while. It’s a great spot for snorkeling as it’s generally fairly calm, and the area is a marine reserve, which means the various kinds of fishing aren’t allowed. Experience has shown that fish in marine reserves are less skittish, which makes them easier to see and photograph.

These Raccoon Butterflyfishes are a good example of that. I see them elsewhere, hanging in the water, but if I approach they ease away from me. At Two Step, the fish stay where they are. I’ve had one or two come right up to me, presenting a different photographic challenge as they butt my camera housing.

This small school was drifting above the steep slope bordering the deeper part of the bay.

Kamehameha Park playground

A new playground at Kamehameha Park in Kapaau, Hawaii

There’s a new playground in town, specifically at Kamehameha Park in Kapa’au. The official opening is Saturday, but I took a sneak peek yesterday.

The playground was surrounded by orange tape so I couldn’t get a close look, but my first impression was that I was glad I wasn’t a kid anymore. I didn’t see a thing I’d know what to do with! The story that alerted me to the new playground noted it “features new tactile and interactive elements, challenging climbing structures, and various spinners and swings.” Some of the pieces looked like things that could cause a good deal of pain. Others suggested it would be handy to have a jaws-of-life nearby.

No, if I was a kid I’d probably end up sitting on the ground, rubbing my arm against the synthetic turf, to see how long it took before I caught fire.

Posted for Bushboy’s Last on the Card (top photo). See more responses here.

The Numbers Game #45

A boy hangs off a yellow raft off the coast of Hawaii — A yellow raft on blue water.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 166. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Monarch butterflies mating on a kiawe tree — Monarchs mating.

An I'iwi calls in a forest off Saddle Road, Hawaii — Monarchs mating.

Rust forms on a water tank — A rusty water tank.

The wall of the Ackerman Gallery Building in Kapaau, Hawaii — A rusty water tank.

Spotted Coral Blenny

I saw this Spotted Coral Blenny perched on a small coral head, as they typically do. I snapped a quick photo an instant before the fish zipped down behind the rock. I’ve seen the same fish there a few times since, but it disappears before I can try another photo. Given its elusiveness, I was happy this photo turned out pretty well.

The Numbers Game #44

Billowy clouds over the Alenuihāhā Channel between Maui and the Big Island, Hawaii — Clouds pile up over the ʻAlenuihāhā Channel.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 165. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A rainy day at Upolu Airport, Hawaii — A plane parked at Upolu under ominous skies.

A giant trevally in the waters off Hawaii — A plane parked at Upolu under ominous skies.

A black saddlebags dragonfly — A Black Saddlebags Dragonfly.

The remains of a building at Kiholo, Hawaii — A Black Saddlebags Dragonfly.

Phoenix Island Damselfish

John P. Hoover, in his book The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales, and Seals, describes this fish as “Extremely rare in the Hawaiian Islands.” He speculates that the ones seen here are waifs that drift in, possibly from Johnston Atoll, some 860 miles southwest of the Big Island, where they are known to occur.

These fish live in the surge zone of rocky shores and the only reason I saw this one was thanks to a tip from a fellow snorkeler.

A curious Green Turtle

A young green turtle catches the light as it swims by in the waters off Hawaii

I rarely post for Clare’s Share Your Desktop (here) for the simple reason that I rarely change my desktop image. But a couple of days ago, I was snorkeling off Honoka’ope Beach (commonly known as 49 Black Sand Beach) at Mauna Lani Resort and ran into this little fellow.

The turtle was probably around 18 inches long, head to tail, and in great condition, with a beautiful shell that glowed as it caught the light. Being a younger turtle, it was also quite curious, having not yet learned that people are pretty dull, clumsy in the water, and possibly dangerous. It stuck around for several minutes, coming quite close on a couple of occasions, before easing away, out of view.

I took half a dozen photos and any of them would have made a good desktop image, but the top one is the one that I’m currently running with.

The Numbers Game #43

A hula dancer at a King Kamehameha birthday celebration.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 164. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Soldierfishes in Hawaii — Soldierfishes catching the light.

Earth moving equipment for kids — Earth moving equipment.

The L&L Hawaiian Barbecue restaurant in Kapaau at night — Earth moving equipment.

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii