This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Sunrises and Sunsets.’ See more responses here.
Let’s start with a sunset for a change. While waiting to go snorkeling from the beach at Mauna Kea Resort, the sunset was lovely, in the sky, the water, and on the sand.
Sunrise over Kohala Mountain can be a cloud-shrouded disappointment, but other times it is a wonder to behold.
Last weekend, there was an island-wide fishing tournament. I’d seen people camped out the day before the event, when I went on my walk around Upolu, but on the day, I was on the east side of the island.
This camp caught my eye for its location, at the foot of a steep, wooded cliff. I don’t know whether there’s a path to the spot or whether it’s only accessible by foot. Neither method looks easy, and it’s not a spot I’d want to be in if the winds picked up.
I have no idea how they fared, though they should get some points for bravery. In case you’re wondering, I didn’t enter the tournament, though if I had, I’d have been a strong candidate for dead last!
When I first saw this Scrawled Filefish, I tried and failed to get any decent photos, so I carried on swimming. When I looked behind me a bit later, I saw the fish following me as they sometimes do, and I got this photo.
Scrawled Filefish are not just curious looking, they’re also curious fish. They will often trail swimmers, checking them out.
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 146. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.
These photos, all with a 146 in their numeric identification, are from a snorkel in murky water in Kawaihae Harbor.
I don’t see sharks a lot, but when I do they’re usually Whitetip Reef Sharks, which are fairly common around the island. I’ve seen others, including a few Blacktip Reef Sharks, but haven’t got photos of them before.
A few days ago, snorkeling out of Lapakahi, this Blacktip Reef Shark emerged out of hazy waters, heading my way. When it saw me, it veered off to the side, zipped past, and continued on its way. The shark was no more than four feet long, but there was no mistaking it with those markings.
It was a short encounter, so I only took a few photos and, given the conditions, had no great hopes that the photos would be any good, or that the shark would even be in them! So I was pleased that this one shot turned out halfway decent.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Great Outdoors Month.’ See more responses here.
I did this hike, at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, quite a while ago, but for one reason or another the post never came together and then went missing in my files! This hike started from the lookout at the end of Hilina Pali Road. A few years back, I did a different hike from this starting point that almost did me in (here). This time, having learned from that experience, I stayed on top of the pali (Hawaiian for cliff). My destination was Pepeiao Cabin (pronounced ‘pay-pay-ow’), about five miles away, though the trail is the Ka’u Desert Trail, part of which I’ve hiked from the other end (here).
The day was sunny, but not too hot, and with a nice breeze for the most part. The elevation drop (and gain on the return) is only around 500 feet so it wasn’t too strenuous, and the trail was fairly easy to follow. It passes through grassy areas and across lava flows, and is well-marked with cairns. Ohia trees dot the landscape, along with a variety of shrubs and other flowers. I didn’t see too many birds, but there was a decent show of butterflies and bugs. The views were splendid, down to the coast or upslope towards Mauna Loa.
All the backcountry trails I’ve hiked in the park have featured something particularly unusual and interesting. On this hike, I was amazed by the substantial areas of sand on the trail or alongside it. This certainly didn’t get there from the beach, since the elevation is around 2,000 feet. My assumption is that it’s just volcanic rock broken down by rainfall, but just not washed down to the coast. Some of the sand was grassed over and it was like walking through dunes on the coast!
Eventually, I reached Pepeiao Cabin. There are several of these backcountry cabins in the park, and they require a permit to stay at them. This one was typically rustic, with a catchment water tank that may or may not contain water, depending on the weather and use. There’s also an outhouse with a splendid view. Inside, the cabin was basic, but the kind of place I’d be happy to stay in if it was raining outside.
After I got back, I saw that the park website says “Pepeiao is in the southwestern reaches of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park backcountry. The cabin is no longer safe for use and visitors should plan on tent camping.” I was a bit surprised because I’ve certainly stayed in plenty of less salubrious accommodations in my day!
Also posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.
I came across this near the end of my walk yesterday. Definitely a contender for the weirdest photo I’ve ever posted.
Posted for Bushboy’s Last on the Card photo challenge. See more here.
I took this photo of a head of Cauliflower Coral because I was happy about how healthy it looked. Then I saw that I was being watched. This Spotted Coral Blenny was wedged into the coral head, as they do, clearly waiting for me to move on.
Well, it is the last of the month, so time for me to move forward into June and for the blenny to go about his business.
Posted for Becky’s Squares: Move Forward, Reconstruct, Renew, and/or are Burgeoning. See more responses here.
Graham's Island 