Great Barracudas were a fish that really gave me the willies, more-so than sharks. But I’ve got used to them over the years and, while they still look mean and grouchy, I’ve found their actions are less threatening, not that I’m taking any liberties!
Yesterday, I saw the fish in the top photo heading straight towards me, before veering away at the last moment. Just checking me out I think. That one was in the two- to three-foot range. The one below was bigger, three- to four-foot, and it was getting cleaned. I always find this sight amusing as this giant fish hangs still in the water while little Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasses nibble away at parasites and mucus on the body and even inside the mouth!
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Stark.’ See more responses here.
This seemed a good opportunity to recap a hike I did last year, but have failed to get organized into a post! The hike started at Punulu’u Black Sand Beach Park, home of the island’s most famous black sand beach.
As usual, there were a few Green Turtles resting on the beach. The trailhead, at the east end of the beach, isn’t marked, but hike up through a narrow band of trees and it opens out onto a lava bench. On this bench is Kāne’ele’ele Heaiu, an ancient Hawaiian heiau where human sacrifices were carried out.
Beyond the heiau, the trail is marked by flat stones. This is the ancient Ala Kahakai trail, which followed the coast from the northern tip of the island all the way down and around the west and south coasts, to the southeastern corner of the island. The hike follows the coast, passing through scrubby vegetation and across stark lava fields.
There are some tenacious plants growing along the way, notably Beach Naupaka, which tolerates rocky terrain and salt spray. There’s also a variety of birds and other wildlife to be seen.
Cairns mark the trail, though they’re not always easy to spot. It’s easy to wander off the trail, which is not a good thing given the large cracks in the lava and potential thin spots that one could fall into.
But if you don’t get lost or fall into a lava tube, eventually Kamehame Beach will come into view. This beach is important as a nesting place for both Green Turtles and Hawksbill Turtles. The nesting season runs from June to November, which was when I was there, so I knew I wouldn’t be walking on the beach for fear of disturbing anything. In fact, I thought I hadn’t seen anyone on this hike once I left Punulu’u, but when I looked at my photos, I saw someone at the far end of the beach. This was undoubtedly one of the researchers who monitor these spots for turtle activity.
The beach itself is quite steep and, even if it wasn’t turtle nesting season, I’d have been reluctant to walk it given the high surf on this particular day. The round trip hike is around 6 miles unless you get lost!
Also posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.
Hawaiian Monk Seals will often crawl up on shore to rest. I’ve been lucky enough to see quite a few over the years. This one is RM36/37, a female born in Kauai in 2020. I first saw her at Upolu just over a year ago, and last saw her there in December of last year. I don’t get down there as often as I used to, so it’s possible she’s been around without me seeing her.
I like to see her because she’s the daughter of BOO, a monk seal I saw several times back in 2016. I asked the response coordinator at the Marine Mammal Center if RM36/37 has a name, and she responded that she doesn’t and that she’s pretty mysterious all together!
A while ago, I posted about Hawaiian Flagtails living in the shallow surge zone of the reef (here). Recently, I came across this scene, where a small school of these fish had ventured out a bit, so I got a better look at them.
A pair of Hawaiian Monk Seals at Upolu. One of my favorite monk seal photos.
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 181. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.
A juvenile Threadfin Jack.A Gargantuan Blenny.An adult Black-crowned Night Heron.A Bristle-thighed Curlew.A Flowery Flounder heading for cover.The shadow of Mauna Kea projected on the cloud cover. Another favorite!
This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Rosy Red.’ See more responses here. Captions are on the photos.
A native Apapane in an Ohia tree.An Alpinia purpurata ‘Tahitian Double’ flower.Bigscale Soldierfishes with a Pacific Trumpetfish and a Longnoe Butterflyfish.A hibiscus flower.A Heliconia flower.A lei being prepared for draping on the statue of King Kamehameha in Kapaau.
Graham's Island 