Category Archives: In The Water

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.

Gosline’s Fang Blenny

Fang blennies get their name because they have two defensive fangs on their lower jaws. If a predator gets one in its mouth, the fang blenny will bite its attacker’s mouth. This usually results in them being spit out to freedom.

The Numbers Game #42

Two Humpback whales swim in the waters off Hawaii — A pair of Humpback Whales off the North Kohala coast.

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 163. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

The flowers of a milo tree in Hawaii — Milo flowers.

Hilina Pali Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park — Hilina Pali Trailhere

Many fish make the reef home — Hilina Pali Trailhere

They’re coming to get me

Spinner dolphins in the waters off Hawaii

I hadn’t been snorkeling for a couple of weeks, having been under the weather. So last week, I was happy to get back in the water, and even happier when a pod of Spinner Dolphins showed up.

I first became aware of them when two snuck up from behind and zipped by just a few feet away. This happened to me once before, not long after moving to Hawaii, and I nearly had a heart attack. These days, I’m more used to expecting the unexpected in the water.

A few went back and forth around me, and I thought they might stick around for a bit, but they continued on their way south, albeit at a less-hurried pace than they often maintain. But it’s always a treat to see them and I was happy that a few photos turned out OK. My last encounter with dolphins, a few weeks ago, resulted in zero usable photos. I think my camera was having some issues, at least that’s my excuse.

That’s strange

An inflatable mermaid and a glove on a beach in Hawaii — “I’m stranded here,” cried the mermaid. “Can someone give me a hand?” It did not end well.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Oddballs, Wild and Weird.’ See more responses here. Captions on the photos.

Also posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here.

A hiker wears an umbrella hat on the 1871 Trail in Hawaii — It’s a hat. It’s an umbrella, It’s a fruit bowl. I want one.

A painted rock at the Hawaii Island Retreat in Hawaii — It’s a hat. It’s an umbrella, It’s a fruit bowl. I want one.

Campers at Spencer Beach Park in Hawaii — Unclear on the concept.

High heels stuck to the roof of a painted truck in Hawaii — Unclear on the concept.

Just the one monk seal

A Hawaiian Monk seal rests at Upolu, Hawaii

I saw this Hawaiian Monk Seal resting at Upolu earlier this year. So what qualifies her for Becky’s Squares: Seven? (See more responses here.) Nothing obvious in the top photo, but let’s take a closer look. A couple of scars, one of which looks a bit like a 7, but probably not that.

Scars on a Hawaiian Monk seal at Upolu, Hawaii

Hmmm. Too hard to figure out how many whiskers we’ve got here.

Ah, here we go. The tag on the flipper is M37. This is a prime way for researchers to track seals around the islands. I posted a photo of her with an M36 tag, but this one would have been in the other tail flipper.

Tag on a Hawaiian Monk seal at Upolu, Hawaii

Whitemouth Moray Eel spotted

A Whitemouth Moray Eel in the waters off Hawaii

I saw this small Whitemouth Moray Eel sticking out from a gap in the rocks. With its mouth open, it’s easy to identify.

So why is this posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven (see more responses here)? Well, this eel sports 2,408 visible white spots, which is seven to the power of four plus seven. OK, you counters out there – over to you!

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii