One doesn’t have to make much effort to see whether a cruise ship is in town. It’s impossible to miss. The ship dwarfs the downtown buildings.
I’m used to seeing a cruise ship at Kailua Kona on Wednesdays, but this was a Sunday so it took me a bit by surprise. The Wednesday ships are operated by Norwegian Cruise Lines. This one was the Celebrity Eclipse operated by Celebrity Cruises. The ‘X’ on the funnel and stern is the company logo, don’t ask me ‘Y.’
The sun slides from behind a cloud into the water at Kaloko-Honokohau Historical Park.
A pair of Brown Boobies skim over the water off the coast of North Kohala.
A view of Pu’u Wa’awa’a and Hualalai beyond it. This is the time of year when Jacaranda trees are in bloom.
I was snorkeling recently in a marine reserve where fishing is prohibited and the fish there are noticeably more mellow than those in my usual snorkeling spot, where fishing of all kinds takes place.
The Raccoon Butterflyfishes there passed close by without concern. Smaller groups maintained a tight formation, while the odd one wasn’t shy about checking me out.
An old tree stump snagged in a rocky shore on the South Kohala coast.
The public parking area for shoreline access at Mauna Lani is some distance from the ocean. From the parking lot, the trail meanders across some old lava, but off to one side is this interesting little spot.
It’s part of an old lava tube that was used as a shelter by early Hawaiians. Lava tubes are created when lava flows crust over on top, creating an insulated tube that lava continues to flow through. When an eruption ends and the supply of lava disappears, the lava drains out of the tunnel it’s been flowing through and a hollow tube is left.
As the sign at the entrance says, the tube would have been cool during the heat of the day, but would also protect from wind and rain. These days, the floor is strewn with rocks, but when used for habitation, any rocks would have been removed leaving a reasonably smooth floor. In the photos, the ceiling looks low, but I’m over six feet tall and didn’t have to duck. It’s a big area.
The top photo shows the entrance taken from the back of the tube. The bottom photo is taken from the entrance, looking toward the back.
Giant Laulau (Syzygium megacarpa) is widespread across the Pacific. These red fruits apparently taste similar to apples though I haven’t yet tried one. This one was at Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden.
For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, go to htbg.com.
Graham's Island 