Category Archives: Parks

Hike to Kamehame Beach

Turtles resting at Punuluu on the Big Island Hawaii

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.

The Ala Kahakai Trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii
An old sandy road on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii
Lava on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii

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.

A Castor semi-looper moth on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii
A grasshopper on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii
Beach Naupaka on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii

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.

A Black Sand beach on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii
Lava cracks on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii
Lava on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii

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.

A View of Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii
A View of Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii
A View of Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii

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.

A rosy outlook

A view of the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption in Hawaii
The 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa.

This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Rosy Red.’ See more responses here. Captions are on the photos.

An Apapane in an ohia tree in Hawaii
A native Apapane in an Ohia tree.
An Alpinia purpurata 'Tahitian Double' flower at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Gardens
An Alpinia purpurata ‘Tahitian Double’ flower.
Bigscale soldierfishes in the waters off Hawaii
Bigscale Soldierfishes with a Pacific Trumpetfish and a Longnoe Butterflyfish.
A red hibiscus flower in Hawaii
A hibiscus flower.
A Red heliconia flower in Hawaii
A Heliconia flower.
Leis being arranged at the Statue of King Kamehameha in Kapaau, Hawaii
A lei being prepared for draping on the statue of King Kamehameha in Kapaau.

The Numbers Game #58

Lava from Kilauea Volcano’s Pu’u O’o vent enters the ocean as if from a firehose.
The fire hose of lava entering the sea from Kilauea Volcano in 2017. Original post here.

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

A Fireweed Control Moth.
An endangered Palila.
The mural on the side of Hawi Post Office.
A school of mackerel scads, or Opelus being hunted by a rainbow runner off Hawaii
A Rainbow Runner chases a school of Opelu.
A breaking wave in Hawaii
Breaking wave incoming!
Keck 1 and 2 telescopes atop Mauna Kea.

Another thrilling Humpback Whale encounter

A humpback whale and her calf swim in the waters off Lapakahi Historical Park, Hawaii
A humpback whale and her calf swim in the waters off Lapakahi Historical Park, Hawaii

I’ve lived in Hawaii for more than 12 years and go snorkeling whenever I can. New Year’s Eve was the first time I’d seen a Humpback Whale in the water (here). Yesterday, less than a month later, my wife and I had this even more remarkable encounter.

Walking down to swim at Lapakahi Historical Park, I spotted a humpback not far offshore. When we got in the water, the whale was still there. It wasn’t very active, just milling around, as they sometimes do. Also, in the same general area, was the same woman who had been with us on New Year’s Eve. We swam out and headed in her direction.

As we got closer, the whale could be seen ahead, still not doing much, but it became apparent it wasn’t alone. The fins of another adult whale could be seen a bit farther out. But that didn’t quite explain the activity I was seeing until I realized that I was seeing a third whale, a calf swimming close to the first whale, which was clearly its mother.

A humpback whale and her calf swim in the waters off Lapakahi Historical Park, Hawaii

I put the brakes on then as I had no wish to accidentally come between a mother and her calf. But at that point, the whale and her calf turned in our direction. The mother was huge, much larger than the previous whale, and getting bigger by the second, with her calf poised close above her. I have to say, there was a moment there when I was a tad nervous. But she simply continued her turn before heading away with an imperious swish of her tail.

A humpback whale and her calf swim in the waters off Lapakahi Historical Park, Hawaii

Posted for Becky’s Squares: Geometric. See more responses here. Also for Clare’s Share Your Desktop. See more responses here.

The Numbers Game #57

The crosswalk leading to Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube) in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The crosswalk leading to Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube) in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park during Covid restrictions.

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

An Oriental Stink Bug in Hawaii
An Oriental Stink Bug.
An Indian Blue Peacock at Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo in Hilo, Hawaii
An Indian Blue Peacock at Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo in Hilo, Hawaii
Cattle keeping an eye on passers-by below Hawi Wind Farm.
Osmoxylon lineare.
Japanese Aloe.
Dead fish among rocks at Kiholo, Hawaii
Dead fish on shore at the head of the lagoon in Kiholo Bay.

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

Looking back at 2024 – Part 2

A Great Frigatebird flies off the Kohala coast in Hawaii
July: A Great Frigatebird (here).

Sunday Stills challenge theme this week and last week is ‘Your 2024 Year-in-Review.’ See more responses here. As before, I’m going with a favorite photo from each month of 2024, with a caption and link to the post the photo first appeared in. Last week, I posted favorites from January through June (here). This week, it’s July through December.

Spotted Eagle Rays in the waters off Hawaii
August: A trio of Spotted Eagle Rays (here).
An attention getting pirate at Honokohau Harbor, Hawaii
September: Everyone’s favorite pirate (here).
Spinner dolphins in the waters off Hawaii
October: A trio of Spinner Dolphins (here).
A surfer off Keokea Beach Park, Hawaii
November: A surfer takes to the air (here).
A pink Bougainvillea grows in the lava on the South Kohala coast in Hawaii
December: Bougainvillea in the lava (here).

Humpback Whale encounter

A Humpback Whale in the waters off Hawaii

Yesterday, driving into Lapakahi Historical Park to go snorkeling, my wife and I saw a Humpback Whale, close offshore, doing multiple tail slaps. After we parked the car and headed towards down to the shore, the whale was still slapping its tail. By the time we had our gear on and ready to swim, it looked like the whale was done and heading south.

But, as we got in the water, I saw the whale heading north. We swam out, without any thought of seeing the whale. Chances were it would dive and disappear, or move on, or turn around again. But once out toward the edge of the reef, we realized the whale was hanging around and even nudging towards the shore. By this time it was doing fin slaps.

A Humpback Whale slaps a fin in the waters off Hawaii

We had never been this close to a whale in the water and the sight of the huge fin reaching up and then slapping the water with a loud thwack was impressive. As we watched, the fins got larger. I dipped my head underwater and could make out the hazy shape of the whale, the first time I’ve ever seen one in the water. Eventually, the whale came into full view and paralleled our course for a few minutes before it eased away, though it remained quite close to shore.

A Humpback Whale in the waters off Hawaii

The whole encounter was deeply moving, an end of year gift for us and another swimmer who was there. During that swim, we also saw three reef sharks and later, a pod of dolphins. It says something that those encounters, normally the highlight of any swim, felt anticlimactic!