Category Archives: Weather

Goldilocks’ breaking wave

A wave breaks off the Kohala coast
This week’s posts are in response to the WordPress photo challenge on the theme of ‘evanescent.’

In a previous photo challenge, I posted a photo of a ‘mountain of water.’ I’d been trying to capture waves breaking toward me and though that one didn’t break, it provided a surprising photo.

I mention this because a couple of days ago I was snorkeling and the surf was higher than I expected with visibility in the water consequently poor. I figured I wasn’t going to get any decent fish photos, but I thought I might get a nice surf shot. So I headed toward a deep spot close to shore where I could see the waves breaking toward me. I got to the spot and popped my head out of the water just in time to see a large breaking wave racing my way. It was probably the perfect shot, but sad to say, I lost my nerve. This was a big wave. I swam away, too late of course, and ended up in a froth of whitewater, pushing into my mask and up my nose. And then it was past.

I had to laugh. Truth is, I was never in danger. There’s enough space where I was that even this bigger wave wasn’t going to trouble me. But for that fleeting moment, I had serious doubts.

And this photo? Well, if the ‘mountain of water’ was too small, and my recent encounter too big, this wave was just right.

Makalawena beach

The beach at Makalawena has golden sand and lots of space.
One of the things I like about the Big Island is that there’s so much variety in a relatively small area. It boasts 8 out of 13 possible climate zones (depending on whose definitions are used). It goes from sea level to almost 14,000 feet.

I’m happy to satiate my wanderlust right here on the island, traveling to see the outpourings of our most active volcano, climbing to the windswept summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, and of course, sweating it out on the coast.

The beaches and surf are hugely popular with tourists, but it’s almost always possible to find a sparsely populated, or even empty beach with a bit of walking. Makalawena, on the Kona coast, is one such spot. It requires a hike in, half an hour or so, but offers golden sand and a number of smaller pockets of sand where a person can soak up some sun and take a dip. Paradise indeed.

Signs: Kiholo campsite

One of the ocean-side campsites at Kiholo Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii
The campground at Kiholo is located at the end of a gravel road and is only open Friday through Sunday nights. It has eight sites that must be reserved in advance. There are portable toilets, but no other facilities, and no water. So what’s the attraction? Well, let’s see if the photo offers any clues. (Sorry, but the yacht doesn’t come with the reservation.)

For more information about camping at Kiholo, go to camping.ehawaii.gov/camping/all,details,57781.html

For more information about Kiholo Bay, go to bigislandhikes.com/kiholo-bay/

A view of Maui and a wandering tattler

A wandering tattler flies along the Kohala coast
A wandering tattler flies along the Kohala coast on a bright breezy day. What’s notable about this photo is that it was taken in the afternoon and Maui is visible. The reason for that can be seen in the waves. They’re coming from the west to northwest. Waves were from the northeast are driven by the usual northeasterly trades, and those winds would have pushed cloud cover across Maui by this time of day.