Tag Archives: Beaches

Monk seal and pup

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Cozy.’ See more responses here.

This mother and her pup were looking pretty cozy on the beach at Keokea Beach Park. Mothers stay with their pups for five to seven weeks. During this time, the mothers generally do not feed, while pups feed on their mother’s milk. Mothers are typically huge when they give birth, but they lose a lot of weight during the rearing time, while the pups get correspondingly bigger.

This pup was very young, and it was quite dramatic to see how quickly the pup got bigger and the mother smaller!

Whittington Beach Park

Whittington Beach Park sits on Honuʻapo Bay, a few miles northeast of the island’s southern tip. There’s no beach at the park, but there are old fish ponds and a lagoon where it’s relatively safe to get in the water. This makes it popular with locals, since such places are few and far between on this wild and rocky stretch of coast.

The early Hawaiians established a fishing village here that lasted until the mid-1800s, when drought, earthquakes and a tsunami brought about its demise. Some years later, a port was reestablished where goods could be brought to and from the surrounding area, which was home to a large sugar plantation.

The remains of a concrete pier, built in 1910, can still be seen at the southeastern end of the park. I’ve read conflicting accounts of the cause of it’s demise, including a tsunami and bombing by U.S. planes in 1942 to prevent it being used by the Japanese in WWII!

The old pier at Whittington Beach Park, Hawaii

These days, it’s a good spot to watch the waves, and the noddies, twirling through the air as they go to and fro from their homes on the nearby cliffs.

Hawaiian Noddys on the old pier at Whittington Beach Park, Hawaii

Sanderling

Sanderlings are common winter visitors to Hawaii and are found mostly on the many beaches here. I saw a couple at Hapuna, probing the sand around a lagoon left by the floods earlier this year.

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.

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.

The Numbers Game #40

A boat anchored off the beach at Anaehoomalu Bay in Hawaii — A Covid-year photo of a sailboat anchored off a deserted Anaeho’omalu Bay beach.

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

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

A Cliff Ladder used by fishermen on the North Kohala Coast, Hawaii — A ladder used by people fishing, to access a rugged shore.

Palm tree reflections at Place of Refuge in Hawaii — A ladder used by people fishing, to access a rugged shore.

Goats drink from a pond at Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park — Goats take a drink at a pond in Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park.

Yuccas alongside the road to Kamuela, Hawaii — Goats take a drink at a pond in Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park.

The Numbers Game #36

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

Horn-eyed Ghost Crab

I’m not entirely confident that this is a Horn-eyed Ghost Crab, but that’s what my usual ID source says. On the plus side, it’s clearly bigger than a Pallid Ghost Crab. But Horn-eyed Ghost Crabs are generally not seen during the day, though this was taken in the early morning. They also have points on their eye stalks, though I’ve seen photos without. Any input on identity would be appreciated.

A Horn-eyed Ghost Crab in Kawaihae Hawaii

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii