Tag Archives: Beaches

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

The Numbers Game #33

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

A Northern Mockingbird getting ready to eat.

Two Nenes establish the pecking order (Original post here).

Shrapnel found on the ground near where I work.

Park yourself here

The coast at Punalu’u Black Sand Beach Park in Hawaii — Punaluu Black Sand Beach Park, on the southern coast of the island, not only has a black sand beach, but also turtles like the one in the photo. OK, it looks like a rock, but it’s there!

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘State and local parks.’ See more responses here.

Sifting through a ton of park photos, it was the island’s beach parks that came out on top. It’s possible to get in the water at all of these, though some require more caution than others.

The beach at Hapuna Beach State Park in Hawaii — Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area offers a long and wide sandy beach.

The coast at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park in Hawaii — Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area offers a long and wide sandy beach.

A view of View of Whittington Beach Park in Hawaii — Not all beach parks have beaches. Whittington Beach Park on the south end of the island is one of those though it’s still possible to get in the water.

The coast at Lapakahi State Historical Park in Hawaii — Not all beach parks have beaches. Whittington Beach Park on the south end of the island is one of those though it’s still possible to get in the water.

There goes my morning walk

Flash floods create a new pathway to the ocean at Pelekane Beach in Kawaihae, Hawaii

When I have time on my way to work, I like to stop in Kawaihae and go for an early morning walk. A favorite is to drive to Pelekane Beach and walk to Spencer Beach Park. Those days are gone! The flash floods from a few weeks back took care of that.

For starters, the road is still closed. I can see piles of dirt and debris through the locked access gates. But even if I could access the road, half of Pelekane Beach is gone too. The floods whooshed through the lagoon behind the beach and took a huge amount of sand with it. So now there’s no lagoon, half a beach, and a lot of trees in the bay.

It may be that the powers that be will bring in some sand to restore the former beach. That’s what’s happened at nearby Hapuna Beach, which also lost a section of its sand. In the meantime I will have to explore some new options.

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii