These concrete pilings are the remains of the old pier at my usual snorkeling spot. Someone has tagged some of them and I couldn’t resist the title!
Smiling pilings
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Tag Archives: Mahukona
Salt burned trees
At my local snorkeling spot, a lot of trees on the shoreline have suddenly sported fall colors. I’m sure this has nothing to do with the season. Rather, I think a series of large swells has battered the trees with more salt spray than they’re used to and this is the result. Hopefully, they will bounce back when things settle down again, although swells in Hawaii were large enough last weekend for The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational surf competition to be held for the first time since 2016.
Signs: Fishing line
This sign and accompanying tube appeared at two local parks a couple of months ago. It’s part of a nationwide program to recycle discarded and snagged fishing line, which can be extremely harmful to marine life. The program has been going since the 1990s, but this is the first time it’s been available locally.
You’d better watch out
This is where I often get in the water to go snorkeling and this photo illustrates why it’s a good idea to pay attention when getting in or out. The water looks pretty calm, but the whitewater near the top is an indicator of swells coming ashore. When those swells reach the ladder where swimmers get in and out, they can be steep and dangerous.
It’s easy to judge swells before getting in the water, but getting out is more tricky. Trying to gauge what’s happening from water level, it’s easy to misjudge the size and strength of an incoming swell. I wouldn’t have wanted to be getting out when this one rolled in!
Better Days: Boat hoist
This boat hoist, on the North Kohala coast, is used to launch small boats off trailers and into the water. I’ve featured it before (here), being engulfed by towering waves. All that salt water has undermined the integrity of the structure, but despite some large holes in the very rusty metal structure, people still launch boats here. All I can say is, I hope those boats are insured.
Mahukona light
A view of the light between Mahukona State Park and Lapakahi State Historical Park on the North Kohala coast.
Graham's Island 