Tag Archives: On The Coast

Salt burned trees

Trees on the coast of the Big Island, Hawaii, turn gold from salt spray exposure

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.

Hazy water

Fish swim in hazy water in Hawaii

These days, when I go snorkeling, it’s not unusual to encounter hazy water like this. 10 years ago this would have been unusual. Today, it’s closer to the norm. I don’t know why this is, but warmer water is likely one factor.

From a snorkeling perspective, I have to be a lot closer to fish to hope to get a decent photo of them.

Crossing the line

Late afternoon sun of the coast of Kohala, Hawaii

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

The current eruption at Kilauea has been putting out a considerable amount of vog. This volcanic haze can make life difficult for people, causing respiratory and other medical complications. But it can also cause colorful skies.

I was driving home from work last week on a day when the vog was heavy and the sky glowed. There wasn’t much wind – another reason the vog has been hanging around – so the ocean was calm. I’d stopped to take photos once, but when I saw this little boat heading for this band of sunlight, I pulled over again.

I’d lucked into a quiet break in the traffic and was far enough from the coast that there was no sound from waves coming ashore or from the boat’s engine. I watched for a while until the boat crossed the glittering band, before returning to my car and heading home.

A long way from home

A shopping cart on the coast in Hawaii

On my last walk along the coast near Upolu Airport I came across this scene. The shopping cart is from Safeway, the nearest location being in Kailua Kona. But I was also intrigued by the contents of the cart: A street address sign, a vehicle license plate, a perfectly good lawn rake, and several bits and pieces relating to a Stihl chainsaw.

Behind the bank, there was a fishing rod, a chair, and other signs of someone having staked out the spot for fishing, so perhaps the cart was associated with that. Quite what that association was will remain one of life’s little mysteries.

You’d better watch out

Swell rolls in at Mahukona, Hawaii

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!