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.
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.
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!
An endemic Hawaiian Noddy glides over the ocean off North Kohala.
A view of Mauna Kea Resort and beach, with Kohala Mountain in the background, looking north from the coast path.
Yellow Tangs nibble on coral heads on the steep slope down to deep water at Two Step, a popular snorkeling spot in South Kona.
This almost black and white image shows the over-spill from an infinity pool at a residence on the South Kohala coast.
Recently, we had our first big high surf event of the winter. Here, big swells roll in on the northern tip of the island.
Graham's Island 