Tag Archives: Snorkeling

Photos afloat

A tug and barge enter Kawaihae Harbor in Hawaii
A tug and barge enter Kawaihae Harbor in the early morning hours.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Afloat.’ See more responses here. Let’s start with boats.

Strong winds whip up whitecaps in Kawaihae Harbor in Hawaii
Even in a sheltered harbor, staying afloat isn’t always easy.
A Coast Guard buoy ship in the waters off Hawaii
A U.S. Coastguard ship servicing buoys outside Kawaihae Harbor.
Canoe paddlers head towards the shore off the coast of Hawaii
Canoe paddlers head for shore.

But they’re not the only floating things.

A Hawaiian Coot swims in a lagoon in Hawaii
A Hawaiian Coot afloat in a pond, oblivious to the need for a bit of personal grooming.
A diver down flag in the waters off Hawaii
In the U.S. this flag signals, “I have a diver down; keep well clear at slow speed.”
Lily pads and reflections in Lily Lake at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden
Lily pads floating on Lily Lake at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden.

Winging it

A Great Frigatebird flies off the Kohala coast in Hawaii
A Great Frigatebird glides over the ocean off the Kohala coast.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Wings.’ See more responses here. Let’s start with the birds.

A Northern Cardinal Juvenile launches off a branch in Hawaii
A Northern Cardinal juvenile coming to get me!
A Hawaiian Nene spreads its wings
A Nene displays an impressive wingspan.
A pair of Hawaiian Noddys approach their roost at Whittington Park in Hawaii
A pair of Hawaiian Noddies head to their roost at Whittington Park.

There are many winged insects too.

A Roseate Skimmer Dragonfly perches on a stalk in Hawaii
The delicate wings of a Roseate Skimmer Dragonfly.
Two Passion Vine Butterflies flying in Hawaii
A pair of Passion Vine Butterflies flit about.

You can also find wings in the water

Three eagle rays swim in the ocean off Hawaii
A trio of Eagle Rays cruise through coastal waters.
A coastal manta ray swims in the ocean off Hawaii
A Manta Ray glides over the sea floor.

And there are other wings too.

A pair of metal wings on the ground in Hawaii
A broach of emblem found lying in the grass.
A UPS plane flies overhead in Hawaii
A UPS plane heads for Honolulu early one morning.

The Numbers Game #28

A view into Waipio Valley.

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

A Scrawled Filefish swimming in the waters off Hawaii
Scrawled Filefish.
A Flowery Flounder swimming in the waters off Hawaii
Flowery Flounder.
A green turtle swimming in the waters off Hawaii
Green Turtle.
The Pride of America anchored off Kailua Kona.
Two Nenes confront a mongoose.
An old bomber which crashed in the Kohala Mountains. Original post here.

Scarface Blenny

A Scarface Blenny Peeks out from under a step at Mahukona, Hawaii

You don’t have to go far to see something interesting in the water. This Scarface Blenny hangs out around the ladder for getting in and out of the water at my local snorkel spot! I’d seen it before, but not been able to get a photo of it.

A few days ago, I had my camera ready as I approached the ladder. Sure enough, I saw the blenny’s head sticking out from below one of the ladder’s rungs. It quickly disappeared, but I hung on to the ladder to see if it would return. It did, and I was able to get a couple of shots.

I thought this was a Gargantuan Blenny, but when I got home and looked at the photos, I realized that the red eye ring and red marks on the face meant this was actually a Scarface Blenny. Both these blennies are endemic but the Scarface Blenny is slightly smaller than the other.

A Scarface Blenny Peeks out from under a step at Mahukona, Hawaii

The Numbers Game #27

An F-22 Raptor flies by at Kahului Airport, Maui.

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

A spinner dolphin doing what it’s named for.
A grasshopper wondering if it could do that!
A Great Frigatebird knows it doesn’t have to do any spinning because it glides supremely well.
A manta ray swims in the waters off Mauna Kea Resort, Hawaii
A manta ray swims in the waters off Mauna Kea Resort, Hawaii
A manta ray swims in the waters off Mauna Kea Resort, Hawaii
This Manta Ray is quietly confident it can spin and glide with the best of them!