Tag Archives: Sunday Stills

Hike to Kamehame Beach

Turtles resting at Punuluu on the Big Island Hawaii

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

This seemed a good opportunity to recap a hike I did last year, but have failed to get organized into a post! The hike started at Punulu’u Black Sand Beach Park, home of the island’s most famous black sand beach.

As usual, there were a few Green Turtles resting on the beach. The trailhead, at the east end of the beach, isn’t marked, but hike up through a narrow band of trees and it opens out onto a lava bench. On this bench is Kāne’ele’ele Heaiu, an ancient Hawaiian heiau where human sacrifices were carried out.

The Ala Kahakai Trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii

An old sandy road on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii

Beyond the heiau, the trail is marked by flat stones. This is the ancient Ala Kahakai trail, which followed the coast from the northern tip of the island all the way down and around the west and south coasts, to the southeastern corner of the island. The hike follows the coast, passing through scrubby vegetation and across stark lava fields.

A Castor semi-looper moth on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii

A grasshopper on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii

There are some tenacious plants growing along the way, notably Beach Naupaka, which tolerates rocky terrain and salt spray. There’s also a variety of birds and other wildlife to be seen.

A Black Sand beach on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii

Lava cracks on the trail to Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii

Cairns mark the trail, though they’re not always easy to spot. It’s easy to wander off the trail, which is not a good thing given the large cracks in the lava and potential thin spots that one could fall into.

But if you don’t get lost or fall into a lava tube, eventually Kamehame Beach will come into view. This beach is important as a nesting place for both Green Turtles and Hawksbill Turtles. The nesting season runs from June to November, which was when I was there, so I knew I wouldn’t be walking on the beach for fear of disturbing anything. In fact, I thought I hadn’t seen anyone on this hike once I left Punulu’u, but when I looked at my photos, I saw someone at the far end of the beach. This was undoubtedly one of the researchers who monitor these spots for turtle activity.

A View of Kamehame Beach on the Big Island Hawaii

The beach itself is quite steep and, even if it wasn’t turtle nesting season, I’d have been reluctant to walk it given the high surf on this particular day. The round trip hike is around 6 miles unless you get lost!

Also posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.

Fresh Off The Grid

A roadside food stand sign near Pololu in Hawaii

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

A couple of miles before the end of the Akoni Pule Highway, at Pololu overlook, there’s a roadside food stand called Fresh Off The Grid. There’s no power at that end of the road, hence the ‘off the grid.’

I confess, I’ve never eaten there, in part because I seldom go to Pololu these days. It’s a bit overrun and the parking is terrible, though now they have stewards directing traffic and controlling the comings and goings, which is a big improvement.

A Red Hibiscus flower in Hawaii — Skyflowers.

But the food stand gets good reviews and seems to have a good selection of locally-grown food on the menu. It also has a nice variety of flowers around and a killer view of the ocean, plus mules and horses. What’s not to like.

A sign near Pololu in Hawaii — You have been warned.

A Bee on a bromeliad near Pololu in Hawaii — You have been warned.

It’s frosty up there

A view of telescopes on Mauna Kea, Hawaii

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

I don’t see a lot of frost here in Hawaii, but the top of Mauna Kea is almost always cold. When I was up there last year, there was some snow on the ground and the freezing wind was whipping.

A view of Mauna Kea from the Waimea saddle in Hawaii

It’s much more comfortable to view the chilly scene from the warmth and comfort of the lowlands. Zooming in on my camera is close enough to the real thing!

A rosy outlook

A view of the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption in Hawaii — The 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa.

This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Rosy Red.’ See more responses here. Captions are on the photos.

An Apapane in an ohia tree in Hawaii — A native Apapane in an Ohia tree.

An Alpinia purpurata 'Tahitian Double' flower at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Gardens — A native Apapane in an Ohia tree.

A Red heliconia flower in Hawaii — A hibiscus flower.

Chow time for birds

A Nutmeg Mannikin feeds on cane grass seeds in Hawaii

The current Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Feeding and Watching the Birds.’ See more responses here.

I rarely see Nutmeg Mannikins around the house, but when the Cane Grass goes to seed, they show up in force.

The Pueo below made short work of this unfortunate mouse. no chewing involved!

A Franklin's Gull finds something to eat in Hawaii — A stray Franklin’s Gull found something and seemed to be trying to figure out how to eat it.

A Black-crowned night heron spears a fish in Hawaii — A stray Franklin’s Gull found something and seemed to be trying to figure out how to eat it.

What happened here?

A Humpback Whale hits the water off Hawaii

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

I’m going with this big splash of whitewater. But how did it get there? The splash was the finale of the sequence in the slideshow below.

Seeing this Humpback Whale in the air was a lovely follow up to the magical encounter, a couple of weeks ago, with a Humpback Whale in the water (here).

Also posted for Becky’s Squares: Geometric, for the curve of the jump and the shapes formed by it. See more responses here.

Looking back at 2024 – Part 2

A Great Frigatebird flies off the Kohala coast in Hawaii — July: A Great Frigatebird (here).

Sunday Stills challenge theme this week and last week is ‘Your 2024 Year-in-Review.’ See more responses here. As before, I’m going with a favorite photo from each month of 2024, with a caption and link to the post the photo first appeared in. Last week, I posted favorites from January through June (here). This week, it’s July through December.

Spotted Eagle Rays in the waters off Hawaii — August: A trio of Spotted Eagle Rays (here).

An attention getting pirate at Honokohau Harbor, Hawaii — September: Everyone’s favorite pirate (here).

Spinner dolphins in the waters off Hawaii — October: A trio of Spinner Dolphins (here).

A surfer off Keokea Beach Park, Hawaii — November: A surfer takes to the air (here).

A pink Bougainvillea grows in the lava on the South Kohala coast in Hawaii — December: Bougainvillea in the lava (here).

Looking back at 2024 – Part 1

A Feather-legged fly on a Tree Heliotrope in Hawaii — January: A Feather-legged Fly (*Trichopoda pennipes*) on a Tree Heliotrope (link).

Sunday Stills challenge theme this week and next week is ‘Your 2024 Year-in-Review.’ See more responses here. As usual, I’m going with a favorite photo from each month of 2024, with a caption and link to the post the photo first appeared in. This week’s post is for January through June. See the rest of the year next week.

A Ring-billed gull in Hawaii — February: A Ring-billed Gull struts at ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay (link).

A woman walks on the beach at Kohanaiki Park in Hawaii — March: A woman walks the beach at Kohanaiki Beach Park (link).

Tiki torches burn against a backdrop of palm trees in Hawaii — April: Tiki torches at Mauna Kea Resort (link).

A Dwarf Moray Eel in the waters off Hawaii — May: A Dwarf Moray Eel (link).

Long-spined Urchins in Hawaii — June: A pair of Long-spined Urchins in Kawaihae Harbor (link).

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii