Tag Archives: Wordpress Photo Challenge

The path to Thurston Lava Tube

The interior of Thurston Lava Tube at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.The path to Thurston Lava Tube at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Thurston Lava Tube is one of the more visited spots in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It might not be as compelling as Puapoo Lava Tube, but it’s not far from the road and easily accessed. I tend to visit it whenever I’m in the park.

One thing I like about Thurston is the path to and through the tube. It starts with a drop into dense tropical forest, features a bridge leading to the maw of the tube, and then wiggles through the damp and the eerily lit interior until reaching the light at the other end.
The entrance to Thurston Lava Tube at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The night sky

The night sky over the Big Island.

The night sky above the Big Island is often clear and awash with stars. The biggest problem with it is that it occurs when I’m snoring softly (sometimes). I have good intentions to get up and spend time soaking in the stars, but then I roll over and the moment is gone.

I’ve done better during meteor showers. A half hour’s viewing during a good shower invariably yields rewards. But even there I’m torn. This wasn’t a great year for meteors – conflicts with the moon and the weather gods – and I saw almost as many looking through the window, from the comfort of my bed.

However, the impulse remains to do better and thinking about new horizons and what the coming year might hold, a greater regard for the night sky is high on my list.

Relaxed Hawaiian monk seal

A Hawaiian monk seal relaxes on the Big Island.
Hawaiian monk seals tend to hunt at night. During the day, they’ll often haul out on a beach or rocky shore to rest, which is when they’re most often seen by people. This seal is a 7-year-old male with the catchy moniker of IO5 (given him by the people who track seals and look out for their welfare). He’s the monk seal I see most often and he has a few distinctive characteristics.

Thus far, he has remained unscarred by encounters with boats or sharks. He usually appears to have an air of being rather pleased with himself, perhaps a certain confidence about what a fine fellow he is. And when he’s on shore, he doesn’t just look like he’s resting, he looks like he has found a deeper, Zen-like calm. Seeing him in such a state always makes me loosen my shoulders, take a deep breath, and relax.

For more information about Hawaiian monk seals, go to www.pifsc.noaa.gov/hawaiian_monk_seal/ or www.marinemammalcenter.org/hawaii.

Humpback whale dive

A humback whale dives off the Big Island.
It’s not this time of year without the return of humpback whales to the waters around the Big Island. The whales return to give birth and to mate. It’s still early in the season, but the first returnees appeared off Kailua Kona in late October. In November, I saw four whales off North Kohala. The numbers should start to increase this month while the peak numbers tend to be January through March.

For more information about humpback whales, I recommend Jim Darling’s book, Humpbacks: Unveiling the Mysteries or go to whaletrust.org or hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/welcome.html.