Blue-Spotted Cornetfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern This family is in the same order of fish as pipefishes and seahorses I took this photo of a blue-spotted cornetfish while snorkeling at Anini Beach on the island of Kauai in Hawai’i. Anini Beach is an isolated spot on the north side of the island. You […]
Ka’ena Point Trail The Wai’anae Mountains were formed by an ancient shield volcano Walking along the 2.5-mile long Ka’ena Point trail, I was amazed by the mountainous peaks that were to my left. I would later come to learn that these were the Wai’anae Mountains, also known as the Wai’anae Range. This rock formation includes […]
Waipi’o Valley News There are some portions of the road that have a grade of 45% Waipi’o Valley is one of the most challenging places to visit on the big island of Hawai’i. There is an access road on the south entrance to the valley that has a 25% average grade. There are some portions […]
Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area Kauna’oa Point connects two beaches This photo of four kiawe trees was taken while hiking between Hāpuna Beach and Mauna Kea Beach through the Kauna’oa Point. This hike is called the Ala Kahakai Trail, and it is located along the northwest coast of the big island of Hawai’i. Like almost […]
Indo-Pacific Rock-Boring Urchin – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data It’s also known as the burrowing urchin This photo was taken while on a snorkeling adventure with my wife off the coast of the island of Hawai’i. We were in the Kealakekua Bay Marine Life Conservation District, which is a marine protected area. We were with […]
Redbarred Hawkfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern They have a small number of teeth in the roof of their mouths While on a dive off the coast of Honolulu, Hawai’i in which I was searching for nudibranchs, I came across this interesting looking fish. It seemed to be on the lookout from its hovel […]
Yellow Tang – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern This yellow tang was one of many yellow tang that I saw during our four hours of snorkeling This photo was taken during a snorkeling trip with my wife in Kealakekua Bay on the big island of Hawai’i. This area is a marine life conservation district, which […]
Zulu Giant This is a sacred place to the Hawaiian culture…called Leina-a-ka’uhane The plant you’re looking at in this photo is a Zulu giant, also known as the starfish flower. This is an invasive succulent that is native to South Africa and Tanzania. I saw this flower while just beginning a hike to the westernmost […]
Volcanoes National Park Hāpu’u pulu plants with their massive fronds that can grow to heights of twenty-five feet! As we hike along the north rim of the Kīlauea Iki trail in Volcanoes National Park in Hawai’i, there was an abundance of forest all around us. This was in stark contrast to the Kīlauea Iki Crater […]
Haleakalā National Park The park covers more than 33,000 acres Haleakalā National Park is a unique national park found on the island of Maui. It’s known for its stunning sunrises and sunsets that cast the rays of the sun across the Pacific Ocean. The park encompasses the now dormant Haleakalā volcano. It stretches from sea […]