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 […]
Varicose Wart Slug – iNaturalist First of all, nudibranchs are tiny, and I love macrophotography! Photographing small marine creatures was my goal when I dove off the island of Oahu in Hawai’i. I was on the trip by myself, so I made sure to have a dive master who could show me around the local […]
Ringed Sap-Sucking Slug – iNaturalist The sandbar will actually be exposed during low tide! I certainly wasn’t expecting to see a ringed sap-sucking slug when I rolled out of the kayak in three feet deep water in Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu in Hawai’i. We started our morning by kayaking one mile straight […]
Pustulose Wart Slug – iNaturalist There’s not much information about the pustulose wart slug This was one of the last photos that I took while on a two-dive trip off the coast of Oahu in Hawai’i. I was so excited to get to see two different species of nudibranchs within just a few minutes of […]
Yellowstripe Goatfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern This species of fish is able to use camouflage Sometimes when you are underwater, you get visually overwhelmed as your surrounded by a school of fish. This was one of those times. I was snorkeling and freediving down to ten to fifteen feet, taking photos, and enjoying […]
Long-Spined Crown-of-Thorns – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Over 1,500 species of fishes, invertebrates, and algae that call the nearshore waters of Hawai’i home My wife and I were on the most amazing snorkel trip of my life on the day that I took this photo. We had been in the water for about two […]
Trooping Crumble Cap – iNaturalist The trooping crumble cap can be found in Europe, North America, Asia, South America, and Australia I was so excited when I saw these mushrooms. I’ve always enjoyed taking photos of mushrooms, and I’ve always enjoyed macro photography. These mushrooms are the perfect combination of the two. Jill and I […]
Reef Manta Ray – IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable This is a Vulnerable species according to the IUCN I was incredibly lucky to have been able to take this photo. Jill and I were snorkeling off the coast of the island of Hawai’i. What was particularly interesting about this snorkel is that it was in the […]