KCollett Offline Upload & Sell: Off
|
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Hawaiian Miscellany Of The Interesting Kind | |
E komo mai. This is another post for those who can tolerate, or love, commentary. The images below are from two very different parts of the island of Hawai'i. The first three are from the wetter, Hilo area which is famous for its lush forests and waterfalls. The last group is from the southern-most part of the island. Decidedly drier there.
1. Akaka Falls - This pretty little gorge and waterfall is north of Hilo. There is a loop hike in the Akaka Falls State Park which provides the opportunity to view some streams, two large falls (with the Akaka Falls on the Kolekole Stream being the biggest), forest, and a bit of fauna too. As you might guess, the name is Hawaiian, and means a rent or split. Kinda makes sense.
2. Uluhe Fern Crozier - Dicranopteris linearis is fairly common in Hawaii, and can dominate areas. It is an early colonizer, even on lava flows. In doing some reading on the species, I found it can prevent other species from germinating and growing through allelopathy (don't think I've heard this term since way back in my university days), which is where plants secrete anti-germination chemicals. I suspect this anti-competition tactic is actually reasonably common with plants. The image was taken along the trail to view the falls.
3. Anole - This guy was sunning itself in the same area I saw the above crozier. I'm thinking it is an introduced species but could not identify it to be sure. The lighting was not the best, and he didn't sit long once I started paying attention to it.
4. Beach Naupaka - A fairly common beach plant. I took this shot because it showed two things - the Naupaka itself and olivine sand. We were hiking to Mahana Bay, which is commonly known as the green sand beach. If you don't drive a 4x4 in, it takes about 1 hour of easy hiking. You start at South Point, which is covered with a thick layer of ocher-colored material. It is quite powdery where the vegetation has been removed and the soil churned up (think 4x4 here). I still have some of that powder in my boots! As you get closer to Mahana Bay, you start seeing a coarser, golden green sand laying on top of the yellowish powder due to it being blown from the beach area, hundreds of meters away.
5. Mahana Bay (Green Sand Beach) - What a lovely spot! You descend about 10 - 15 meters to the beach, so you have a secluded feeling. The golden green sand looks great and feels good on your feet too. The beach itself is quite steep, so even on a gentle day, the surf can be 4 or 5 feet high at times. Great for frolicking in, and being tumbled about (and sometimes causing you to lose your beach apparel - neither sex is discriminated against by the powerful water).
6. Frolicking Boy - This may just be my favorite photo from the trip. What enthusiasm this young man had for playing in the waves. He and his parents enjoyed the water for hours (and I believe they all took turns experiencing the apparel peril). In this case, a particularly big wave was coming in and he was trying to outrun it. I used a 400mm lens for the shot so the wave appears as close as it actually was.
7. Tumbled Boy - The wave won! The young guy was knocked down and washed up the beach a few meters. The spray around the boy in this image is the result of the water receding back down the beach with good speed.
Bonus: Jumpers - On the way back from the beach, we stopped at the cliffs people often fish from. People also do a lot of cliff jumping there. There are ladders you can use to get back up, which sure helps. A LONG swim otherwise. A few meters inland, there is a hole down into a grotto, which is connected to the ocean. If timed right, you can jump in there too, and make the short swim out to the ladders via a cave. Didn't see anyone do that, but this duo, a brother and sister from Oregon, did it before we arrived. Here, they are making the the more traditional (and saner) plunge.
I hope you enjoyed this little slice of the Big Island. Mahalo nui loa for visiting. As always, I invite you to add any nits, crits, or thumbs-ups you feel are appropriate.
Ken
Edited on Sep 08, 2013 at 08:53 PM · View previous versions
|