Kona and Snorkeling 2-19-13

Today was a really great day!  We started out running a few shopping errands around town, where I got pictures of both the saffron finch and the yellow billed cardinal.

Then we went out to the old airport, which has been turned into a beautiful beach park and gardens.  There was a skate park here and it was clean and beautiful... something here for everyone.
Dave and I wandered down the beach and went tidepooling.  We saw some lovely cowries... my first live ones... I've only seen the shells before.  There was also a weird spiky shelled mollusk.

 

On our way back along the beach to the car we got to see a humpback whale surfacing, and Dave got this picture of it!

Back at the condo, we took some pictures by this humungous hibiscus flower.

Then we went out along the sea wall to see if there was a place we could get into the water to snorkel.  It would have been ok in the morning, with gentle waves, but the surf had picked up a bit and we didn't want to get whacked into the rocks.  We were rewarded for our efforts though in two ways.  The first was an amazing show the wild spinner dolphins put on for us, and the second was that we talked to a local who told us where to go for some great snorkeling, and he sure was right!  I was delirious with joy for hours...
This one is a Moorish Idol:

Here is a Orangespot Unicornfish:

This one is the Picasso Triggerfish, in Hawai'ian it is known as the humuhumunukunukuapua'a:

The busy shy little Hawai'ian Pufferfish:

And so many many more beautiful fish:

Rockmover Wrasse

Orange Band Surgeonfish with Convict Tangs

Black Durgeon Triggerfish

Dragon Wrasse

Ornate Wrasse

Threadfin Butterfly Fish

Threadfin Butterfly Fish with Yellow Tang



Cornet Fish

Lined Butterfly Fish

I have video of almost all these fish, and of the dolphins also, but internet here leaves a lot to be desired.  I tried for hours both last night and this morning, and only managed to upload this video.

 

We are supposed to do some more snorkeling today in a place that it is likely dolphins will swim with us, so I'm hoping they do!  Aloha!

Hilo to Kona Hawaii 2-18-13

The last day we spent in Hilo was a nice calm down day.  Mostly due to the torrential downpours that kept us from doing too much.  We needed some rest anyway though, and what a beautiful place to do that in. 
This lovely cardinal visited the front yard between the heavier rains.

 

We went for a drive around downtown Hilo and a park/garden area with pretty trees.  Here we saw a golden plover, some other sandpiper type doing a wierd dance, a whole street lined with banyans and then a flock/pack/sneakparty of mongooses.

 

 

 

We stopped at one of the many beach parks and found this cool turtle as were in so many of the parks.  They come ashore to rest.

 

After we got back to the house, Dave and I tried to dash out between downpours to check out Richardson Beach right across the street one last time.  What a great choice!  While hoping for a nice veiw of the sea and maybe whales, we ended up seeing maybe two dozen green sea turtles, honu to the Hawai'ians, which had come in for the evening to the quieter tidepools to rest.

 

I was glad I brought my underwater camera for this walk

 

This morning we said goodbye to Hilo and our pretty white kitty. Not sure if I mentioned her previously, but feral cats are a huge problem in Hawaii and we ended up falling in love with one who lived on our back porch.  She was white, super tame, but had tattered eartips, a crunched pretzel tail, angry yellow eyes, and a hideously harsh meow.  She won us over instantly.  I will probably start a separate blog regarding the cats, and intent to donate to The Hawaii Cat Foundation. 

But I digress.... Our first stop today once clearing the rainclouds was a lovely black sand beach.  Here we saw even more sea turtles, pulled in for a nice warm nap.

 

We drove along through what looked like a savannah with golden grasses and windswept trees.  A lot of farm land here on Highway 11.  We saw a cute baby horse and a cute little calf. 

 

Our next stop was the southern most point of any U.S State.  There was a blow hole, old canoe moorings and a lot of biting wind.

Ancient Canoe Mooring

Then it was off to the olivine beach.  This beach is mixed with olivine sand, which is a greenish gold and just lovely in the sunlight.  Normally it would be about 2.5 miles each way unless you have a four wheel drive.  Dave and I were prepared and looking forward to the hike, while his Mom relaxed and waited in the sunshine.  The reality though was this incredible punishing wind that had me swapping contacts for glasses and our skin stung with the shower of sand.  It turned out locals to make a bit of $ would ferry people out, wait and ferry them back in their own 4x4s.  We eagerly accepted and it was still a long and dirty trip! 

I went around taking pictures, wading into the the surf, taking a picture of that, sitting down, wondering what to do next, taking some more pictures, wondering what to do next... and suddenly it ocurred to me.  I didn't have to do ANYTHING.  So I just sat.  Sat and stared at that blue, blue sea, listened to the waves hitting that green-gold shore, felt the sand with my bare toes... ahhhhhh, utter relaxation.

And finally, just before sunset, we arrived at our condo in Kona.  It has a lovely view and there is nothing between us and the ocean.  We saw some whale spouts in the distance, and I look forward to the next set of adventures!