2011 in Review

2011 was a pretty wild year. Ringing in the new year in Vermont looking forward to making a big move to Maui and a new job as naturalist for Pacific Whale Foundation. Once Heidi and I got out to Maui things started happening really fast. We started our jobs with Pacific Whale Foundation, becoming experts at all things Humpback Whale, not to mention all the new tropical fish and reef creatures we needed to know, all while looking for a place to live, cars, and most important, a surf board. 

It all came together. We found a great place in Kihei, after a quick stint in Uncle Dave's kitchen-less back room, and a couple of cars that performed admirably after a couple of rough starts and a smoking radiator. Whales were everywhere and the job expanded into doing sea turtle research as well. In no time I was on the microphone giving whale watches, going to lecture about humpbacks, leading tide pool programs, and getting promoted to team leader on the boats. Somewhere in all the madness with alot of help and motivation from my mom and others I finished a captains class by getting my 100ton captains license. Hurray. 

After a few pay checks and a close encounter snorkeling with a humpback mother and calf with Heidi I invested in a good underwater camera. This brought forth a year full of pictures from the sea and a heightened interest in some of its more colorful inhabitants, nudibranchs! As well as some of the bigger fish, sharks! Hearing a whale's song through my kayak, swimming with whale sharks, shark cage diving in Oahu, the incredible manta ray night dive in Kona, diving through caves and cathedrals, and the hunt for our first frogfish highlighted my underwater 2011.

Above water wasn't too shabby either. I got to see Molokai's famous 3000ft cliffs from sea and air, incredible acrobatic displays from humpback whales and dolphins, visit Vermont for the Stave Island Party, hike all over Maui, sight see the big island, and play host to a bunch of fabulous visitors. Hunter, Rebecca, my sister (twice), Mama Tamarack, Burger, Kendall, Juliette, Laura and Annie, and of course Mark and the Oahu boys. It seems with each visitor I get to explore the island a little more with trips to Hana and visits to the summit of Haleakala never the same twice. 

I worked hard throughout this year at improving my photography and my surfing. There are so many opportunities for both here in Maui. And I want to continue that trend on in to this year. There is a lot to look forward to...but that is for another post.