Capturing the Moment

This underwater adventure was one of the most magical underwater encounters I have had the opportunity to experience. In the past I have put up pictures from wild dolphins encounters around the Hawaiian Islands, but I've always wanted to capture the feeling on video. So this time I took my Canon 5d markII and drove out to a beach on the west coast called Electric Beach. I was pleased at the flat calm conditions of the ocean when I pulled up, and pleased even further when I saw the pod of dolphins! I had been skunked the last few times I had been here so I didn't waste any time in suiting up, grabbing my fins and mask, and practically running to the water.       As I started swimming I realized that the dolphins were much further out than normal, but I was on a mission so I kicked hard. It didn't pay off. As I swam up to the four other snorkelers I saw the dolphins slowly cruising away from the group. I hoped that the pod would turn around and come back but I was a...

        The blog has been quiet this last week because I have been out at sea sailing around the islands of Oahu, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Koho'olawe, and Maui aboard the tallship Makani Olu. The Makani Olu (Gracious Wind) is owned and operated by Marimed Foundation , a non-profit organization involved with sail training since 1988. The 96-foot, three-masted staysail schooner, retrofitted for sail training in Hawaiian waters, is the central component of a model experiential education and treatment program for at-risk adolescents built around ocean voyaging.        The Makani Olu is a 96', three masted schooner. Different groups ranging from elder hostel to private parties can set sail aboard the Makani Olu. This trip was a bit different. Marimed runs a house for troubled boys and occasionally brings them out aboard the Makani Olu as a character and team building endeavor. These boys, 14 through 17, face difficult emotional and educational c...

  Narrowing down what to do on a day off here in Oahu can be a daunting task. There are waterfall hikes, beautiful beaches, historical sites, rainforest, volcanic craters, delicious food, tropical drinks, and of course, the ocean. Surfing, scuba diving, and underwater photography are what really make Hawaii such a special place to live. Almost every day of the year you can head out into the ocean and do any of these three things. If there are big waves in the north you can scuba in the south, if there are high winds in the east I'll head west. On this day I chose to head west and look for the pod of spinner dolphins that often hangs out just off the coast near electric beach.   At first I thought I was out of luck. The conditions were overcast and grey, but flat calm. I could see the dolphins were there and a few snorkelers with them. I hustled to get ready and kicked hard to get out to where the dolphins were. Just as I got to the group of snorkelers the dolphins cru...

Ruins of Kamehameha III's Summer Palace Lea soaking up nature   There is so much to see here on the island of Oahu and I wanted to pack as much in as I could while my sister Lea was visiting. We explored the island north, south, east, and west. On this adventure day we explored some of Oahu's natural gems as well as some historical ones.    The ruins of Kamehameha III's summer palace are located down an unsigned trail through a bamboo forest up in Nuuanu Valley. Unless someone told you how to get there you would probably never stumble upon it. There is a sign next to the doorway telling a brief history of the ruins, but that is it. There is no active preservation going on, although the fact that the location is hidden may be protection enough. I imagine one day this will be a tourist destination with lines and entry fees, but for now it is our own hidden jewel. Windy Pali Lookout Heidi, Me, Lea, and Ryan at Manoa Waterfall    We continued up...

Lea Ready to Roll   On my circle island tours I drive past the huge Kualoa Ranch all the time, yet I have never ventured deeper into the ranch itself. There are several tours that allow you access to the ranch lands varying from movie location bus tours, to ATV tours, to horseback rides, and jungle vehicle tours. I knew that Lea is always on the lookout for famous movie locations so we jumped into the remodeled school bus for an hour long tour through Kualoa and Ka'awa Valley, or as I like to call it 'Jurassic Valley.' Sugar Mill Ruins WWII Bunker   On the way to the movie locations we passed the ruins of the old sugar mill, hearing the story of how the 9 year old son of the plantation manager slipped and fell into one of the boiling vats of syrup back in the 1860's. We passed WWII pillboxes and a massive bunker that housed some rapid fire guns that could have aided in the defense of the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base. ATV exploring On the Set of Jur...

  Diamond Head Crater looms just behind the bustling tourist district of Waikiki here on Oahu. The tallest part of the crater rim is only 762' above sea level but the hike up can make it seem much higher. The trail winds up from the bottom of the crater floor about 8/10ths of a mile to the summit. Lea and I headed out early in the morning to tackle this hike before the hot sun made it even more difficult.    We were pretty lucky, it was a cold morning and lots of clouds kept it overcast almost the whole way. The clouds also made the landscape pictures even more dramatic. We had a few photo stops on the way up but for the most part Lea and I trekked up with no problem. I made sure to take Lea up the extreme path to the top; 99 stairs straight up, a spiral staircase through the bowels of an old military bunker, a squeeze out of the bunker, and a loop up to the very top. The view was amazing!   From the top we could see Koko Crater on the southeast coast all t...