Capturing the Moment

  Here we are at the end of another incredible year. It has been filled with big travels, adventures, guiding, meet ups with family in foreign countries, and cool wildlife encounters above and below the water. Click through the different links for a look back at different posts and highlights from all the adventures. All the best pictures can be found at www.daimartamarack.com .    The year started out for me running exclusive guiding trips aboard the Safari Explorer in the Hawaiian Islands. The second half of January provided some ample off time for an incredible scuba diving trip to Indonesia with Heidi. We spent some quality time muck diving around the shipwreck of the UST Liberty in Tulamben on the island of Bali and out on Nusa Lembongan , a small island just off the coast. I was overjoyed to be joined by Ed and Jamie all the way from Savannah. Then Heidi and I flew a couple of islands east to catch a liveaboard dive boat called 'Amalia' for a weeklong underwater pho

First Calf Sighting in Maui   It is nearly Christmas here in the Hawaiian Islands and we have been seeing quite a few humpback whales already. Around this time last year I remembered writing a blog post about seeing our first baby humpback calf of the season so I was on the lookout as we cruised through the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary waters off Maui. One of the passengers shouted out, ‘thar she blows, 11 o clock!”, and sure enough a whale exhalation hung above the water like a little cloud for a few second before dissipating.  Everyone looked on in anticipation to see what the whale would do next. Mom pushing baby   Then it happened, another puff cloud but this time a second, smaller, exhalation was noticeable. I radioed up to the bridge to see if my other guide had noticed and she had. We both waited and watched until we saw the same thing again, and then we made the call over the ships loudspeakers, we had our first baby whale of the season! Mom's

   The blog has been quiet for the last week because I have been traveling on assignment well outside of WiFi zones aboard UnCruise's Safari Endeavor in Baja, Mexico. I spent seven days aboard the luxury small ship with 37 other passengers documenting and photographing the amazing places, wildlife, and connections along the way.    With countless scenic coves, half moon bays, sandy beaches, and deserted islands the landscape screams for adventure travel. The life aboard the Safari Endeavor made adventure seem like luxury as the hikes and snorkels were spaced out with gourmet food, fine wine, and complementary massage. The fact that the crew to guest ratio was nearly 1:1 also made for a fabulous feeling of being well taken care of.    Luckily the weather cooperated, some key wildlife showed up, and the sunsets that I had been hearing so much about did not disappoint. More pictures and stories will emerge but lets just say it was a successful and productive immersion into the

Sea Turtle in the Sun Rays at Mala Pier   Turtle over the wreckage Turtle Pictures    It feels good to be back in Hawaiian waters. I am back for another season as Expedition Leader aboard the Safari Explorer with UnCruise Adventures. On the week long cruises we kayak, snorkel, hike, and explore the islands of Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii. As expedition leader it is part of my job to figure out the best places to take the guests to based on weather, wildlife, wind, visibility, and a host of other intricacies that play a factor. Something I always try to do is to find a good turtle snorkel spot to show off some of most charismatic sea life to our visitors. Clouds Above Flying through the sky   We have a chance to encounter sea turtles at any of our snorkel spots, however Maui seems to be the hotbed for green sea turtles. The wreckage of the old Mala Pier and the vast coral reef at Olowalu are two of my favorite spots for almost guaranteed turtle sightings.

   How to see the Lava Ocean Entry on the Big Island of Hawaii    One of the best nature spectacles on Earth has just gotten a lot easier to see. Checking the USGS Kilauea Volcano eruption update page show the lava is still entering the ocean. This is something worth seeing. It used to be difficult, and at times illegal, to make your way out across the fresh lava fields to see the active flow cascading over the cliff into the sea. I went two years ago in March, and had to sneak out past the county guards who were there to make sure only those that went out with a tour group gained access (check out that story here ). Now it is a whole different story. Where did this come from!?    Guards are still at the end of the road, where the far reaches of the lava flowed across the town and beautiful black sand beach of Kalapana in the early 1980's. But now the guards are there to help you park, point you to the bike rentals, and remind you to sunscreen up and take plenty of water.