Capturing the Moment

  This was one of the spots where I was very excited to return to. After traveling around 100 miles, and across the equator, during the night, we arrived at Punta Vicente Roca on the northwestern tip of Isabela Island, here in the Galapagos archipelago. The volcanic geology of the island reminds me so much of Hawaii. Isabela Island is the youngest of the islands, along with Fernandina which we will explore this afternoon, and fresh lava flows happened as recently as three months ago here. Today the volcano was quiet, and the water a bit choppy, but not the big swells that effected my trip so much last time. The sun and shadows were perfect for this striking profile shot of a blue-footed booby. Flightless cormorants are endemic to the Galapagos Islands. I guess you don't need to worry about flying when your food is right next to your nest. It was funny to see them drying their wings just like their flying cousins on the mainland. Guide Dries took about nine of us out in the zodiac t...

  A magical world of fern and moss in the cave behind Twin Falls on the road to Hana in Maui. One of my favorite waterfalls on Maui is called Twin Falls. It is at the very beginning of the famous Road to Hana, and has pretty easy parking. The trail to the falls is lined with rainforest plants like wild ginger, bromeliads, and heliconia. It only takes about 20 minutes to get to the amazing falls at the end. The waterfall has a gentle pool that is great to swim in and cool off. But the real reason I love this waterfall is the fact that you can access a cave behind the falls. I think as a kid, I watched so many adventure movies where the characters walk through a waterfall and find a secret cave behind, that grew up always wanting to do the same. This is the closest I've ever come. The cave behind the falls is pretty wide, and provides some opportunities for stunning photographs. I got here pretty early, after a sunrise dawn patrol surf session at Hookipa, so the lighting was pretty m...

  The low tide had placed this piece of ice perfectly atop this rock inside the cave. View from the back of the cave. The goal of today's paddle was to head to the face of a very active glacier, called Chenega Glacier, and see if we could witness some calvings. However, I don't want to miss all the amazing nooks and crannies of the shoreline on the way. There can be surprises around every corner if you slow down and take the time to explore. I love paddling around ice and watching glaciers calve from water level, but I think going back into crevices and caves in the cliffs can be just as fun. And it can be very photogenic. Today was an extra special kayak. The group included my sister and brother in law. We had incredible weather, calm seas and sunshine. The glacier itself was very active, with a few huge calvings. We were able to paddle through the brash ice, bouncing off big growlers. It sounded like rice krispies all around us. And we got to check out some really cool sea ca...