Capturing the Moment

The Northern Lights     Even though I am in the northernmost state of the United States, and even though I was expecting to see amazing things this summer in Alaska, for some reason I wasn’t convinced that I would be seeing the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the “Northern Lights.” But here we are, week one of the Alaska season and we have seen them twice! Well, some people saw it twice…    Day two of our weeklong adventure cruise between Ketchikan and Juneau the passengers were awoken in the wee morning hours by the on-duty mate to a call for Northern Lights.  Unfortunately I was either not awakened…or too tired from working too hard. Needless to say I was pretty bummed that I missed them, but very excited that most of the guest were able to witness it. Some guest grabbed some great pictures as well. I crossed my fingers that we would not only have another clear night, but that the light show would happen again.   Day three was it. It w...

  Swimming with dolphins is always such a pleasure. These pictures are of a pod of Hawaiian spinner dolphins ( Stenella longirostris ) that frequents the western shore of Oahu. I haven't seen them the last few times I have been over to that side so I was pleasantly surprised to see them playfully leaping out of the water just offshore.   I had my kayak and snorkel gear so I loaded up my gear in the kayak and shoved off in between sets right from electric beach. A couple of snorkel boats were zooming in to check out the dolphins so I headed farther offshore to where I saw a whale blow. I was hoping to get to see some humpback whale action but after one sighting of two blows from about 500 yards off I never saw them again. But it was a beautiful day to be in the kayak and the slight breeze felt great. After a while I paddled back in to where the dolphins were still playing.   As the dolphins turned to swim towards me I slipped in the water and peered into the blue. I...

Water Lily Madagascar Day Gecko   Hidden in the back corner of beautiful Manoa valley is the Lyon Arboretum. For the nature lover it is set in a lush rainforest with a small waterfall at the end of the trail. For the birder it may be your only chance to spot white cockatoos and green parrots screeching in the tree tops. And don't even get me started for the plant lover. From water lilies in small ponds, to entire gardens of bromeliads and heliconia, this garden has it all. Orchids grow wild up in the trees and down on the ground, and some time in the next 40 years their two Halipot Palms are going to put on one heck of a blooming show.   Started in 1918 by the Hawaii Sugar Planters' Association (HSPA), the Lyon Arboretum began as a reforestation effort to protect that valuable watershed. In 1953 Harold Lyon urged the HSPA to transfer ownership over to the University of Hawaii with the stipulation that it will always be used as an arboretum and botanical garden. ...

  Shore diving is not the usual method of diving here on Oahu. Most of the nearshore reefs are very shallow and not very colorful. It is almost certainly related to the amount of people visiting, building, and living here. However once you get off the beaten path there may be a few surprises in store for the Oahu shore diver. One such place I have been hearing a lot about is a dive called the Halona Blowhole.    The blowhole is a popular tourist stop right along the highway a few miles past Hanauma Bay. Being on the southeast corner of the island it is a great spot for sunrises as well as the most popular whale watching spot on the island. Winds and waves have created layered rock formations along the cliffs. These cliffs also make it a risky spot to scuba dive. If the conditions are bad or if there is a strong current, finding a different spot to get out can be very hard.     A steep rock path winds its way down to a secret beach just next to the Halona Blow...

A pod of Hawaiian spinner dolphins Back home on Oahu after near two months of being away I wasted no time in reacquainting myself with some of the more colorful local residents. Pods of spinner dolphins can often be seen playing in the water very close to the shoreline all around the Hawaiian islands. During the day they like to relax in shallow, sandy bays before heading to deeper water at night to find food.  While it is fun to watch spinner dolphins from the shore or from a boat, there is something magical about seeing them underwater. They have a certain grace and curiosity that hints at their intelligence. We can relate to their family grouping and playfulness as well. Knowing how to observe them is very important. I take care not to chase them or frighten them when I take photographs of dolphins. Luckily I can hold my breath for a while so when I know the dolphins are heading my way I can swim down and wait for them with my camera at the ready. That way they don't fee...

Following the food bin No one know he is there but me: Bull Shark  When I was first getting in to advanced underwater photography I got a lot of advice from a pro photographer named David Fleetham. One thing I remember him mentioning was his desire to go back to a famous shark dive in Fiji, where sharks emerge a few feet in front of you from the midst of a tornado of fish. I later had a couple friends travel to Fiji with a dive trip run by Maui Dreams and they came back with similar stories of this shark dive I just had to do. So this incredible sounding dive has been on my radar for some time but when was I going to get the chance to be in Fiji....insert the great Oceana Trip of '13. And what better way to introduce Myles and Jack to Fijian diving than to go straight to the Beqa shark dive I've heard so much about! A bull cruises close in front I've been talking about this ever since our first dive together in Australia. It is only fitting that this was to...

Trying to escape the bad weather that has been hounding our attempts to hike on the glaciers we took off south in search of thrills and adventures. We knew that Queenstown, the city of adventure, lay at the end of this road, but what we didn't know was how amazing the journey itself would be. Roaring Billy Falls    We had heard about road closures and curfews on driving the mountain pass between Haast and Wanaka, so we made sure to get an early start. We stopped to check out Hunt's Beach on a tip from a local surfer but the massive swell from a few days earlier had all but disappeared. Once we turned inland and passed the tiny village of Haast, the scenery started changing into dramatic mountain landscapes. Often the road would wind its way following a river before inclining more for a climb higher into the mountains.   The scenery was beautiful from the road but it was the numerous trails leading into the jungle that provided the most stunning views. Huge, ca...