Capturing the Moment

   Hawaiian Monk Seals are critically endangered, with a population hovering around 2,000. They can only be found in the Hawaiian island change, with most of them in the unpopulated Northwest Hawaiian Islands. About 200 closely watched, tagged, and recorded individuals call the main Hawaiian Islands home, which means encounters are highly unlikely. In fact if you do see one there is a special hotline to call to report your sighting. NOAA heads up the protection and recording of monk seal sightings, so if you do get the lucky chance to encounter one you can find the phone number to report it on the NOAA monk seal page here . Monk Seal Large Format Picture I have been lucky enough to see several monk seals over the years with a couple of encounters being in the water while diving or snorkeling. It is always such a rare treat to even catch a glimpse of these rare creatures. So you can imagine my surprise when I am leading about twenty snorkelers in a rarely visited spot on ...

Views along the trail Phoebe whale watching   There is a hike leading from the end of the road that is the only way to get out to Oahu's western tip called Ka'ena Point. Every winter we try to head out to see the albatross chicks as well as humpback whales and monk seals. This year's hike started off with a bang. Just as we left the car and got underway Heidi pointed just offshore to a disturbance in the water. Just then a huge mother humpback whale launched itself into a full breach, right were Heidi had pointed to! Trailblazing Albatross Nesting Area   Our good friend Phoebe joined us for this years annual trek. After the huge whale breach the mom and calf took off north, hugging the coastline. So we took off in pursuit focusing on our footing while trying not to miss the next big breach. I had my camera and long lens ready but it seemed that the mom and calf had switched to travel mode. It was all we could do to keep up with them as we speedily tackled ...

View from the old Pali Highway Old Pali Highway hike   A full day of adventuring here in Oahu included waterfalls, botanical gardens, and exploring some of the back roads with my mom. We found dramatic overlooks, old highways long since forgotten, ancient battlefields, the longest beach on Oahu, and even a chance stop at a polo match. It is always good to have the flexibility and adventurous spirit while traveling, you never know what you may come across. Luckily my mom has that in droves.    The Nuuanu-Pali overlook was a great place to start. This is the ancient battle site of the final stand of Oahu warriors defending against the invading Kamehameha. Many of the defenders ended up falling to their deaths off the steep cliff. Around the corner from the overlook we found the remains of the old Pali road, determined to clutch tightly against the sheer cliffs. Nowadays the old Pali road is open for hikers and provides some beautiful views of the Ko'olau range a...

Shark's Cove, North Shore, Oahu Ed and Heidi descending    My friend Ed had just become a certified scuba diver before coming to Oahu and Heidi had recently procured an underwater camera so we were all anxious to check what was below the waves of Oahu's North Shore. We picked up tanks from one of our favorite dive shops located in Haleiwa, called Hawaii Eco Divers. The three of us packed in our dive gear and Jamie came along to do a little solo snorkeling. We headed to our favorite North Shore spot called Shark's Cove. There is a pretty easy shallow entry near the entrance to the huge tide pool. Lots of huge boulders give fish plenty of places to hide near shore and excited snorkelers who don't want to stray to far. Ed, Heidi and I headed away from the protected area out to the point where we were going to drop down and start our dive. Just before we arrived I heard Heidi's tank banger and whipped around to see a pair of spotted eagle rays gliding under us....

   A wilderness area surrounds the western point of the island of Oahu. To get to this point you either need an incredible 4X4 vehicle, or a solid pair of hiking shoes. Or in our case a bottle of water and some local slippas (flip flops.) This hike can be pretty hot so hats, sunscreen, and water are essential. The views and wildlife are worth a little bit of sweat. On our way to Ka'ena Point the winding trail follows the rugged coastline on one side and steep mountains on the other. Humpback whales swim offshore and it may be the best place on the island to spot the rare Hawaiian monk seal.   Once we neared the point we entered a wildlife sanctuary. A large swath of the coast has been fenced off to protect a vital breeding area for Laysan albatross ( Phoebastria immutabilis ) . These huge sea birds who can spend months at sea come to Ka'ena point to nest and raise their chicks. It was my mission to find and photograph a baby albatross. Mission completed! The fluf...