Capturing the Moment

White bumped nudibranch   It had been some time since Heidi and I had been nudibranch hunting in our old diving grounds on Maui. The weather tried to foil us by flooding Kihei with late season downpours and sending surf from the south, but we still managed to find more species of nudibranchs on a few dives than most dive instructors working in Maui see all year. It's all about where you look, and it's not always where you would think to look. Thecacera pacifica, or pokemon guy   We spotted some of our old favorites like imperial nudibranchs, white bump nudibranchs, and gloomy nudibranchs. We were also pleasantly surprised to see some of the rarer species like our little orange nudi that we affectionately call the 'orange pokemon guy.' Tambja morosa with green gills The green gilled new-comer   We found quite a few gloomy nudibranchs ( tambja morosa ) at our secret nudi dive spot but we did notice a much higher percentage with greenish gills than o...

Entrance thru the bamboo Kaniakapupu Ruins   I have been researching 'off the beaten path' hikes and hidden natural treasures here on Oahu for the past few weeks. There is an underground network of hikers here that trade information regarding hikes that are not marked, and some that are marked 'no trespassing'. Photos of natural rock arches, hidden waterfalls, and beautiful landscapes turn up in my searches, but one image stood out. I came across the image of old stone ruins, but not like the ancient heiaus or temples, this had some intact doorways and walls, and was surrounded by jungle.   Heidi and I searched for more information and once we got a starting point we decided to begin our search. We had high confidence after finding Lulumahu Waterfall the day before. We had an idea of where to go, but once again it turned out to be search.   We met a couple of hikers coming back down the trail who told us we chose the wrong turn at the fork and the ruins mu...

  There are all kinds of hikes here on Oahu from ridge line hikes, to coastal treks, to muddy hikes thru lush rainforest. This hike was definitely the latter. This is one of Oahu's popular forbidden hikes. It is off of the Pali highway, and cars are often parked at the trailhead, but keep out signs are posted all along the first park of the hike.    After a brief walk through a dense bamboo thicket the trail emerges at a huge reservoir. "No Diving" signs were posted along the concrete pier. I've always wanted to explore this part of Nuuanu valley. On rainy days I've seen numerous waterfalls cascading off the steep cliffs in this valley. Now was our chance to explore.   I found out about this hike after doing a little research online. I couldn't find very precise directions, so we initially followed the path marked with pink ribbons tied around the trees. Turns out that it was the wrong trail. We followed the ribbons deeper and deeper through the mud, ...

  There are always new spots to explore, secret beaches to find, and solid surf spots to test out here on Oahu. My latest find was a real beauty. While thousands of tourists are climbing up the trail to the top of Diamond Head crater, just behind it locals are climbing down the cliff to a beautiful strip of sand fronted with some well formed, easy going waves.   There are a few breaks over the patches of reef which spreads out the crowd. And there is almost always a crowd. During the winter months this south shore break is great for beginners and intermediate surfers but I hear it can get pretty wild during those big summer south swells. From on top of the cliff it is easy to see the reef below the surfers.    The beach here winds down the beautiful coast, filled with palm trees, towards the million dollar estates of Kahala. Only a few people were strolling the beach. It is a steep trail to get down to the sand but well worth it for this little piece of se...

Hanauma Bay, Oahu   Oahu's southeast shore is very rugged and has some real gems if you look hard enough. A very popular one is Hanauma Bay. Over a million visitors come to this idyllic bay every year to sunbath and go snorkeling. But just around the corner you can find almost deserted beaches, hikes out to lighthouses, and some amazing shades of blue water.    Hanauma bay is so popular because of the easy, protected inner reef. It is a great place for people learning how to snorkel or who just want to sunbath and take a quick dip to cool off. This spot use to be notorious for people walking on the reef and the effects of this can still be seen today. Old, dead reef, which should have new coral growing on top of it still remains dead close to shore. Luckily conservation efforts were slowly put into place, and in 2002 visitors were required to pay a small fee and watch an educational movie about how to not harm the reef ecosystem. It will take a while for the inner re...

Best Hikes on Maui: The Big Three Adventure Hikes Maui is full of amazing hikes. I am going to go over some of my favorite that I have done over the past three years but keep in mind there are still many hikes left for future exploration.  The Commando Hike   This is the biggest secret hike on Maui. I get dozens of people everyday trying to find out information on my blog about this hike. I am still inclined not to give the location of the starting point but just know that if you find someone who will take you prepare to be blown away. This hike is on the road to Hana but not too far from the bamboo forest hike. For the adventure seeker this can be the ultimate hike. You have creek hopping, waterfall climbing, swimming, lava tube spelunking,   giant cows on the trail, a jungle gym of vines, and the possibility of cliff jumping at the end. Not to mention it’s the only hike where you will have to face a waterfall in a lava tube.Be prepared for some tough mo...