I promised these waves quite some time ago, but my life is pretty much being lived on a schedule that didn’t leave time for photo editing. Each of these photos has been somewhat edited, but only to move sea spray blemishes. I worked diligently to keep my camera lens clean but there was so much water in the air it was pretty much a hopeless cause.
These are seven frames in a row. I guess I should have put them in slide show form and played them really fast for you.
I took this photo at Waimea Beach the day before the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikua Competition is held only when waves top 20 feet in Waimea Bay. This past Tuesday was only the 8th time the contest has been offered since the first one in 1984.
Eddie Aikau was one of Hawaii’s best surfers, swimmers, life guards and citizens. He was lost at sea in March of 1978 when the double-hulled voyaging canoe on which he was a crew member began sinking. Eddie left the boat to paddle to Lanai for help. The other crew members were later rescued by the Coast Guard. Eddie Aikau never made it to the island of Lanai and his body was never recovered.
(I have deliberately been very brief with Eddie’s Biography. Look it up and read it for yourself. It’s worth the time & effort.)
Amoeba and I went to Haleiwa again today. He collected seaweed. I waded in the water and snapped a few photographs.
It was a beautiful day for visiting the beach.
Apparently these snails thought so too because they held a convention.
The black snails, not wanting to be outdone, held an even bigger convention.
This little moth came out to sun himself. He’s so small and so well camouflaged here that had he not fluttered his wings at just the right moment, I might have passed by without noticing him.
Even this little green inch worm knew it was a great day to go to the beach.
This Gulf Fritillary Butterfly decided to stop on his way to the beach and smell the flowers.
While his cousin chose to hang out in the She-Oak Tree before flying off to see the sea.
These little Wax Bills came to the beach to picnic on grass seeds.
And a couple of sea turtles came in near shore to feast on grassalaria, a favored seaweed.
And I waited, waited, waited patiently for one of them to come up for a breath of air.
It was a great day for visiting the beach. You’re probably the only one who wasn’t there!
Another post with photos from our day with Joy. I gave Joy my snorkeling stuff and sent her off with the scientist (Amoeba) to hunt for exciting sea life, while I played with the boring stuff in the shallows. I have no idea what Amoeba was showing Joy in this photo, but I know it was neither boring nor slimy. Had it been she wouldn’t be so close!
(click on photos for larger view)
Amoeba teaching Joy, Phycology Marine Biology 101
Now, when I said I got the boring stuff, one has to remember that boring is relative.
An Angel Fish swimming in the Shark's Cove inner tidepool.
Some things were easy to see.
Somethings were not so easy to see.
Little Green Crab on Lava Rock
These lovely zebra striped angel fish and dozens of little schools of tiny, almost see through, silvery fish darted everywhere.
Zebra Striped Angel Fish
I don’t know the name of these little fish. They were the most plentiful and easily noticeable denizens of the inner tidal pools, darting this way and that so quickly that I took dozens of photos of them but only a few came out.
Darting silverfish, name unknown by me.
When no fish could be found, there were other things to focus the camera on.
Sea Sculpture
This flashy, colorful sea creature followed me every where I went.
Quite often it annoyed me by scaring off creatures I hoped to photograph.
Pft.
Quilly's Toes
A little late — but here are more photos from the day we spent beaching with Joy. First off, Amoeba is particular where he eats, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be eating out of a lunch wagon alongside the ocean.
Shark's Cove Grill
I pointed out that we’d eaten at this particular place previously on a friend’s recommendation and we’d not only liked it, we were still alive. Amoeba acquiesced, reluctantly. We sat at the little table on the far right.
The dining area at Shark's Cove Grill
I don’t know what Joy might have been thinking. She never said yea or nay. She did ask what I’d eaten the last time we were there. I told her and that’s what she ordered.
Joy's Ahi Sandwich
As you can see Joy’s sandwich has a solid Ahi (tuna) fillet. She said it was delicious. It looked so good I almost regretted my order — but only momentarily.
Shrimp Skewer with Pine Nut Pesto Sauce
Amoeba ordered the chicken skewer, so his plate looked much like mine. I don’t remember what his sauce was, but he and I traded bites & his was quite good, too. The photo of his dinner didn’t turn out because he stuck his hand in the way. Once he tasted the food all his reluctance to eat at the lunch truck was gone.
One of the other diners washing up before lunch.
