SUMMER KAUAI 2014

Kauai Summer

               Back home in time for the remaining Kauai summer, we celebrated with a Holoholo snorkel boat across the channel toward Ni’ihau Island. 
Niihau Island and Lehua Islet

                Of course the boat takes us along the Na Pali before heading across – we never tire of seeing that part of Kauai that can only be seen by air or boat. 

Looking north up the Na Pali  

Kalalau Beach
 We have kayaked this coast several times, glad to be under power today

Leaving the Na Pali behind
Actually leaving Kauai - fun to see her from a distance

                Only native Hawaiians are allowed to land on Ni’ihau so the boats tie off at Lehua, an old cinder cone islet.  Lehua geology is pretty unique.  Lehua is home to many native seabirds and with no human habitation or streams, the water is clear. 

 The keyhole of Lehua

 Home to countless seabirds, this is a Red Foot Booby colony

At the opposite end of Lehua, brown or black noddies in the air with
Kauai behind

                 There were a couple monk seals in the water as we pulled into the cove and sure enough one was curious and playing while we were in the water but we all kept our distance much as we would have liked to swim closer.  Lots of plankton in the warm water.


MonkSeal from the boat
               


Gil got this little millet seed butterfly fish.  The vertical stripes are actually little black dots – thus the name.


 Milletseed Butterflyfish about 4"
The coral is probably 15 feet or more down
           
 3 Indo-Pacific Sergeant Damselfish, about 6"
The Hawaiian Sergeant doesn't have such thick stripes 

           Lehua’s slope continues underwater, the abruptly drops down.  Plenty of fish, a little deep for my camera but so beautiful. 

 Looking down the wall, Lehua is a nice scuba spot

Barred Filefish, about 15"
A coral eater

Heading back, rough ride, slammed in our seats, I had an ice bag on my foot, a very pretty pink and purple toe, also got a massive fever blister a few days later as I could not get to my chap stick!   Small price, gotta get out there somehow  . . .


Leaving Lehua
Aloha - see you next time

Ke’e Beach and Lagoon
                From our house we can drive to the “end of the road” which is where the Na Pali starts. The thing about going to Ke’e is to either go early in the day or late because there is so little parking now that they are restoring the area.  Gil and I drove out, took a swim and had a picnic late one afternoon and watched the sunset.  Sadly that is getting earlier each day.


 Ke'e Beach
One of the best spots in the world


Too many clouds on the horizon for a green flash

                At Ke’e the reef encloses a nice lagoon for people and fish – a respite from the outer reef and deep sea that goes all the way to Japan.  I went back another day early in the morning to snorkel.  

The Na Pali from the water at Ke'e

 Scrawled or Scribble File Fish - about 24"
Two Ringtail Surgeonfish above in their black phase - about 15"
A second, smaller Scribble below Ringtail on right

The Hawaii State fish - Humuhumunukunukuapua'a
Or, the Wedgetail or Reef Triggerfish, about 10"
The Humu is very common while snorkeling but quite evasive when a camera is around
Finally !
Small Saddle Wrasse below - most common fish on the reef

                After these guys it turned into a wrasse day.  The wrasse is characterized by a long narrow body with lots of variety and pretty fun to watch – especially when they change so radically from youth to alpha male.


 Old Woman Wrasse (I didn't name it)
In alpha stage the tail is all black, the other name is Blacktail Wrasse
This one is about 12"

Christmas Wrasse about 12"

 Full alpha Saddle Wrasse - big and bright at 10"
Smaller one down below is initial phase and about 5"

Juvenile Blackstripe Coris (wrasse)
Hawaiian Hilu (hee-loo)
I seem to be lucky to see these fish in all their phases
Alpha male is 20" and Aqua with dots like stars - 
prior to switch they have white sides with B/W stripes on top


                Also took some urchin photos which I usually don’t “see” while looking for fish or coral or whatever focus I may have on a given day.


Zebra Urchin

 Pencil Urchin

Collector Urchin
These guys usually have all kinds of debris stuck to them as a camouflage device
This one is just growing seaweed - quite pretty

Limahuli Garden
                One of the best places on the island to spend time, this botanical garden is restoring the native Hawaiian ocean-to-mountain sustainable land use system.  Nearly overrun with invasive plants, small sections are being carved out to feature endemic and/or native plants.  The entrance is near the end of the road so it’s a natural to visit the same day as Ke’e.  Continuing research for my book, I needed a couple specific pictures but enjoyed all that Limahuli is.



Limahuli Gardens - 
restoring the Hawaiian land division from
the ocean to the mountain

           Not what I came to photograph, the prize of the day was this lobelia in bloom.  


Lobelia Niihauensis
One of the endemic plants that evolved in concert with an 
equally endemic honeycreeper bird with a curved bill
The lobelias are becoming very rare in the wild


Both called Laua'e Fern, the common (like I have in my yard) and the endemic version called Laua'e Pe’ahi.
 
Common     

                                     Endemic                                 

Other common plants, ti, or ki, and hala.  Both were brought by the original Polynesians but the hala had already made its way here before humans.


Green Ki plant and Hala

                I also have Olena in my yard but I don’t dig up the roots when I want to cook with the turmeric root, I buy it at the Farmers Market.


 Hawaiian Olena (oh-lay-na) the root is turmeric, ginger family

Turmeric root (olena)
Extremely healthy, tastes spicey, gives rich golden to orange color to foods (or fabric as dye)
Wear rubber gloves when grating !

                So many plants in Hawaii are in the hibiscus family but one part of Limahuli Garden features the ornamentals we know and love.









            Funny, it just occurred to me that the first exposure I had to anything Hawaiian was as a child sitting through an evening with people who had just returned to Denver with incredible slides of the flowers.  It was hard to sit still that long but they were gorgeous.  No blame.

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