Naialani

We had a clear day on the island of Oahu a couple days ago. For most of the last 2 weeks VOG(volcanic smoke) has covered our island.. I took this picture from my sons workplace.. There should be a mountain range in the background of this picture... there isn't.. it is covered in VOG.. The waters of the Bay were calm on this day. Soon summer will be here! Finally yesterday i was able to get in the water out west! One of the divers said he thought the dolphins had a mass exodus! Not one in sight! Winter in Hawaii... cloudy days, voggy days, rough water, no dolphins, sigh.. poor turtles feel down right miserable!! LOLOL I am an island gal......

Tuesday the 19Th ... Blue skies all day i decided that after work I would go down to turtle rock... Huge turtles were gathered at the rock ! I was just in awe! WOW! at this size they are at least 20 to 30 years old! There were about five of them just floating, relaxing, not a care in the world. Then I saw him.. the turtle i had swam with scissors for! Sure enough i could see the orange line on his left flipper Well, he sees me at about the same time and i joke you not he MUST of let out a scream or some kind of signal known only to another turtle because within a second or two EVERY SINGLE turtle around that rock was gone! BUT it doesn't end there.... .. When i got home I stuck my camera card in my computer brought up the pictures and noticed this turtle with the orange line had a Number on his shell. I had NOT noticed it before ! #584. I picked up the phone called the turtle people and according to them this turtle had been taken from WAIMEA BAY (my beloved beach) in July 2009, w...

I woke up Sat the 16th to another blue beautiful day! I headed west.. I got in the water and just started swimming..my back muscles were stiff, the winter water keeps me out of the water more than usual and my body is complaining. I look up and see dorsal fins headed my way.. I hadn't heard any dolphin sounds.."don't panic lani, don't panic!" As if hearing my heart beat faster a dolphin pops up right in front of me turns and starts smacking his tail on the water... It was clearly a warning to me saying," Watch it!" I look to shore and realize I am way way out.. too far out. I start talking thru my snorkel" WHOAA I'm too far out here, huh? I gotta swim ALL the way back!" I took several pictures, said "BYE, see you guys!" and headed back in. I wanted to stay and play.. Three dolphins had a yellow plastic bag they were swimming back and forth with. I wanted that bag! I so dislike seeing dolphins play with our trash! But i knew if i g...

The weather here on Oahu has been yucky for the last week so I was surprised yesterday the 15th to see that the breezes had returned , the sky was blue and when i checked the surf report the waves on the North shore had calmed way down. I ventured down to the turtle rock i had been having so much fun at. I had seen the turtle below on my first day at the turtle rock. He had gotten snagged in fishing line and it was all over his neck, head and flippers. It so upset me I got out of the water, hurried into the bustling, little beach town of Haleiwa, to get the number to the turtle hot line here on the island. When i got home I threw a pair of first aid scissors in my beach bag and made a mental note that if I saw a turtle who was in trouble I would do the best i could to help. I am not a professional and I know that good intentions are not always enough. You have to KNOW what you are doing. I could hurt a turtle more than help it so i needed to use my head. He was at the rock yesterday an...

Even though the water is cold and cloudy I am having a blast taking these pictures! It is hard to put the camera down. I took these yesterday. The current was so strong it was pulling my swim shorts off. I just laughed, tied them tighter and kept right on having a blast! I am positive the turtles just think I'm one of those crazy humans they see once in a while! I am an island gal.

I guess I will have to wait for just the right time to get a shot of what i have only seen once... A turtle with a 6 foot shell. But i have to tell you there are worse places i could be waiting! This beach , the cleaning rock the turtles hang out at, the turtles, the fish that clean the turtles are all so beautiful ! I have to say someone is lovingly taking care of this stretch of beach on the North Shore.It is a wonderful place to sit and wait! It is just beautiful! Lucky turtles.. living in a place where the people care! I am an island gal...........