Tide Pools, Beaches, Sharks, Sunsets and Dinner at the Canoe House at the Mauna Lani

Hanging out at the Mauna Lani!
FIRE POWER!!!!



The Canoe House is located to the left of Austin in the photo below. A fantastic restaurant with a killer view of the ocean. While we were waiting for them to open around six in the evening we took a walk along the ocean front. I don't know why but tide pools always seem to pull you into them. The kids are always curious about what might have gotten washed in but not out!





I've been playing with my camera, settings, and aperture when I finally got my Nikon home here is a before and after photo of the same picture with different exposure and color settings applied. Just doodling for me right now, maybe I'll get more serious with much more practice!

The eyes behind the lens, most of the time! Once in a while I hand it over, but not often!
I couldn't believe the color of the foliage on this tree, it was so gorgeous, and it is untouched too! The photo is simply that a photo of a beautiful orange/red tree.
Since I never saw one in the ocean, this will have to suffice...



Cara and her first Hawaiian sunset.










Eating at the Canoe House




Evening #2 out at the Mauna Lani Resort:

While we went to the Mauna Lani to eat at the fabulous Canoe House Restaurant, which was by the way, superb,  we took a stroll along the water, searched the tide pools, enjoyed the resort's aquatic life and the hammerhead shark (Cara was happy we weren't diving with it), and while we were all rockin' our first semi-sunburn despite the care of sunscreen with an SPF of 50 had a great dinner and enjoyed the first sunset of our trip! (I think that is one of my longest run on sentences- ever. My English professor would be proud.)

Golden Arches Dive Site, Kona Hawaii

Our second dive during our stay was at one of the local favorite dive sites, Golden Arches. Interesting factoid... it seems as if there are quite a few moorings the crew has named after restaurants; Golden Arches, Tako Bell, 

Here is Austin and Dean hanging out while the rest of us make our way down to the bottom.
Dennis, he looks so professional wearing that nitrox tank and all his new gear! We recently purchased the Titan LX regulator and the Cobra computer with compass combination and the Balance BCD/ Libra for women and couldn't be happier with our choices. There are many companies with awesome gear specific to different dives, but for all around diving warm waters these are our pick! All our gear is from the company Aqua Lung including our slingshot fins which are incredible and have so much flexibility in various ocean conditions. I even had to get this year the new pink ones to match my wetsuit. What can I say... I'm a girl!

Here is Austin and Dennis heading towards one of the two arches that define this dive site.
These yellow striped fish (I can't find my fish book) can usually be found schooling inside the arch which is the main reason they are so aptly named.


Dennis is coming through one of the arches here. I just like the contrast of light and dark in these pictures.




There were so many small schools of fish everywhere this trip. I don't know if I just never noticed the smaller species or if it is the result of seasonal spawning and growth in the oceans.


In these next three photos, we found a leaf scorpion fish. They are such amazing creatures of camouflage that you almost don't even notice their existence among the coral and rock. The first picture he is towards the left hand side of the photo.
Dead center of this photo these extremely venomous leaf scorpion fish are ambush predators. This was the first time I had seen one.
Panning out farther in the frame you can see how well this fish has adapted to it's surroundings.
Austin found this "scrambled egg" nudibranch. Last April I found a lot of interest in these tiny creatures. They are very hard to find sometimes unless you are looking for them and other times like this one you will just happen upon it because it sticks out like a sore thumb.


In April we tried to no avail to feed a helmet shell a sea urchin. This time was different. We found a couple and Austin was able to see this enormous sea snail envelope and devour the poor little collector sea urchin. He thought it was tremendous!







RIGHT ON! Dennis says, "We finally got one to take the bait!"

How much time can I stay under?
This one wasn't as hungry...

Can you spot the spotted eel?

Sometimes it's hard to "pose" for an underwater shot like Dennis was asking me to do here. Luckily there were only rocks and sand beneath my fins!


This was another, "Hey, swim this way so I can get a picture of you!" pose.
Austin doing his safety stop at 15 feet. I'm always proud of him he feels so at home in the ocean but is always very cautious to look at his gauges for air and depth. I felt completely at ease to allow him to exit all on his own while I still had plenty of air for a 70 minute dive!