Close-Up Look

Wouldn't this be the coolest thing ever if you were a kid?

Look! A Turtle!

We easily spotted over two dozen sea turtles (Honu) feeding on the algae at Papailoa Beach last weekend.  This guy was particularly friendly, and hung around in the protected waters where we played for at least an hour. 

P: Papailoa Beach

I've posted photos of Papailoa before, because it's one of my favorite places on the island.  During the summer, tons of sand are deposited on the shore, nearly covering most of the rocks and making it one of my son's favorite places to play with his toy dump truck.  Swimming with sea turtles is almost guaranteed.  Contrast that scene with winter, when the sand is sucked back out into the ocean, the waves crash violently onto the exposed rock, and the turtles are nowhere to be seen. 

An interesting fact about Papailoa (that I can't remember if I've mentioned before) is that the beach and grove of trees behind it were two of the main filming locations for the TV series "Lost".  For more 'P' photos, visit ABC Wednesday HERE.

Hide and Seek

This guy kept popping in and out of the cracks in the large rocks at Papailoa Beach - this is as close as I got to a full shot of him!

Sea Turtle Season

During the summer, it is very easy to spot green sea turtles who come ashore to feed on the algae that grows abundantly.  Best bets for sighting one are Laniakea Beach (appropriately nicknamed Turtle Beach) and Papailoa Beach, both on the North Shore. 

Respite

Ahhh...Papa'iloa Beach.  One of my favorites.  I don't know what makes me love it more than the others. Is it the afternoon shade offered by the palms, the stillness seldom found on other North Shore beaches, or the chance to spot a sea turtle sunning itself? 

Papailoa

This was taken at Papailoa Beach on the North Shore.  It was one of the main filming locations of the TV series "LOST".   In the summer the sand is wide, the water is calm, and you can almost always find green sea turtles eating and basking in the sun.  In the winter though, tons of sand along North Shore beaches are removed by high surf and many rocks are exposed.  Papailoa becomes turbulent, even dangerous.  Waves smash into the exposed rocks and green algae, creating little waterfalls and tidepools everywhere.  In the summer, the sand will be re-deposited, creating a nice wide sandy beach again.