Shore Hugger

 I'm afraid that all the recent talk about big bad tiger sharks (click HERE for most recent story), combined with not-so-clear water, kept me swimming close to shore this morning.

Which is actually a good thing since that is where most of the fishies and turtles hang out. And I certainly saw an abundance of little fishies this morning.

Glassy Fun

The Maui Pink Cap Swimmers had another fun, fun, fun swim in absolutely stellar conditions.

Well, the water could have been clearer, but it was glassy flat and gloriously warm.

And then Josh ran into six Spotted Eagle Rays for yet more fun.

Click HERE for more photos from this morning's ocean swim.

Fallback Position

When I'm not feeling especially inspired to photograph anything (like today) then I resort to one of a handful of my fallback spots, places which I can't help but shoot because "they're so darn purty."

Bewitching Mermaids

I was bewitched by two real live mermaids this morning.

How do I know they were actually mermaids? Well, besides their stunning beauty, their superb mastery of swimming, and their siren songs, both of their names (Marcie and Mara) derive from the sea (el Mar).

Gotta Love It

Yet another perfect Maui morning. I love my life.

Hiding Spot

Two Trumpet Fish were tucked away, safe and sound, beneath this Hawksbill Turtle (above) this morning. I guess that's one way to avoid predators.

There's no way that method would work with regular Green Sea Turtles because they are often laying flat on the sea floor with no room to hide underneath. 

Sweet & Spicy

Other than encounters with a few little stinging critters to spice our swim up a bit, we had a sweet morning. The water is still gloriously warm and was unbelievably flat and calm. Perfect, perfect conditions for the Maui Pink Cap Swimmers.

It was also fun showing off our ocean to a few first-time (with us) visitors.

Click HERE for a few more photos from today's swim.

Leaf Grabber

 The ocean water was kind of scummy this morning due to runoff from some afternoon downpours this past week. But that didn't keep Maui's Spinner Dolphins from tracking me down during my brief swim today.

They were tremendously playful and kept trying to get me to join in. One kept teasing me by dropping leaves in front of me and leaving them there. As soon as I finally made an attempt to grab the leaf, it would swoop in at the last second to recapture it.

Click HERE for more photos from today's swim.

I've Been Swooped

Four Spotted Eagle Rays swooped in on me during my ocean swim this morning. They swam over, under and all around me, and were way too close most of the time for me to get decent photos. Fortunately, three of them backed off just far enough for me to get the photo above.

The Hawksbill turtle below was, on the other hand, mostly oblivious to my presence. It looked my way once before settling in to munch on some more delicious sponges. 

Evocative

I'm kicking myself for not getting the name of the photographer doing wedding photography on the beach this morning. He was getting rather evocative (if not provocative) poses out of the bride and groom he was shooting - which is definitely NOT the norm on Maui. I grabbed this snapshot as I walked by while he was between shots.

Maui's sugar company continues its practice of burning the entire field before harvesting sugar cane.

Mu

Mu, also known as Emperor Fish.

Fast Fish

I was trying to get photos of Koi in a shady pond this morning, but they kept moving too fast for my camera to capture. Oh wait, I should say I was being artistic in getting this photograph...

Lazy Days of Summer

 Okay, I know, for most people in the northern hemisphere summer is becoming a distant memory.

But for us here in Hawaii, October is the warmest month of the year. Especially when the trade winds die, like they did this weekend.

So this is the perfect time to read a book in a hammock, or head down to the beach and sit in the shade of a palm tree.

Get Well Visit

 Wow, it's hard to believe that it has been almost two full months since Maui's Spinner Dolphins have joined me on one of my ocean swims.

I guess they must have heard that I have not been feeling well, and they had to come by and offer a couple of chirps of encouragement. Thanks, guys, I feel better already.

Click HERE for more photos from this morning's swim.

Stumbling Distance

 Between a rather nasty cold, which can't seem to let go, and a pile of work, I have been rather out of it for the past couple of weeks.

Fortunately, since I was a bit unsteady on my feet this morning, there are beautiful sights within stumbling distance from my house.

Maui never fails to disappoint.

Every Day

Every day may not start out sunny, but that doesn't make it any less wonderful.

Challenge Lovers

The skies were gray and the water was choppy for the Maui Pink Cap Swimmers this morning. Does that mean that we didn't swim or had a bad time? Heck no! Bring on the challenges and we will rise to surmount them.

Click HERE for more photos from today's ocean swim.

Floating Mountain

Black and White Friday finds Haleakala floating among the clouds this morning.

Water Cleaning System

Lots of little fishies were hanging in the current again this morning feasting on whatever the Tahiti Express happened to deliver to their doorsteps.

Both I and this turtle had no problem slipping past the strong current, but I kept running into floating debris. It's a good thing the fishies are doing such a great job of keeping the water clean (and, no, I don't want to hear about where their bathrooms are located).

Fun at the Point

 There were literally thousands of little Sergeant-Majors out at the point this morning feeding on whatever micro-organisms happened to be floating by in the current.

This Spotted Eagle Ray joined in the commotion just for the fun of it.

And Bruce was being stand-offish as usual. Every time I came anywhere near, she quickly took off in the other direction.