December to Remember

What is it about sunrises and sunsets that make us all stop for a few moments and watch? Is it intrinsic that we are all drawn to the arrival of a new day or the colors left behind as the day comes to an end. Whatever it is, there seems to be something magical that distracts us all. I feel so blessed to have enjoyed many incredible sunrises and sunsets over the past two months at sea onboard the Celebrity Century.

Collectively, the hours of staring at the horizon has allowed me some time to reflect on the wonderful people I've met and all of the amazing things I've been able to experience. Whether on land, just off shore, or several miles out to sea, the flora and fauna in Hawaii never cease to amaze or inspire me. I continue to learn new things with every visit. From an epic flight around Oahu on a tiny airplane to being surrounded by the biggest school of yellow tang I've ever seen in Kona to Bottlenose dolphins greeting Humpback whales in Maui ... 

This month was a wonderful way to complete the past year of adventure since graduating from HPU last December. My attempts to come up with the right words to describe what I have encountered over the past few weeks have failed, so I will leave you with just a few pictures that really are worth so much more. Happy Holidays and all the best for the New Year! Aloha.

'Tis the Season

It’s barely December, but it is impossible not to know the end of the year is approaching. Christmas lights and decorations cannot be escaped on land, nor can they be avoided in any public area on the ship. But not only are people preparing for a holiday … the Humpback Whales of the North Pacific are on the move to their tropical winder breeding grounds of choice.

Sailing toward Ensanada, Mexico last week, a small group passed right in front of the ship, heading South.

Then, four days later, two hundred miles from Honolulu, I was elated to see a group of about five (based on their spouts) about a quarter of a mile off our port side. Within minutes of sighting the whales, a male Great Frigate Bird soared overhead. Two wildlife sightings at once was almost too much for me to process, but I was momentarily distracted from the water and followed the black angular figure of the frigate as he effortlessly climbed higher into the sky. As if things couldn’t get any better, he was joined by what appeared to be a female, as I could make out white markings on her chest instead of the distinct red throat pouch of the male. One of my favorite features of many seabirds is that they mate for life. Looking more closely at the markings on the photos later, I realized the other bird was probably immature. Although unclear, I’d like to think it was a female.

Soon, the pair disappeared over the horizon and I was back to scanning the water for the group of Humpback Whales.

They were breathing quite frequently, and so were clearly on the move. Although they were also heading West, we passed them in just a few minutes. I wonder if it frustrates them to not be able to get to Hawaii faster! I thought this sighting was a good sign for our chances of encountering whales in the islands. 

Sure enough, just before weighing anchor off of Lahaina, Maui on Thanksgiving, just as the sun was rising over Haleakala, three spouts were visible simultaneously. This not only advertised their arrival, but the fact that one spout was much smaller than the other two indicated that the birthing season had begun! Perhaps the female could sense that her due date would require getting to Hawaii a bit early this year. It seems she made it just in time as calf’s health was indicated by its playful behavior. I smiled as I watched it repeatedly slap the water’s surface with a uniquely marked pectoral fin and I was filled with gratitude for an ocean teeming with life.

Maui Wowed Me

Being at sea for so many days without being able to physically get in the water is practically torture! But it doesn’t keep me from many hours of staring at it. Most of the time, I see only blue, broken by scattered white caps or the occasional flying fish, which are surprisingly mesmerizing. Some days I get lucky.

On the ship, there’s a strange concept of time and one tends to operate in “Sea Day” mode, rather than referring to days of the week. So, on Sea Day 3, about 1300 nautical miles out of San Diego, while studying for the GRE in the lounge with the largest windows, I heard a passenger yell, “Sea gull!” I probably would have been less startled if it had been a sea gull, as I would have assumed it had hitched a ride on the ship. 

However, flapping vigorously to catch up to the bow, was a full-grown Red-footed Booby. It was raining, but I jumped up and grabbed my camera and rain-jacket (it’s great to always be prepared with my explorer backpack … thanks Steph if you’re reading this!). It was awesome to watch him “rest” (glide without flapping) at the stern, letting the wind carry him. After a short break, he rose up, only to fold his large wings and dive into the steel blue water below. The first two attempts appeared unsuccessful. As cliché as it sounds, I was rooting for him as he made his third plunge. When he emerged from the surface a few seconds later with (as far as I could tell) a lanternfish hanging from his bill, I had to applaud. This was also in part because I had actually managed to get the photo. It was a perfect example of the advantage that diving seabirds, like boobies, have in their ability to access food not available to other seabirds that are feeding right at the surface. My surprise was in seeing a booby so far away from land. Many tropical seabirds spend a great deal of time more than 1,000 miles away from land, some remaining at sea for years at a time. However, of any tropical seabirds, because of their large body size, despite a substantial wingspan, boobies are not as well equipped as others (i.e. an albatross) to conserve enough energy to fly so far from their nesting areas. Red-footed boobies nest throughout the Hawaiian Islands and are rarely seen more than 100 miles from land. Perhaps this individual had limited food resources close to his nesting area or maybe he felt like a challenge … this would be a question for an expert!

There wasn’t much else, in terms of pelagic marine life this trip. So, in port, I was anxious to get my nature fix. Oahu was a day of reconnecting with people, while my bicycle expedition in Kona was more of a cultural experience. And then there was Maui … I booked a two-tank dive out of Maalea Harbor for the afternoon. The first site was literally like turtle soup! I have never seen so many massive turtles in one area! The coral cover beneath was also a pleasant surprise and I was in awe of the colors, the extent, and the abundance of reef life teeming all over it! I saw at least half-a-dozen species of marine organisms that I had yet to see on any Oahu dive or snorkel.

That would have been enough. But apparently I was destined to be on visual sensory overload … Within minutes of descending onto the second dive site, we were in the presence of a majestic lone Manta Ray with about a nine-foot wingspan. The ray took a big loop in front of us, almost as if to acknowledge each individual. I was at the end of the line and it gave me the chills to watch such an incredible animal swimming straight toward me. When he was about three yards away, he gracefully veered in the opposite direction and disappeared into the distance. The magic of the dive ended with watching two different, but equally strange and beautiful, nudibranchs cruise over the reef.

On the bus ride back, watching the sun set over the ocean world I’d spent two hours immersed in, all I could think was … wow.  

Revitalized

There is no way for me to describe the feeling of being home … I didn’t realize it until I was sitting in a living room after an epic day of surfing and exploring remote beaches of Oahu and stumbling upon wildlife along the way with some of my best friends. 

We were sitting around the table, not saying much, but I was completely content. I have done a lot of introducing, explaining, and proving myself over the past eight months … I was overcome with the feeling of how incredibly nice it was to just be, to know my friends love me without me even having to try. 

I spent three weeks back on Oahu, reconnecting, not only with myself, but with an understanding of how special Hawaii is. Even since I moved here almost six years ago, I have noticed an enhanced appreciation for traditional cultural practices, a push to get back to living in a way that can sustain the people who call these islands home, while protecting the unique and beautiful environment that provides for this possibility. Encountering three monk seals in less than a week, coming across half a dozen native forest plant species in abundance above one of the most developed parts of the island, and discovering a plethora of reef fishes in a nearly decimated reef environment off of Waikiki served to solidify my awe of the resilience of natural systems.

 Combined with my chance to work in a lo’i and to witness the receipt of the Hokulea in Kailua, these were all a part of an experience that has both given me hope for Hawaii and inspired my belief that there is a lot that can be learned from this place.  It is a powerful testament to Nature’s many networks, as well as the integral role we play in them all.

Ship Happens

It has been an inexcusably long stretch since my last post, which may require a very lengthy recap of the past two years ... 

After returning from my second trip to Moorea, we prepared for the Hawaii coral spawning season. It was quite successful, yielding hundreds more samples. I would spend the better part of that Fall in the lab, processing samples from both Moorea and Hawaii. In January of 2012, I returned to Moorea, this time focusing only on coral spawning, as I had done on the first trip. While we did not have much spawning, we were able to get valuable samples with which to compare samples from the previous two trips. 

From Moorea, I headed to Australia for a semester abroad at James Cook University in Townsville on the north east coast of Queensland, Australia. The opportunity to study marine biology at a university so well known for its coral reef research was incredible! Field trips to Orpheus Island in the Great Barrier Reef, rotting the head of a big-eye tuna in order to reconstruct the skull, and working with marine science students from all over the world were highlights of an incredible study period! However, living in a country that is so conducive to exploring the outdoors was definitely distracting! North Queensland is an incredible place, with an abundance of bugs, massive bats, and many wide open spaces! A four day backpacking trip on Hinchinbrook Island was beyond beautiful and was one of many epic excursions during those unforgettable months.

On my way back to the states, I made a pit stop in Fiji to volunteer at Naciriyawa Organic Farm for two weeks. Fiji was fascinating and the people on the farm were so genuine ... With no electricity, no refrigeration, and a rain storm that swamped all of our tents, even this short time gave me a chance to process my time abroad and to reconnect with the simpler things in life. 

Hawaii welcomed me back with open arms. For my last semester in Fall of 2012, I continued helping with lab work on coral samples, was a part of the original Hiking Hawaii Cafe team (an amazing company, visit hikinghawaii808.com for more details!), and just enjoyed the island life. By November, graduation approaching, it was still uncertain as to what my next step would be. That is when I received an email that would open up a door that I could never have anticipated ... Within two weeks, I was booked as the  Naturalist onboard four round trip luxury cruises from San Diego, CA to Hawaii, starting at the end of February, just six days after I was to return from a 25-day rafting trip down the Colorado River. Sound crazy? My family and closest friends might call it typical. Having to prepare nine hour-long slideshow presentations in the two weeks spanning between graduation and heading to the Grand Canyon, of course I was stressed beyond belief. But I knew (or at least everyone else believed) I could do it, and it would be worth it. 

Thanks to my incredibly encouraging support system of people around me, was it ever!? The Grand Canyon experience was unreal and its wisdom continues to reveal itself more than seven months after coming off of the river. Those first cruises were an amazing learning experience and allowed me to fully realize my passion for teaching. To share with so many people the joy that I experience in so many natural features of Hawaii, CA, and the Eastern Pacific that lies between was so rewarding, it overwhelmed me. 

As if the cruise ship position hadn't been enough of a chance happening, my job this summer was even more of a coincidence. After one of my talks about Humpback Whales on a ship in April, I was approached by a woman who was a retired ranger of the CA State Park system. Long story short, I would be the next intern in the interpretation program in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and that woman, I am now honored to call both a role model and a close friend. My summer in Big Sur was one of endless exploration, unconventional learning, and pure bliss. It reinforced my feeling that I want to continue on a career path of educating people of all ages from a variety of backgrounds through experiences with their natural surroundings. During the course of my internship, I was asked to return to the Hawaii cruises this Fall, as well as to work various other itineraries through the following September. 

Two days from now, I will be flying to Hawaii for a few weeks to reorient with the islands before my next two months onboard ship. If I regret anything, it is that I did not document more during this series of events that feels like five years worth of experience, but has blown past as if it were only last week that I started my final year of college. I can't attempt to recreate what I felt during those many chapters that have lead up to this point, but can only commit to dedicating what I've learned into future (MUCH more frequent) reflections on the adventures that are surely to come. Oahu ... here I come!

Fun on the Forereef

Things on the backreef have been in full swing the past week, and now the focus is on the forereef! For the first run, I was once again directing while free diving... which was an adventure in itself. 

Placing algae segments on high points of
bommies on the forereef

It was absolutely beautiful both days that we were on the forereef, and we took full advantage of the sunshine on the boat between deploying and collecting algae! The parrotfish, actually most of the fish, on the forereef are HUGE and super active! 

This morning, I was able to dive, and I think it was successful! We are looking at how/if feeding rates change near and away from structure. Unfortunately, there isn't much "structure" since the cyclone hit Moorea last year, but we have made it work! As of this afternoon, the weather has turned for the worst, with high winds and high seas. Here, they call it a "maramu" when the winds from the south get really bad, making it almost impossible to get back into the bay with a boat once you've left it! The wind is pretty incredible to experience, but hopefully it passes, so we can continue our work!

Around the World, and Beyond

Lunch stop half way "around the world"

Where do I even begin? Saturday, we went "around the world". Well, we just went around the whole island by boat, and collected algae from each of six LTER sites that have been monitored for the past five years. It was a gorgeous day, and was awesome to see different parts of the island from the water! We took turns collecting from the back reef, the reef crest, and the fringing reef at each site. For lunch, we stopped at a shallow back reef, where the water was so insanely clear! It was a long day, but was so nice to explore other reefs on the island.

This view never gets old...

I am still waiting for the corals to spawn... the new moon is tomorrow, so it's looking like they will not spawn this month, but we will see!
As far as herbivory goes, my assays have been going really well! The wind has finally calmed down this week, and has made it much easier to go out and do things by myself. The past few transects have been in a part of the reef, where apparently all of the exciting creatures like to hang out! Some of the group have suggested that I am the "mega fauna whisperer". I don't know about that, but I do know that I have seen some amazing things!!

Sunday was just the beginning... as I swam to set out a new transect, I could hear an odd grinding sound and saw a cloud of sediments in the pavement between some coral bommies. I thought at first that it was just a bunch of goat fish stirring up the rubble, but was soon completely breathless as I found myself watching a round sting ray as it was feeding!!! That explained the grinding, and it seemed to be not the least bit concerned with my presence, as it continued to dig in the rubble while I watched in awe! Later, I saw two huge sea turtles, which I had yet to see in Moorea, and are rare on the back reef! I also saw huge triton trigger fish, snappers, and hundreds of needlefish. I didn't think things could get any better, but I was so wrong!

School of convict tangs from my camera left out to capture grazing

Yesterday was probably the best day EVER! Again, I encountered the triton triggers and black tips, and thought I had seen all that there was to see on the back reef. As I was finishing collecting my algal setups, I looked up to see two dark shadows coming toward me. They were too large to be reef sharks, and too dark in color to be round sting rays. As they came closer, my eyes focused through the suspended particles, and I froze... not with fear, but in utter amazement! Swooping in right in front of my face were two of the biggest eagle rays I have ever seen!! I didn't even know they could get that big! The largest one had about a four foot wingspan, and a body like a tank! They were so beautiful, and I was blown away by how gracefully they glided through the water. I never would have expected to see eagle rays in the back reef, let alone so close, and so huge!! It was incredible to watch them, and they came so close! I wish I had had my camera, but it is something I will never forget. Today, I ran into another turtle, and must have really spooked it because I swear I had no idea turtles were capable of such speeds! I see at least three black tip reef sharks every day, and they have now become no more threatening (possibly even less threatening) than the reef fish. I can't believe I still have almost two more weeks!