Sunday, February 28, 2016

Discovering Tide Pools

After a beach bbq picnic and swimming (or rather, lolling about in perfect temperature water) at the warm pond, we thought a nice walk along the shoreline was in order. The kids had never yet explored this stretch of the coast on foot - they had a treat in store! Come along for the stroll...


We start off at one end of Ahalanui Park, through the grove of neatly trimmed coconut palms, and then we enter the jungle...

The grassy trail ends where the lava rock begins.... a little further, and we come upon tidepools.



Acacia finds friendly little hermit crabs. She names each one, but I cannot remember which is Hermie and which is Mishella. We manage to find shells which are unoccupied that she can bring home for her collection.



We watch for whales since it is the season for the humpbacks to be in Hawaiian waters, but we see no telltale sprays or splashes. Fishing boats make their way back towards the Pohoiki ramp.


The huge waves of a couple days ago have simmered down to their more usual amount of energy (else we would not have come out to this shoreline ledge) but we maintain a close watch on them, nonetheless.


We come across a large patch of sand - a rare treat along the Puna coast. It feels so soft underfoot, warmed from the sunshine, and perfect for creating elaborate landscapes of the imagination.




We are lulled by the sunshine, the sound of the waves, the gentle breezes... time passes...
Eventually, it occurs to us that there are chickens to tend to, eggs to collect, things to be done before evening. And so our perfect day at the tidepools comes to an end.