Wandering Wiapio Valley

Aloha,

During the time I was unable to get my blog to work I I went on a ton of adventures so now that I have made it through finals...thank goodness I can devote my time to blogging again :) 

   Four years ago I came to hawaii for a summer school program with my high school. While we went to all the scenic points like a good group of tourists and we were show interesting places such as Mauna Kea jutting 14,000 feet above us, we were not allowed to explore such places. I wanted to experience the land for what it had to offer.  I did not simply want to look down into Wiapio valley or view Mauna Kea from afar, I wanted to explore them. I wanted to feel the thick mud of the fertile Waipio valley floor squish between my toes. I wanted to stand where the fresh water flowed into the ocean creating turbid, brackish water swirling with pockets of warm ocean water and cold fresh water. I wanted to feel the cold, thin air of Mauna Kea pierce my lungs with every breath and nip at my nose as a gazed up at the stars unobscured by light pollution. Before coming I made a list of all the things I wanted to do. All the ground I wanted touch with my own bare feet and the views I wanted to marvel at with my own two eyes. I am proud to say I have almost complete that whole list and have a few days left to finish it off :) 

Waipio valley from the lookout :)

Bryce and I on the road down into the valley

The road down the valley. There is a guard
that sits at the top of the road making sure everyone
venturing down in a car is in a 4-wheel drive vehicle. 

The Road...Again

    About three weeks ago I found myself standing at the Waipio valley lookout just like I did four years ago but this time I was ready to conquer the "hike" and I say it that way because it is more like a walk down a very,very some times up to 20% grade walk down the road into the valley. The hike down the road was not all that bad. You simply had to lean back and let gavity help you work your way down the valley :) The walk down took us about 30 minuites and was absolutly beautiful! I would try to describe it but as people always say a picture speaks a thousand words. 

Where the land meets the sea. Taken from about half way into
the valley. 

Wiapio valley from the valley  

Rainbow Eucalyptus 

As we made it to the valley floor we came to a fork in the road, we had the option of either exploring deeper into the valley. Getting a glimpse of the lives of the farmers who call the valley home and exploring the waterfalls hidden along the valley walls or we could make our way to the ocean. Being my usual self, I looked at my hiking companions and said "Well why cant we do both? What else do we have to do today?" It was quickly decided and no one was opposed to my suggestion. Seeing a magnificent waterfall in what we thought was the near distance, we decided to make our way deeper into the valley first. As we worked our way down the road I found a rainbow eucalyptus, which by the way is officially my favorite plant and I even got a very special surprise, wild horses.

 A little stud, mare and filly just happened to be wandering down the road as we turned a corner. While many would believe that wold horses are skittish these horses seemed quite used to all the people in the valley and just sauntered on by me and then decided to take a little break by the stream. As we watched the filly decided to get curious and ventured into the paddock of a horseback tour group to check things out. Her investigating did not last long however for she was chased out by a dog and a little boy who were clearly in charge of the other horses. Our goal of the hike was to get to the waterfall we saw from the fork in the road so we continued walking. In short time we came to the end of the road kind of.... there was still a road there or at least what looked like people continued to drive down however it was actually a mid-shin deep river.

Walking thorough the river/road

With a few questions on if we were going the right way we decided it did not really matter, we had no other path to follow and so into the water we went. Eventually we made it to the end of the river/road and onto "dry land" once again. Then began the trek through ankle deep mud. While no one fell many of us came very close and by the time we made it to a small path branching up into the forest I was covered in a good deal of mud due to the fact that I was the "how deep is that mud" tester.

Mud tester :)

 Let me tell you as we hiked up the small trail and came upon a small fresh water pond and waterfall I have never been more excited to wash my feet or feel fresh water in my whole life. The water was cold and we all quickly waded into the waterfall to clean the mud off our bodies. While we never made it to the waterfall we set out to find in the beginning we were satisfied with the one we did find and took the same path back to the fork in the road.

Our little waterfall!!!

 This is when our second adventure began, the hike to the ocean was quick and a lot less muddy. We all were in need of a break and ate lunch along the rocks at the waves crashed upon the shore. There is nothing like a PB&J with a hint of sand and salt water to accompany it. After spending time in the water and soaking in some sun along with a little cat nap we decided it was time to face the hike once again. 

Where the river meets the ocean.

The walk back out of the valley was not quite as simple as the walk in although it was a good workout and a friend and I turned it into a little bit of a competition of who could make it to the top first/how fast we could hike back up to the top. I am proud to say we make it back to the top in exactly 40 minuets with tired legs and sore feet. Most would say that maybe shoes would have been a good option but due to blisters on the top of my feet from my shoes earlier in the day I decided to go with out. Arriving at the top a little winded, slightly sweaty, covered in dry mud and sticky from the salt water, we could not have been more satisfied with the day. 

So there y'all go! One of many adventures documented :) I look forward to sharing more with you really soon!!!

Aloha

You walk your dog...but I walk sharks!!!

Aloha,

Can ask for a better way to spend my friday night!
I love being in the field!

        I have taken lots of labs being a science major but in the past five weeks lab has been completely redefined. I have always thought that lab was meant to be outside and hands on, not in the classroom looking at preserved specimens and microscope slides. Finally after two years of being stuck indoors for lab I finally have gotten to do what I have been aching for...field work. Starting at 5pm ever Friday night my sharks class and I venture out to Hilo Bay in excited anticipation for the five hours of shark fishing that are soon to come. As two people board the small zodiac boat and prepare to drop the longline the rest of the class climbs aboard the Makani Aha and grabs a fishing pole. Once the long line is set we allow it to soak between 45 min and an hour, then take crew out to check the line. Last night was an absolutely incredible night for fishing, with clear skies and good company I set out in the small zodiac from the harbor with my professor and a fellow classmate. Just as we were setting the line in the water my classmate, Emily felt a tug and I saw the rope vibrating in the water. We made the decision to finish setting the line and go back to check it  when we were finished. As I walked my way back down the line, hand after hand, hook after hook I began to feel the weight, and then a sharp yank, while at first I was a little skeptical on weather or not we had something on the line,  all doubt about  having a shark on the line had left my mind, we had one for sure. As I continued working my way up the line I could not help but feel a huge amount of excitement.  There is something elating about seeing the white shadow of the shark coming up though the water and not exactly knowing what species you have, if it is a male or female, how big it really is. 

Measuring the length of the shark. We take measurements at
both the fork of the tail and then end of the tail.
If I remember correctly this one was somewhere around 4.5 feet.

  The female sandbar shark measuring about 4.5 feet in length set the pace for our night. As we walked her back to the Makani Aha to be worked analyzed I could not help but think how cool it is that I get to tell people I have walked a shark before...Once back to the big boat we tied up and began our data collection process. First we measure the length of the shark from nose to tail. Then we check the gender, look for any problems such as cuts or gill leaches and then take a tissue sample from the dorsal fin, which will be used in later lab research such a determining food sources through stable isotope detection, and finally we tag the shark and release it back into its home. It is such an incredible experience and I can't wait to get to do such research in the near future!

Reading off the number of our spaghetti tag. If the shark
is recaptured in our study or by local fisherman we
will be able to receive more information on it
such as growth rate which can help us to discern
food availability in the bay.

First sandbar shark of the day. The sand bar is the only
adult shark that live in the brackish water of Hilo Bay.

We got lucky and caught a brown ray. Let me tell you from
personal experience those things have quite the spine on
their tail!

Me preparing a bag for tissue samples and
gill leaches removed from the shark.

Emily removing gill leaches from the sandbar
shark for later lab analysis. 

Shark lab in action. There is no better way to learn than to be
put right into the middle of the action!       

I hope you all enjoy hearing about my labs as I enjoy getting to do them!!!!

Aloha from the Big Island

And remember sharks are awesome!!!!

Dark Water

Aloha,

I know it has been a very long time but I have been having some severe technical difficulties and finally figured out how to get back into my blogger account...on a lighter note I have some incredible stories to catch y'all up on!!! 

    The world changes when the stars come out. It goes from a place that we are extremely familiar with, to a whole new world.  The water at night is an incredible and mysterious entity. In search of something to do on such a lovely star-filled, cloudless night, which does not happen often in Hilo by the way...the severe nerdy marine biologists came out in my friends and I. Snorkeling in tide pools at night!!! Hiking out over the smooth dark lava rocks was a bit difficult in the dark but I got to put my head lamp to good use. :) 

    Entering dark water for the fist time is frightening to put it bluntly. While I am never one to backdown from a chance to get in the water and I showed no hesitance in getting in, there was that fear in my mind and I hoped nothing was gonna jump out and eat me. As I slid beneath the dark water I could feel my heart rate speed up, and was on the edge of hyperventilation when it all disappeared and I was lost in the underwater world brought on by the night and illuminated by the beam of my flash light.  The water was literally crawling with organisms. Sea cucumbers, which usually look like dark long rocks on the bottom of the ocean have long tenticles and crawl around at speeds I could have never imagined possible. I caught glimpses of brittle stars, blue and black in color scurry deeper into the rocks as my light passed over them. Orange nudibranchs that look like gumdrops almost fluoresced in the water and an abundance of juvenile fishes slept in the crevasses of the pool.
      Of course no night swim is complete without a little antics. Bridget and I can now offically say we have truly felt the freedom of swimming completely al natural and let me tell you tan lines make for a bright full moon.... No night in the water is complete without a wet, salty, possibly fishy, I have totally embodied the ocean trip to Ken's, a local diner. Where hot chocolate and pancakes made for an excellent end to the night.

Well that is all for now :)

Aloha!!!

P.S. snorkeling photos will be posted shortly I just have to get them off my friends camera :)

Climate zone crazy

Aloha

 This island is a natural scientists paradise. yesterday I traveled back to beach 69 with a few friends from class and because I was just riding in the car got to really experience the beauty of this island. As we drove the 1.5 hours from Hilo to the Kona coast, over the north tip of the island I experienced an array of climate zones. Beginning in Hilo we traveled the winding roads along the tropical Hamakua coast. Every valley you pass over as you drive houses a large array of tropical foliage and some sort of magnificent waterfall breaking though the trees over rocks and to beautiful sprigs below. 










Entering into Waimea the scenery goes from rainforest to more of a rainy grass land area and then as soon as you can see the coast the land scape goes barren.

Waimea 

Few trees sprout from the dry, harsh land and all you can see for miles is dirt and lava rock. It is absolutely incredible to see how quickly the environment changes. This drastic change also serves as an amazing place for studying and comparing different climate zones and their organisms as well as how they interact with one another.

Area between Wiamea and the coast

Rainbows as we entered Wiamea coming back
from the coast. :)



         Once on the coast I got to share what real, developed and striving coral reefs look like to one of my friends in my class. While we went snorkeling as a class at 4 mile here on the Hilo side, the reefs on this side of the island are not really reefs at all, rather they are very small coral communities. Coral communities are individual coral colonies scattered about on a rocky sandy bottom. In short the snorkeling on the Hilo side when we went was awful, but the snorkeling at 69 has yet to dissapoint. There were schools of colorful tropical fish everywhere, a huge pufferfish, a parrotfish that was at least a foot and a half long and two green sea turtles. We also tried our hand at a little rock running while we were in the water. For those of you who don't know rock running is where you have a brick or large rock at the sandy bottom of the ocean, you hold onto it and you run along the bottom until you run out of breath. Then of course you swim back up to the surface. It is used as a training tool for paddle boarding, hawaiian canoeing and other water sports here on the island.














Aloha

The People You Meet

Aloha,

One of my goals when I go to a new place is to fit in. I have a huge problem with being seen as a tourist so I do everything I can to look an act like a local wherever life takes me. Some places are more difficult to accomplish this task than others but in most circumstances I have been sucessful. My fist steps in fitting in always includes learning the lingo, as long as it is not a completely different language, dressing like a local and learning how they interact with one another so I can do the same. Today I met a few people who helped me to expand on my blending in. One of the things that I have noticed since I have been on the Big Island is that the locals always are willing to lend a helping hand, and provide advice to one another. While this is a decent sized community everyone is here to help everyone else. I learned some very insightful cultural norms today while wandering around downtown Hilo from auntie Bev, a lady I met in a Go Local t-shirt shop, which is kinda funny cause she was helping me become more like a local. :) "First" she said, "It is very expensive to live here so you have to look for the sales. The sunday news paper is alway good at showing you where those are. It is also good for finding a job. Second." she told me "go to the farmers market! It is the best place to get any kind of fruit and vegetables you want for really cheap." and finally she told me "honey, don't let any one short change you. You have to let them know your a local, show respect to your elders by calling them auntie or uncle and take pride in what you get to experience because it is a wonderful place." she also gave me a flower and explained that you notice a lot of women around the island wearing flowers in their ears. She said it is  not just for show or a fashion statement, a flower in the right ear tells people that you are single and a flower in the left lets them know you are taken :). As I walked out of the shop, putting the flower in my right ear, all I could think about was what a neat idea it was.

 Continuing my walk through town I stopped in a dive shop to see if I could finish my advanced certification through their dive masters. Of course I ran into yet another lovely person who kindly introduced herself, said she too went to the University of Hawaii and offered me a job in the dive shop. Let me tell you this if I keep getting offers to work in dive shops down here, this being the second time, I am eventually going to take someone up on it! :)

Aloha from this beautiful Big Island and I will have more to share soon :)

Eat Local

Aloha,

         Since I have been on the Big Island I have been working up to writing one of my blogs on all of the unique food found around the island. So far I have accumulated a good number of local foods that I have tried. I have been absolutely dumfounded by the abundance of fruits on the island and let me tell you those of us on the mainland have no clue what fruit is. If you can, I highly suggest going to your market's exotic food section and looking for these fruits cause they are amazing. 

So here it goes!!! My very incomplete, for sure going to be added to, hopefully I can describe the food, food blog or I guess fruit blog, that I have been quite excited to finally get to put together :) 

Starting things off with a bang here, I gonna go strait for my favorite new fruit, Lychee. While at first I was very skeptical about this fruit with its rough red skin and very bitter outer peal, I was pleasantly suprised the sweet, juicy white flesh beneath. I soon decided I could not get enough of this wonderful fruit. I am going to fail in describing what lychee tastes like right off the bat here, I have no idea how to describe it. The fruit has a very distinct flavor that cannot be compared to anything I have ever had before. It is very sweet and a bit strong when you try it for the first time. The best part is not only does lychee taste wonderful but it is really good for you, containing more vitamin C than an orange and about the same amount of dietary fiber as an apple. 

The second fruit is the liliko'i also known as passion fruit, (momentary freak out because after looking at the flowers of the liliko'i plant I honestly think we have one in our yard, parents you know where it is!) This fruit comes in yellow (the type I had) and purple varites. It had a little bit of a sour hint to it but is sweet as well. The fruit looks somewhat like a lemon and when you cut it open it has many seeds suspended in a orange mucusy (ok probably not the best word choice) like substance. Practically everything from pancake syrup to ice cream is flavored with liliko'i here. 

While some of you might have had the previous two fruits I am guessing the next fruit is one you are not familiar with. Chico sapote, as a whole fruit is brown. To me it looked like a cross between a kiwi and a pear but the inside proved to show no resemblance. The inside is an yellow orangish color and the texture of the fruit is something between the mixture of custard and an a cooked spaghetti squash. While the texture was interesting the flavor was amazing, it was like eating juicy, refreshing honey put into fruit form. I was also told that there are different types of sapote, one of  my friends said he has eaten one that tastes like chocolate especially if you add a very small amount of coco powder, which supposedly brings out the chocolate flavor. 

I hate to cut this so short but I am off to my sharks lab :) Wish us luck! Hopefully we will catch some sharks to tag today!!!

Aloha

Go Snorkeling with a marine biologist!

Aloha!

After going an whole week with beautiful weather, Hilo has finally gone back to its usual rainy self. It had rained so many times in the last two days that I have lost track. The rain however did not keep my coral reefs class from going out in the field for lab on Monday nor does it really effect any activities. I guess you just learn to accept the rain and know that it will be gone in little while. On Monday my coral reefs class, combined with the turtles class made our way to Richardson's Beach Park for our first snorkel lab. After assessing the conditions and taking note of the couple dozen "warning: strong rip current zone" signs we decided to scope out a new location. We ventured north up the coast a bit to four mile, decided conditions were workable and got in the water. While the current was very strong and it took a whole lot of effort to keep yourself from being pushed backwards, let alone swim forward, the water was fairly warm and I was glad to be getting my feet wet in a little marine biology...literally. At first it was really difficult to see due to the high energy of the waves stirring up the sediment on the bottom of the ocean, however we eventually met up with our professor and a whole new world was revealed. Let me tell you there is something incredible about being in the water with an experienced marine biologist. My two buddies and I had seen a whole lot of nothing up until that point, but the moment we met up with our professor the marine organisms were everywhere!!! With in a matter of minuets we saw two brittle stars, a green sea turtle, a puffer fish, and a sea cucumber!!! It was crazy!

Common Name: Spiny Brittle Star

Scientific Name: Ophiocoma erinaceus

The brittle star is said to be Hawai'i's most abundant echinoderm. There are 57 known species of brittle stars found in the Hawai'ian waters.  These little organisms move very quickly along the bottom of the ocean once their hiding places are disturbed. (we found them hiding under rocks) The spiny arms of brittle stars are their fist line of defense, breaking off if they are attacked to get away from the predator. No worries though the lost limbs regenerate very quickly. (Hoover, 1999)

Common Name: Green Sea Turtle

Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas

The Green Sea Turtle is one of the largest turtles on earth getting up to 700lbs. Unlike most sea turtles, as adults Green Sea turtles are herbivores, consuming algae off of rocks. Sadly these turtles are endangered and much of the decline is due to human actives such as net fishing and encroachment on nesting land. (National Geographic 2012)

Common Name: Stripebelly Puffer

Scientific Name: Arothron hispidus


Puffers were given their name to due their self defense mechanisms of puffing themselves up when alarmed. There are 14 species of puffers that have been recorded in Hawai'i. If you are wondering it had a very soft almost jelly like feel and the skin was mucusy in texture due to the mucus produced by the fish in order to keep disease and such from entering the body (Randall, 1996).

Sorry y'all I have no clue what type of sea cucumber this is... I will identify it and inform you later :) although the hawaiian name that includes all cucumbers is loli.

Most cucumbers are soft bodied, and they feed by sweeping their mouths along the bottom of the ocean like a vaccume. A funny fact is that sea cucumbers not only use their anus for excrement, but it is also the location of their respiratory system. As they contract and release their muscles water flows in and out of the anal opening rushing over respiratory trees which extract the oxygen from the water (Hoover, 1999).

As for today, Tuesday, I did not do much of anything other than go to class and read some research papers about sharks.

Tomorrows my day off so hopefully I will have some wonderful stories to tell!!!

Aloha!