Enchanted by the Environment

Aloha!

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. I have been very busy and by the time the end of the day and blogging time rolls around I have been too tired to write anything interesting. So I guess I will start with Friday and my Sharks lab.

Despite the lack in shark catch we did have a wonderful
view of Hilo from our boat stationed in Hilo bay. 

Friday night around 6:30 we climbed aboard the Makani Aha, the marine science programs boat, and  began preparing for our four hour shark fishing trip. The purpose of our fishing for sharks is to obtain information on them including size, and sex and then we tag in order to receive information on them in the future. When we catch a shark we place it between the inflatable zodiac boat and the Makani Aha and then preform our measurements and such. While these tasks sound quite invigorating, and slightly dangerous we did not exactly have the picture perfect lab experience like we all were looking forward to. Rather our lab turned out to be nothing more than a glorified, failed, night time fishing trip. We had nine fishing poles and a benthic line with 40 hooks on it along the bottom of the ocean but we caught nothing more than a measly wahoo. The trip was incredibly fun however. Its amazing how quickly you can make friends when trying, with out much success to untangle two fishing lines with only a small head lamp as your light source. We are hoping the fishing will pick up in the weeks to follow, but like my professor said, "its called fishing for sharks rather than shark catching for a reason." 


Moving onto Saturday when the real adventures began. 

One of my favorite beaches along the Kohala Coast
Beach 69.

This was the view from our lovely, slightly
hidden location on Beach 69. 

My day began and mostly consisted of hanging out  with friends at beach 69 on the Kohala coast. Some of us were literally hanging out... 

At one point a few of the boys decide to try some yoga on the beach. While it did not work out very well and both of them ended up completely covered in sand it made for a good picture. 

We collected coconuts and cut them open, drinking the water and eating the fleshy fruit inside. I have never been particularly fond of coconuts but the water was absolutely delicious. I was also very amazed by how different coconuts could taste based on their age. Some were strong and  almost bitter in flavor while those which were older were extremely sweet. 

 Our goal for the day was to watch the sun set over the water since being on the east side of the island deprives one of the magnificent sunsets. After a week of not seeing the sun set we were given one of the best sunsets I have ever seen. At first it looked as if it was not going to be very impressive due to the clouds but as the sun got closer to the water it lit the ocean and sky on fire. 

As we began to drive up the coast towards Hawi (Pronounced Havi) I got to experince something I have been dying to experience for quite some time...
       Have you ever been amazed by what organisms in our environment could do? Ever experienced a phenomemon in which you could do nothing more than absorb it? Some things are impossible to explain, impossible to capture on film, they are things which can only be experienced in real life. Those who have experienced such happenings strive for a way to convey their experience but find that the only way to do their observations justice is to bring others to experience the phenomenon themselves.
       I have been intrigued by bioluminescence for a very long time now. I have seen videos and heard of people talk about the bioluminescent experiences they have had but I had never gotten the chance to experience such a magical organismal feature until Saturday. The experience was more than I could have ever imagined. I was more amazed by what organisms in our environment are capable of than I have ever been before. If you do not know what bioluminescence is, it is the ability of certain organisms to glow in the dark. It is seen in jellyfish, some sharks, fish, squid, corals and plankton. I was treated with bioluminescent plankton on the Kohala coast. In the pitch dark, Kanoe, Nathan and I made our way down to the water over the large basaltic lava rocks that line the coast. Simply going down to sit by the water and maybe go for a night swim we were met by quite an incredible suprise. As the waves crashed up against the rocks, thousands of tiny blue flashes occured. Deep in the water it looked as if there was a lightning show in the ocean. I got down in the water and began splashing around, creating a glowing film below my feet. It was one of those moments in which I was completely at awe, unable to completely comprehend what I was seeing. It is always so incredible what nature is capable of!!! It was almost as if my brain was unable to wrap around the idea that the sea was glowing. 


I hate to do this because no video will ever compare to experiencing bioluminescent organisms in person but I wanted y'all to be able to experience it in some way. This bioluminescent plankton is being stirred up by the wake of a boat. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m9MRbG1Nkk


I have also included a TED talk on bioluminescence...Like I said I love TED talks!!! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IThAD5yKrgE


As we continued up the coast to Hawi (pronounced Havi) we stopped in town to experience a local concoction known as Kava. Kava is a root made into a drink by soaking it in water just after it had been pulled out of the ground. As my roommate put it "Kava is basically dirty root water." And that is basically what it tastes like dirty, slightly bitter water. Kava is said to have many health benefits and it supposedly acts as a relaxant although all I really noticed was a slight numbing of my tongue after drinking it. While I don't recommend trying the plain Kava unless you want to say you have experienced it, I do recommend the kava mixed with coconut milk and honey, which was really quite delicious. 



After spending the night in Hawi I made my way back towards Hilo, stoping momentarily at Pololu valley, although it was a very short lived visit due to the high winds and rain headed my way.

While it is a little hard to see because this tree did not
have much bark warn off yet there are usually
greens, yellow, and oranges streaking the
trees making it look as if they have been painted.

 As I drove back I noticed a rainbow eucalyptus which I had to stop to photograph because not only are few and far between but I had never seen one in person and have found them fascinating since seeing photographs of them in a gallery in Kona during spring break. These trees are incredible because as their bark peels off they reveal many different colors of bark underneath. The photo I took did not do the tree much justice but they are really awesome if you can see them in person. I concluded my Sunday with a little home work and some dinner from Island Naturals back on campus and prepared myself for the long day of classes ahead. 




Aloha from the Big Island.