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 :)