Whale Watching
Ok, I have sooo many favorite parts about our vacation on Maui. But one thing I was most excited for was whale watching. Humpback whales travel thousands of miles to winter in Maui. Our guide said there were easily 10,000 whales all around Hawaii this time of year. I was nervous we would not see any whales, but it turned out that was not an issue at all. I would spend the whole day on the beach (under an umbrella, because... Oregon.. I'm white as it gets) and would constantly see whales coming up to breathe. On our whale watching tour, I was able to capture this beautiful image of a humpback whale. A photo I will never forget.
Humpback Whale off the Coast of Maui
Plant Diversity
This was my second time to Maui, and one of my goals this time was to capture the plant diversity there. Talk about GORGEOUS! I have hundreds (literally hundreds!) of different pictures of plants. Now I am living in Maui vicariously through my desktop pictures at home. Here are a few of my favorites. Though, it was really hard to pick.
Sea Turtles
You may know sea turtles are a protected species. If you are caught harassing a sea turtle, which includes holding, touching, or even being too close, there are serious fines. Even jail time! Besides those crazy facts, we saw plenty of sea turtles during our time there. One even blessed us by coming up on to the beach to sun itself. We also found turtles when we snorkeled. My husband said the turtles would also ride the same waves he was surfing. How cool!!
Sunsets
Each night we were blessed with a beautiful sunset. These are taken right from where we were staying. In the distance a whale can be seen taking a breath. How amazing. How beautiful. I really tried to stay in the moment during our vacation. I tried to take each breath with appreciation and gratitude. These sunsets were powerful in my heart. I will enjoy looking back on these pictures for years to come.
The Ocean
Besides being terrified of what lurks in the depths, the ocean is inspirational. I often think of how it is a metaphor for life.
In the condo, there is solid foundation underneath. Much like children, there isn't a worry in the world. What children believe of the world is true in their mind without any doubt. Next we reach the sand. The sand is more malleable. Footing is precarious and it may be hard to walk. This reminds me of teenage years. Beginning to see the world as it is, complicated. There are more questions and more doubts to the sound reasoning of children. Next, the water, washing up on feet causing the entire body to sink partially. For me, this is college. While college is exhilarating and fun and amazing. There is also struggle. Hardship. Life lessons. Stepping further in the ocean, the water comes up to the neck and swimming is now possible. Preparation for the trek could be made down to the very last detail. Maybe even toe floaties! However, the ocean could be calm or it could be nasty, or anything in between. This to me is adult life in the foreseeable future. It can never be known what life will be like. It could be a calm afternoon or full on hurricane. The horizon. Beyond the horizon cannot be seen. Much like beyond our foreseeable future, there is uncertainty. It is unknown.
