Today was a hiking day, with a hard charging hike up the high elevation slopes of Hualalai Volcano in Hawaii. We hikes past lava tubes, pit craters, fissures, and the eruption site of the 1801 lava flow. It was a sight to see and experience.

White mouth moray eel showing off its impressive array of teeth. When in Hawaii, going snorkeling is a must. I took a little underwater camera down with me at Kealakekua Bay, and took some amazing shots. Check out how close you can get to the fish, how clear the water is, and how beautiful the coral reef is. All of these were taken with an Olympus Tough TG-7 waterproof camera.

Almost every night, manta rays come into a few select bays on the west coast of the Big Island, to feed in the shallows on plankton. Snorkeling with the manta rays has become one of the 'must-do' adventures here in Hawaii. However, it is not for the feint of heart. You have to wait for darkness, and be willing to jump into the ocean at night, and share it with creatures that are bigger than you. Luckily, these manta rays are gentle giants. They don't have teeth or stingers, which is nice, because as you will see, they can swim very close to you!

Tidepools formed by a lava flow now fill with algae covered rocks, which is food for these Hawaiian green sea turtles. We saw eight or nine turtles along this stretch of the trail in Koloko-Honokohau National Historic Park.

I got most of my steps going for a big hike through the lava fields near Kona in Hawaii. I hiked past anchialine ponds, fish traps, and ancient Hawaiian ruined temples. It was like a walk through time. This report was published via Actifit app (Android). Check out the original version here on actifit.io13/03/202511336Hiking

This turtle swam so close to me when I took this photo. Things are getting expensive these days in Hawaii. Hotel rooms are costing over $1000 per night. Activities, like a snorkel trip on a boat, are upwards of $200 per person! Now you add a rental car, gas, and food, and your vacation is starting to look wildly expensive. So, when people find themselves out here in expensive Maui, they are often looking for cheaper alternatives. I often get asked, where is the best place to snorkel from the shore? And one of my favorite spots to send people to is here, Olowalu Reef, at mile marker 13.