Lava Eel

Lava Eel at Mele Kohola on the Big Island. Doesn't it look like a prehistoric or perhaps a deep water eel (like mega-mouth), washed up on the rocks, being eaten by crabs? On the other hand, it kind of reminds me of those big sand worms in Dune... I suspect that the red coloration results from a high iron content in that segment of lava.

Observatory

The observatory and surrounding volcanic craters on the Big Island of Hawaii

Surf, Sand and Yellowtail Coris

Yellowtail Coris, Coris gaimard at Waio'opae nature preserve, Big Island, Hawaii. The waves were shoving me around a bit but I managed to float gently over a Yellowtail Coris who barely flinched and certainly never stopped hunting through the sand for food as I paused to take a few pictures.

Don't say Nay, Say Nene!

Hawaiian Nene Goose, Branta sandvicensis, at Mele Kohola on the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. The nene goose is the Hawaii state bird. While there were once up to 25,000 birds, the population was reduced to 30 birds in 1952 due to habitat loss and predation by mongoose, rats and feral cats. After successful captive breeding and reintroduction, they are once again found in the wild on the islands of Kauai, Maui and Hawaii where they have been successfully re-introduced.