Megaptera Novaeangliae

Or humpback whales to the hoi polloi. We participated in the Sanctuary Ocean Count sponsored by National Marine Sanctuaries and NOAA (http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/). The count is held the last Saturday of January, February, and March (during peak whale season) of each year from 8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

We saw 22 adult and 2 juvenile whales during our 4 hour watching period, marking down tail and fin slaps, breaches, blows, and dives. The whales are heading back to Alaska now to gorge on the abundant seafood buffet line!

Pesce my friends!

Hilo Now

We moved to Hilo on Monday. To the land of daily rain and warm temperatures.  Here are a few pics to welcome you to Hilo:

The Hilo library is unlike any other I've been to. It has an open air courtyard and there isn't any glass between the book stacks and the courtyard  There are tables and benches in the open air as well, with wifi access all about.

I like the tennis balls on the chair legs!

We went to the market and took home (among other things), a freshly chopped-open coconut full of delicious water! The women who chopped the coconut has to be pushing 80, and I was worried she would lose a finger or two in the process. I don't think this was the first coconut she'd chopped though, so all went well!

Peace my friends!

Geckos

We were at the Kona market and found that we were being helped by a couple of the wee folk:

Peace my friends!