It's a Wildlife Day

Our goodbye to Kauai featured a gorgeous sunrise, monk seal pups, a humpback whale and her calf.  Welcome to winter in the 50th state.  From a climate standpoint there is very little difference between winter and summer.  Daytime highs tend to reach into the low 80s.  Overnight lows are usually in the low 70s.  During winter a strong northerly wind makes for very large waves on the shores that are buffeted.  Lots of rip tides.  During the summer the same waters can look "lake-like."




For the past four days the winds created some very tall waves but this morning they eased up a bit and it looked safer to venture out into the water.  A few clouds in an otherwise clear sky made for a picture perfect sunrise.  These shots are from the Poipu side of the island.

Monk seals are an endangered species.  When they show up a group of wildlife protectors keeps watch over them to make sure humans do not get too close.  There were three seal pups playing in the water along the beach.  I used a 300mm lens to keep my distance.  After the pups mature they will not hang out together. 



Hard to believe they will lead a solitary life, but today they were siblings frolicking in the sun.

Humpback whales generally winter around the islands, especially Maui.  The last few years there aren't as many vacationing whales.  No one is sure why.  Today, a good distance offshore, a whale and her calf where feeding and enjoying the warmer waters.


Sometime in late April these whales will usually swim up to Alaska, but that has not happened with the regularity is did in the past.  The blow on the right is mom.  The black spot in the left is the calf.


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