Day 8 (May 2)

It is the last day in Hawaii! After packing my bags and leaving the Hawaii volcanoes campsite, I headed to 'Akaka falls state park.

Akaka falls is one of the most breathtaking sites I have ever seen.  The waterfall is 442 feet high, which is 2 1/2 times higher than Niagara Falls!  Over 1,000,000 people visit the falls every year.

Not only is the waterfall beautiful, but the vegetation around the rainforest is as well.  On the pathways to the falls, I spotted everything from banana trees to birds of paradise.  Which makes sense since plants like birds of paradise, gingers, and heliconias are distant relatives to banana plants. It would only make sense that they share the same environment.

Despite often being called banana trees, they are not actually real trees or palms.  Banana plants are considered perennial herbs. Banana trunks contain leaf stalks wrapped around each other.  Below the ground, new leaves start growing inside the leaf trunks.  Pushing up from the middle, the leaves and flowers emerge from the trunks and begin to turn into a bunch of bananas.  This process takes around 9 months.

Here are photos of the process:

Photo Reference: tropicalpermaculture.com

Close to the banana plants, there was also some interesting leaves.

The fuzz on the leaves got me thinking.  Why do the leaves have it? Is it for a specific adaptation?  If it is for adaptation purposes, what are the leaves trying to adapt from? After doing a bit of research, I found out that the fuzz on the leaves are specialized epidermal cells that protect from insect attacks.  Epidermal cells are the outermost cells on the outside of the leaves. 

After walking through Akaka National Park, it was time for the last event on the trip...Waipo Valley.

Waipo Valley is most commonly known as the childhood home of King Kamehameha the first.  Due to it's historical significance, it is also sometimes referred to as the Valley of Kings.  The Valley of Kings is 1 mile across and 5 miles deep.  It is surrounded by cliffs over 2,000 feet high.  Translated, Waipo means "curved water" in Hawaiian.   

This entire trip has been such a blast!  I learned and experienced so much and am sorry to leave.  I really hope I'll get to visit Hawaii again the future to experience the feelings of wonder and awe all over again!

Day 7 (May 1)

'Ohi'a lehua flowers grow below me. I'll talk about them in a bit.

What an incredible day at the volcano!  According to the ranger at the park, due to the rising pressure in the heart of the volcano, the lava is visible for the first time since 1967!  What a once in a lifetime opportunity!

The volcano in the photo above is the gigantic Mauna Loa.  Mauna Loa towers 13,677 feet above sea level and more than 56,000 feet above it's ocean floor base. If that wasn't enough, it is also the largest mountain in the world reaching over 10,000 cubic miles in volume.   Despite the fact that the Big Island is composed of five young volcanoes, Mauna Loa is the biggest, taking up more than half of the Island's land mass.

Lava flowing in the Mauna Loa crater.

While Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on the Big Island, Kohala is the oldest.  Kohala last erupted around 60,000 years ago, whereas another of the volcanoes, Mauna Kea, erupted over 4,600 years ago.  The remaining three volcanoes have all erupted in the last 250 years.  Hualalai in 1801, Kilauea in 1983, and Mauna Loa in 1984.   When I found out about the similar eruption dates of Kilauea and Mauna Loa, I began to question why the dates were so close together.  A diagram at the information centre at Mauna Loa answered my question.

Judging from this diagram it appears that Mauna Loa and Kilauea share the same hot spot plume.  Hot spot plumes contain the magma that rises up to the volcano with the right amount of pressure.  The pressure must have been very high in 1983-1984 for both eruptions to occur. However, it appears that several other volcanoes also share the same plume.  How come they didn't erupt as well?

Kilauea
Photo Reference: greentravelerguides.com

Photo Reference: lehuaukulele.com

As you can see from the photos in this post, there is very little vegetation around the volcano.  The hard and hot lava rock and high gas pressure of the air make it difficult for plants to find a healthy home around the volcano.  However, the 'Ohi'a lehua flowers, (shown growing in the first photo and the photo above) have an interesting adaption.  The 'Ohi'a lehua flowers close their stomata (mini structures typically found on the outer skin of the leaf) when the gasses from the volcano come too close.  The stomata (which literally means mouth in Greek) of the plant is in charge of allowing the carbon dioxide, water vapour, and oxygen to travel in and out of the leaf.  It is incredible that the plant is able to differentiate between the sulfuric dioxide of the volcano and the carbon dioxide in the air.  How do the plants sense this?  Is it the cells in the stomata that detect the difference?  How quickly does the stomata react and close shut when the plant senses a change in the atmosphere?  Since the volcano releases 4,000-8,000 tons of sulfuric acid a day, how much sulphuric acid does the plant successfully block out? How long does it take for the stomata to open back up again?

Not only was the volcano dispersing sulfuric acid into the air, but fibers of molten material that come together and create what looks like strands of hair.

A large sample of Pele's hair.
Photo Reference: swissduc.ch

Pele's hair rests on the surface of hardened lava at Kilauea volcano.
Photo Reference: volcanoes.usgs.gov 

Named after the Hawaiian volcano goddess, Pele, the "strands" of Pele's hair is made from volcanic glass fibers that get pulled into strands from the pressure of molten eruptions.  Pele's hair has a diameter less than 0.5 millimetres and a length up to 2 meters long.  Although the photos above make it look like there is tons of Pele's hair laying around, unfortunately, I was only able to find a tiny strand barely the size of my finger.

Basalt Glass

Pele's hair isn't the only product of eruptions, the lava fountains in Hawaii create various different volcanic particles.  The shape and texture of the particles differ because the lava is highly fluid with gases as it flies into the air.  However, most of the particles are basalt glass.  Basalt glass forms when the lava is rapidly chilled.

Another interesting fact about the Hawaii volcanoes is that there are two different kinds of lava, Aa (pronounced ah-ah) and Pahoehoe (pronounced pay-hoy-hoy).  Despite their similar environment, Aa and Pahoehoe are very different.

Aa Lava Flow
Photo Reference: web.archive.org

Pahoehoe Lava Flow
Photo Reference: web.archive.org

As you can tell from the photos above, Aa lava flows have a very rough exterior, whereas pahoehoe lava is extremely smooth.  Aa lava flows are often over 10 meters thick, whereas pahoehoe lava flows are usually 1-2 meters thick.

All in all, it was an incredible day at the volcano.  I learned so much and experienced such an amazing site. I'll leave you with a photo I took of the volcano when I went back up to view the volcano again at night.

Day 6 (April 30)

What a beautiful day at the black sand beach!  I visited the main black sand beach on the big island (Punalu'u beach) and spotted some amazing wildlife and vegetation.

The name Punalu'u originates from the ancient Hawaiians that would dive into the beach's ocean with a jug in hand to collect fresh water.  Translated, Punalu'u literally means "spring [water] diver for."

The black sand around the waters of Punalu'u is incredibly beautiful.

This gorgeous black sand is created when a lava flow comes in contact with the ocean.  It instantly hardens and shatters, resulting in the black sand dispersed along the beach. 

Lounging around on the lava sand, are some huge sea turtles.

Hawaii is home to five species of sea turtles  Green (chelonia mydas), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Loggerhear (Caretta caretta), and Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea).  Upon looking at some photos on the internet, I believe that the turtles I spotted on the beach are Olive Ridleys.  The name Olive Ridley comes from the colour of their shell.  Their shell begins as a grey colour that slowly turns into an olive green once the turtles become adults.  They are also some of the smallest sea turtles weighing up to 100 pounds and their shell length reaching around 2 feet.

After a bit of a walk across the beach, I came across a very fascinating tree.

The roots are so incredibly tall, they grow above the ground due to the fact that ground is made of lava rock and is too hard to expand and grow in. However, the tree still needs the stability and support to grow tall and has to compensate for the lack of ground conditions by spreading out it's roots and making them incredibly tall.  What a feat of engineering!  

Punalu'u is truly amazing. Between the diverse vegetation, roaming wildlife, and incredible black sand, it is really breathtaking.  

Day 5 (April 29)

Observatory day! After a long drive across the island to the observatory, I was rewarded by some breathtaking views of the Moon, Jupiter, the big dipper, and the Orion Nebula.

The view of the moon through one of the telescopes at the observatory.

Not only was I able to see the moon through the telescope, but Jupiter too!  Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun, is two and a half times heavier than the other planets in the solar system combined, and is mainly made of gases.  Since Jupiter turns on its axis once every nine and a half hours, it has the shortest day of all the planets in the solar system.

After looking at Jupiter and the Moon, I moved onto the third and final telescope at the observatory which focused on the Orion Nebula.

The Hubble telescope provides this photo of the heart of the Orion Nebula.
Photo Reference: nasa.gov

This recent image of the entire Orion Nebula is thanks to Nasa's Hubble space telescope.
It is one of the most detailed astronomical images ever composed.
Photo Reference: nasa.gov  

Located approximately 1,270 light-years away from earth, the Orion Nebula is the closest massive star formation to Earth. There are over 700 of new stars begin born inside the Orion Nebula.

Once I had made my way through the three telescopes, I stopped and observed the brightest and clearest big dipper I have ever seen.  It was absolutely breathtaking. At the very end of the big dipper is the North Star (also known as the Polaris).

The North Star (Polaris) remains steady and bright in the centre, while other stars move around it.
Photo Reference: space.com

The Polaris is excellent for navigational purposes due to the fact that it remains entirely still in the sky, while other stars, planets, and galaxies move around it.  How is this possible?  Is there no gravitational pull that makes it move?  Or does the gravitational pull that moves the other stars and planets come from the Polaris? Is there any gravitational pull at all or is it the Earth's rotation that is making the other stars appear as if they are moving?  This is all very baffling and fascinating to me at the same time.  

The Sirius star, as taken by the Hubble telescope.
Photo Reference: universestoday.com

While the Polaris is the 50th brightest star in our solar system, the Sirius is number 1. The Sun may appear brighter, but that is only because it is located closer to Earth than the Sirius (the sun is located 8.3 minutes away by light, whereas the Sirius is 8.6 light years away).  If I recall correctly, the guide at the observatory said that he liked to call it the Death Star.

I learned so much from visiting the observatory today and went home feeling very tiny. 

Day 4 (April 28)

Kona coffee plantation! What delicious fun I had today! Sampled some of the most delicious coffee and the greatest chocolate dessert I have ever tasted in my life: a crunchy coffee bean covered in smooth milk chocolate.

View of the coffee trees from the back deck of the Hula Daddy main building.

After walking down the steps of the main building and onto the farm, I got a serious lesson on where coffee beans come from and what their growth process is before they turn into the drinkable beans that I enjoy on the occasional afternoon.

Here are some photos a coffee tree:

I will explain the white ornament hanging from the tree later in this post...

Here is a photo from the internet showing what the coffee "cherries" look like when they are ripe and ready to be picked.

Photo Reference: treescoffee.org

The familiar coffee beans grow inside the red "cherries" that cover the coffee tree's branches.  The pickers pick the "cherries" and peel them open to reveal the familiar looking coffee bean inside.

About the little white ornament hanging from the coffee trees, they contain a natural fungus based product to control the coffee berry borer beetles that inhabit the farm.

  These beetles borough into the cherry fruit and lay eggs in the coffee bean.  They then produce the larvae that will begin eating the bean from the inside.  Since insects have spiracles instead of lungs, the fungus spray grows inside the spiracles and blocks their air way.

  After observing a beetle that a member of the coffee plantation staff found, I continued on to the building where the coffee gets roasted.  On the wall of the building was a fantastic "family tree" of coffee.

Despite such a variety, the two main branches of coffee plants appear to be the arabica (Ethiopian) and the Robusta. 

After walking through the coffee plantation (and sampling drinks and chocolate), it was off to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau (one of Hawaii's national historic parks). 

Photo Reference: nps.gov

Years and years ago, Pu'uhonua o Honaunau was used as a place of refuge and forgiveness after one broke kapoo.  Kapoo was the ancient rules that the kings would create.  If anyone broke kapoo, that person would be sentenced to death.  The only alternative, was to run to the Pu'uhona o Honaunau and be "absolved" of your crimes by the priests in residence and return to your previous sanctuary a free person.

A massive stone wall (that was built in 1550) runs through the centre of the park and divides the accent royal compound where the kings and priests would stay, from the working compound.

What a wonderful day filled with delicious treats and fascinating history lessons.  Tomorrow: observatory day!

Day 3 (April 27)

Wow! What a wonderful day at the Tropical Botanic Gardens.  My group was lead by an extremely enthusiastic man that just made the botanical gardens that much special.

One of the first things that our guide showed us on his tour was the beautiful Heliconia flower.

One of the fascinating things about the Heliconia flower is how it's cup shaped petals are filled with a liquid substance that smells distinctively like a sewer.  Producing this liquid is the Heliconia's way of adapting to prevent animals from reaching it's seeds.  This is especially peculiar due to the fact that plants typically count on animals to disperse the plant's seeds.  Since the Heliconia does not rely on the animals for this, how do it's seeds get dispersed?

After discussing Heliconias, I came across some beautiful orchids.

The commercial orchid industry in Hawaii manifested in the 1940's.  Over 150,000 hybrids of orchids have been created by orchid growers for more than 150 years.  Growers created the hybrids by cross pollinating.  Despite the range of species of orchids, there are only tree orchid species native to Hawaii, the anoectochilus sandvicensis, liparis hawaiensis, and plantanthera holochila.  However, orchids grow in almost every place in the world (including the arctic).

At the end of the tour, someone asked our guide what he thought the most evasive species on the island was.  He immediately replied fire ants.

Photo Reference: ens-newswire.com

The miniature fire ant (sometimes called electric ant) is predominately troublesome due to it's difficulty to die off.  Not having any known predators and no genetically different species for competition, the fire ants just live on, without many life threatening scenarios.  These ants will take refuge in trees and prevent birds from nesting, will harm any humans that come in their way, and will blind animals by stinging them in the eyes.  These ants even have an adaptation where they will hold on to one another and float on water from shoreline to shoreline. One thing is for sure, the fire ant is not to be messed with.

While learning about the adaptions of the fire ants was interesting, learning about the adaptions of the Gobi O'opu fish was fascinating. 

The O'opu Nopili
Photo Reference: pbrc.hawaii.edu

There are five types of O'opu fish: Alamo'o, Nopili, Nakea, Naniha, and Akupa.  They are the only freshwater fish that are native to Hawaii.  Four out of the five O'opu fish have adapted to their environment by growing pelvic fins that are fused together.  This adaptation allows the fish to climb up waterfalls by suctioning the rocks on the way up.  Isn't that absolutely incredible?

The O'opu Akupa
Photo Reference: pbrc.hawaii.edu

However incredible and smart that sounds, in my opinion, the O'opu Akupa fish does something even smarter.  While the other O'opu fish in the family fused their pelvic fins together, the Akupa's fins are distinctly separate. This allows the fish to swim to a certain point where the four other O'opu fish are climbing and eat them as they come up.  These fish are masterminds!

It was such an inspiring day today.  I learned so much and had such a blast looking up some more information and finding certain photos for this post.  Tomorrow: Kona coffee plantation!  Yummy!

Day 2 (April 26)

Photo Source: Dolphindiscoveries.com

Snorkel day at Captain Cook monument today!  I spotted some fantastic looking fish and colourful sea landscape.

Here are some of the sea creatures that I spotted:

Parrotfish
Photo Reference: raredelights.com

Smalltail Pencil Wrasse
Photo Reference: coralimports.com

Moray Eels
Photo Reference: wikimedia.org

• Orangeband Surgeon Fish
• Pufferfish
• Threadfin Butterfly Fish
• Convict Tang
• Pencil Sea Urchin
• Black Sea Urchin
• Black Durgon Triggerfish
• Trumpet Fish

While swimming in the gorgeous ocean water and observing all the lovely sea life, I made sure I took special care not to scrape my flippers on any of the coral reef around me.  After doing a bit of research, I found out that the massive coral reefs grow 0.3 to 2 centimetres per year. It can take around 10,000 years for the group of larvae to form into coral reef!

Photo Reference: habitat.noaa.gov

While on the boat heading towards the snorkel site, some dolphins decided to follow behind!  Along with the chorus of "oohs and ahhs", the guide on the boat started talking about the differences between dolphins and porpoises.  

Dolphin
Photo Reference: hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov

Porpoises
Photo Reference: scholastic.com

Dolphins tend to have longer beaks and cone like teeth, whereas porpoises have smaller beaks and spade-shaped teeth.  Their tails on the backs of the sea animals also differ.  While dolphins have curled fins, the porpoises have a triangular fin.  

After experiencing all the breathtaking sea life, it was hard not to think about how the amount of boats and people surrounding the area impact the sea life and ocean environment.  According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, approximately, 80% of the pollutants in the oceanic atmosphere originate from human usage.  How will this change the sea environment in the future?  What are some of the causes of the other 20%?  

While walking around and waiting for the snorkel boat to arrive, I came across some beautifully lush ferns.  What captured my attention right away was the pod-like dots that stick out of the leaves.  These pods contain the spores that land on the ground and become the gametophyte.

Other than getting sea sick on the boat, it was another lovely day in Kona.  I plan on visiting the Botanical Rainforests tomorrow and looking forward to learning more about the plants of Hawaii!

Aloha,
Julia