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One fish, Two fish

To follow up yesterday's post... the image I posted was of a Puffer fish! Thanks to all those who guessed either in comments or via email.


The animal is named as such because it puffs up with water or air when it becomes alarmed. This unique looking fish is also known as a blowfish or fugu and is served as a risky delicacy in Japan, China and the U.S. The puffer fish is poisonous and even though in restaurants the poison is removed, there are cases where it still manages to linger and kill people.


There are dozens of varieties of puffer fish worldwide. Oh and yeah, they're sharp! To see the images in more detail, click on them to make them larger.

"At length did cross an Albatross"

White Teeth

Surfing CA

Rocky Shore

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Twin Islands

The Mokulua Islands, or the "Mokes", are located off the windward coast of Oahu, Hawaii. Many people think when you look at the two islands together, they look like a woman with her head tilted back with her knees sticking out of the water. They really are an impressive sight.

I took these three photographs on different days and during different months. It's hard to believe but the colors in the images are as they were on those days, I didn't tinker with any of them. It is amazing to see how the same subject can look so different. To see the details, you can click on them to make them larger.






Moku lua means "two islands" in Hawaiian but the frequently photographed pair are more commonly referred to as the "twin islands." The larger island on the left is Moku Nui and the smaller, Moku Iki. The Mokes are about a mile and a half away if you launch a kayak or jump on a surfboard from the gorgeous Lanikai beach in Kailua. I got to Moku Nui by kayak. What I remember the most about it was if you walked around to the open ocean side, the water was incredibly powerful. The surf would hit the rocks and water would go flying high into the air. It was intriguing and yet frightening at the same time because I remember thinking I could get sucked out into the ocean at any time.

If you want to see my other images from Hawaii, click here or here.

Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach is one of Australia's most popular places to visit and is perhaps the country's most famous of its many beaches. If you're relying on public transportation, as I was, it takes a little while for you to get there but once you're there, Bondi is a beautiful sight. Some of the interest I think comes from actually being at such an iconic place but the water is wonderful and it's a nice change of pace compared to some parts of Sydney.

Bondi gets criticized for being too touristy. When I went, it was closer to sunset, and most of the people there were local. Bondi wasn't as crowded as Manly Beach but the color of the water was not as striking either. The surf on one end is really powerful and too dangerous for a swim which I didn't know until I visited. The street that runs parallel to it is lined with housing, shops, bars and restaurants. If you're relying on public transportation to get there, make sure you carve out time to get there and back because it took me about 45 minutes, each way, on the bus.

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For more information about Bondi Beach, click here. If you're interested in my other post about Australia, then click here.

Ocean Approaching

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Baja Sunset

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Office Daydream

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Bright Beach

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The Great Outdoors

Our travels through New Zealand's South Island led us to a boat docked in a bay in Abel Tasman National Park. We spent one night in the park camping and one night on this boat. I took this picture through a small window in the lower level of the boat because the fish swimming so close looked so bright and alluring. Click on it to see the details.

On a side note, Abel Tasman is truly stunning and if you ever have the chance to go, carve out a few days to hike, trek, camp, swim, snorkel, kayak or just relax on the beach. It's worth it.




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Climbing the Dune

Desert Crossing

I happened upon some camels being guided through the desert by their Bedouin herder. You can see just how hot it was. Later, we used camels as we ventured onto the dunes.