NWHI

[olly]

for your viewing pleasure, some shock and awe photos from the northwestern hawaiian islands. I unfortunately didn't get the chance to see this myself, so i don't take any credit for these photos, but figured you guys would enjoy them
This sequence is taken from Turn island in the French Frigate Shoals, the albatross is a juvenile but still has a wingspan of almost 6' , just to give some scale... lucky bugger got away this time.
the person taking the photo's was standing on the beach, so the water is only a few feet deep...
The place is incredible, although like rocky said some of the beaches were pretty trashed. makes you think twice about throwing away anything plastic when you see the bodies of birds just full of plastic crap that they've eaten. The reefs were incredible though. so many fishes.
I'll post more soon.

[red]

That's so cute. They're playing.

[LGREANZ]

wow, awesome, what kind of fish is that ?

[HMARK]

Somehow, the 'vonage' commercial comes to mind....

Wheres the blond running down the beach w/ the inner tube??

[Puerto_Rico_Surfer]

yeah what species of shark?

[olly]

it's a tiger shark. apparently they've been seen beaching themselves and taking birds off the beach

[Puerto_Rico_Surfer]

KIHEI, Hawaii (AP) -- A shark attacked a man swimming at a Maui beach Saturday, injuring his leg and hand, authorities said.

Kyle Gruen, 29, of Vancouver, Canada, was about 30 to 40 feet offshore when the shark grabbed his left side, said his twin brother, Jeff Gruen, who was at the beach when the attack happened.

"He was swimming along when just all of a sudden it got him," Jeff Gruen told The Honolulu Advertiser. "He pulled away and kicked it off, and it took off right away."

Maui County spokeswoman Ellen Pelissero said the victim was attacked near Kihei. He was listed in stable condition at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

As a precaution, authorities closed beaches about one mile in either direction of the attack.

[Bud]

holy crap that boy is close enough to the shore, almost coulda poked 'im in the eye from dry sand! Lucky bird got away this time

[olly]

here are a few more we took from the other side of the beach, hope you like 'em

[red]

That's not paradise. Where's the appt buildings and sludge on the reef?

[Bud]

what, no jet skis & gill nets?

beeeyootiful pics olly, thanks for that

[olly]

hmmm... maybe i should post some reality pictures as well. i'll dig up some of the guys net hauling and some of the plastic crap on the beaches.