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Jim & Cynthia | profile | all galleries >> Jim and Cynthia's Travel Photos >> Apr '06 - Visiting Manta Rays & Volcanoes tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Apr '06 - Visiting Manta Rays & Volcanoes

It all started with Jim’s description of his delightful memories of scuba diving with manta rays years ago. That, and Jessica’s husband Adam’s fascination with volcanoes. Taken together, I decided to organize a little “family trip” so that we could experience these two adventures together. And it turned out great! It was sort of a huge extended triple date, as we were all couples: Jim and I, Jessica and Adam, and Mark and his live-in girlfriend Stephanie. The manta rays by night ... the volcano plume at the sea ... gorgeous and wonderful ....
Checking out potential beach sites
Checking out potential beach sites		 The gang at Uncle Billy's in Kona
The gang at Uncle Billy's in Kona		 Kona seaside
Kona seaside		 Our first Kona coffee
Our first Kona coffee
The newly married couple!
The newly married couple!		 Front of the newly married couple
Front of the newly married couple		 The other happily married couple!
The other happily married couple!		 Jess with mom and Jim on the boat out to the dive spot
Jess with mom and Jim on the boat out to the dive spot
Looking back at the Kona shoreline
Looking back at the Kona shoreline		 Adam, Mark, and Stephanie on the boat
Adam, Mark, and Stephanie on the boat		 Our serious dive master, Jon (from Jack's Diving Locker)
Our serious dive master, Jon (from Jack's Diving Locker)		 Our afternoon dive trip
Our afternoon dive trip
A camoflaged fish
A camoflaged fish		 Gorgeous tropical fishes abound
Gorgeous tropical fishes abound		 A pencil-like fish
A pencil-like fish		 Shrimp in sand
Shrimp in sand
At night, the manta rays arrive
At night, the manta rays arrive		 He's looking at us!
He's looking at us!		 Almost other-worldly (up to 14 foot wing spans!)
Almost other-worldly (up to 14 foot wing spans!)		 The fins help wave plankton into the mouth (eyes are on the outside edges)
The fins help wave plankton into the mouth (eyes are on the outside edges)
Wide open mouth -- you can see way down inside!
Wide open mouth -- you can see way down inside!		 Cyn to the left, and Jim to the right
Cyn to the left, and Jim to the right		 Cyn and Jim with manta ray
Cyn and Jim with manta ray		 They came very close as they glided up and over our heads
They came very close as they glided up and over our heads
I love looking at their eyes
I love looking at their eyes		 Mark with manta mouth behind
Mark with manta mouth behind		 Mark, with underbelly of manta
Mark, with underbelly of manta		 Adam and Jess with a little friend
Adam and Jess with a little friend
Our walk to the petroglyphs, Mauna Lani
Our walk to the petroglyphs, Mauna Lani		 A lovely path through the woods
A lovely path through the woods		 The field of petroglyphs
The field of petroglyphs		 Interesting figures
Interesting figures
Jim, pondering the meaning of it all
Jim, pondering the meaning of it all		 Kona coast at Mauna Lani
Kona coast at Mauna Lani		 A nice quiet moment in the shade
A nice quiet moment in the shade		 The whole gang!!
The whole gang!!
Swimming at Mauna Kea beach
Swimming at Mauna Kea beach		 Mark and Stephanie
Mark and Stephanie		 Nice doo that Stephanie made
Nice "doo" that Stephanie made		 Jess and Adam
Jess and Adam
Lava fields on the south Kona coast
Lava fields on the south Kona coast		 View of South Point (furthest south in the US)
View of South Point (furthest south in the US)		 Two colors of lava
Two colors of lava		 Gathering GREEN sand at South Point!
Gathering GREEN sand at South Point!
Jimmy collecting sand
Jimmy collecting sand		 Stephanie perusing sand in detail
Stephanie perusing sand in detail		 Mark also collecting
Mark also collecting		 Adam collecting
Adam collecting
Jessica was collecting too
Jessica was collecting too		 Cyn enjoying the south
Cyn enjoying the south		 Southern most point in the US!
Southern most point in the US!		 Next to the southern most point
Next to the southern most point
See, the sand is REALLY green
See, the sand is REALLY green		 Looking down the lava slope of Kilauea
Looking down the lava slope of Kilauea		 A plume of steam where the new lava enters the sea!
A plume of steam where the new lava enters the sea!		 Interesting lava bridge
Interesting lava bridge
The gang about to enter the lava field
The gang about to enter the lava field		 The lava meets the road!!
The lava meets the road!!		 Jim on the lava field
Jim on the lava field		 Amazing lava
Amazing lava
more lava shapes
more lava shapes		 really cool swirls
really cool swirls		 looks like hair!
looks like hair!		 Jess and Adam watching, enraptured with the volcano plume
Jess and Adam watching, enraptured with the volcano plume
Mark and Steph were also entranced
Mark and Steph were also entranced		 Cyn and plume!
Cyn and plume!		 When it got dark, the RED started to show!
When it got dark, the RED started to show!		 too bad for the road sign ...
too bad for the road sign ...
Kilauea crater
Kilauea crater		 Kilauea Iki (little Kilauea) crater
Kilauea Iki (little Kilauea) crater		 The cinder cone that blew it's side off in 1959
The cinder cone that blew it's side off in 1959		 Lush tropical forest
Lush tropical forest
Cyn in lush tropical forest
Cyn in lush tropical forest		 Adam, Jess and Jim in lush tropical forest!
Adam, Jess and Jim in lush tropical forest!		 Entrance to the Thurston Lava Tube
Entrance to the Thurston Lava Tube		 Pretty scary in the dark!
Pretty scary in the dark!
The sides of the lava tube were sometimes gnarly
The sides of the lava tube were sometimes gnarly		 At the very end of the tube, where it collapsed
At the very end of the tube, where it collapsed		 Wandering through the forest
Wandering through the forest		 More intriquing lava
More intriquing lava
Overlooking more of the volcano
Overlooking more of the volcano		 DON'T take that piece home! Pele won't approve!
DON'T take that piece home! Pele won't approve!		 Live begins anew
Live begins anew		 Halemaumau caldera
Halemaumau caldera
Sulfur streaks down the side
Sulfur streaks down the side		 Vegies eating at the Lava Rock Cafe
Vegies eating at the Lava Rock Cafe		 Tree pit (the lava surrounded a tree trunk)
Tree pit (the lava surrounded a tree trunk)		 WOW! these pits are SO AMAZING! (not)
WOW! these pits are SO AMAZING! (not)
The sulfur banks actually WERE amazing
The "sulfur banks" actually WERE amazing		 lovely steam (but a bit stinky)
lovely steam (but a bit stinky)		 magical, in the rain
magical, in the rain		 The whole bank was misty
The whole bank was misty
lots of vents and sulfur crystals
lots of vents and sulfur crystals		 cool sulfur vents
cool sulfur vents		 more of the bank
more of the bank		 the sulfur crystals are so yellow
the sulfur crystals are so yellow
and they make neat shapes
and they make neat shapes		 close up of a sulfur vent
close up of a sulfur vent		 Playing Dictionary
Playing "Dictionary"		 And drinking beer!
And drinking beer!
Morning at the Kiluaea crater
Morning at the Kiluaea crater		 Nice panorama of the Kiluaea crater
Nice panorama of the Kiluaea crater		 View of Mauna Kea
View of Mauna Kea		 SNOW still on top of Mauna Kea
SNOW still on top of Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa as we leave
Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa as we leave

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Guest 22-Nov-2006 19:04
Sweet! I was on the Big Island (and dove the evening & manta dive with Jack's) two months before these pictures. It truly is gorgeous, fascinating, wonderful, and so much more. Planning my return trip this weekend. Mahalo nui loa for letting me relive my memories through your photos. Dive safe & dive often!
Guest 03-May-2006 15:24
Loved the pictures and the story. thank you for sharing them with Carolynn.
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