WHERE LAVA MEETS THE SEA, Exploring Hawaii’s Tide Pools

Tide pools, Kona, Hawaii

When visiting the Big Island of Hawaii, one is constantly reminded of both its volcanic past and present. In many places, vast fields of black rock—once molten lava—cover the landscape. Here and there small plants are taking a foothold. Along the coast, where lava once reached the ocean and hardened into rock, waves pound the shore, creating cavities for tiny animals and pools for fish and crabs.

Sea urchins.

On our recent trip to the Big Island, our hotel in Kona (The Royal Kona Resort) overlooked the sea. Along the edge of the sea was a rocky ledge. Wearing sturdy shoes and taking care where I stepped, I ventured out onto the rocks to get a closer look at the creatures that were making their homes in the tide pools. 

At the outer edge of the shore, a constant stream of water washes in and out of the pools as waves break. But at low tide, the water of the inner pools is still and clear. In some I saw tiny fish dart from crevice to crevice. In others, sea urchins clung to the rocks, their spiny exteriors making them look like living pin cushions.

Sea cucumber.

As I peered under an overhanging rock, I spotted several sea cucumbers, their tentacles spread at the end of their long bodies. Tiny crabs skittered across the rocks above, but as soon as they detected my shadow they disappeared into cracks. The crabs are preyed upon by birds, who leave their empty exoskeletons behind. 

Crab remains left on a rock.

I had hoped to see sea turtles swimming or resting near the shore, as I had on previous trips, but this time none appeared. However, the variety of creatures that I did discover were reward enough and yet another example of the myriad ways that life exists on our planet.

Bright yellow seaweed (Ahnfeltiopsis coccina) is called Limu Aki Aki in Hawaiian.  Common in Hawaii, it is edible.

Note: Public access to Hawaii's shore is marked with signs at various places along the coast. I explored the tide pools near my hotel (The Royal Kona Resort) following the signed walkway to the beach at the point where Kahakai Road turns inland.  For a guide to the best tide pools near Kona, click HERE.

A colony of helmet urchins (Colobocentrotus atratus).

Chunks of coral, bleached and rounded by waves, stand out against the black lava.

View of the reef near the Kona airport, as seen from the plane window shortly before landing.

 

HERON ISLAND, a Jewel in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

 52 Places to Go: Week 32

Heron Island lies fifty miles east of the city of Gladstone in Queensland.  Part of the island is the Heron Island Resort; the other houses a scientific research institute.

If you could choose to be stranded on a desert island, what would you look for?  A source of shelter?  A ready supply of food? The white-capped noddy tern, a sea-going bird that lives on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, needs just such an island for nesting, and Heron Island fills the bill.  Hundreds of noddy terns breed on Heron Island, located almost exactly on the Tropic of Capricorn off the Queensland coast.

Brittle Star

In August 1983 (winter in the southern hemisphere) our family visited Heron Island and saw noddy terns, herons, and a host of other fascinating wildlife.  It is one of our most memorable vacations.  During our stay we walked the island and watched the birds, explored the reef at low tide, snorkeled at high tide, observed sea turtles and deep water fish from a glass bottomed boat, and enjoyed the amenities of the resort.  Art’s hundreds of photos from this trip inspired my book A Walk on the Great Barrier Reef.

Noddy Tern

Unlike most of the other small coral islands of the Great Barrier Reef, which are rocky and barren, Heron Island is covered with lush vegetation, including pandanus palms and pinsonia trees, which make ideal nest sites protected from the weather and predators. Huge flocks of noddy terns make virtual apartment houses out of the trees. Each pair of birds claims one horizontal branch where they build their nest with seaweed and leaves.

The Great Barrier Reef stretches for 1250 miles along the northeast coast of Australia.  It is an undersea wilderness of coral, colorful fish, and thousands of unusual sea creatures–some of which are poisonous, and all fascinating. At low tide, the top of the reef is revealed. To protect the reef and its wildlife, the Australian government declared it a national park in 1979.

Like other reef islands, Heron Island is surrounded by a large “reef flat” which extends nearly a quarter of a mile into the sea.  Fish and sea animals that live on and around the surrounding reef provide food for both migrating and nesting birds.Where the reef flat drops off, the water is about thirty feet deep, and there, from a boat or with diving gear, you can see large formations of coral and groups of colored fish.  But at low tide the water on the flat itself is only a few inches deep and in many places the coral rises above the water.  Wearing canvas shoes as protection against sharp pieces of coral, and carrying a stick for balance, we went out each day to discover the wonders of the reef for ourselves.

Giant clam embedded in brain coral

Despite its plant-like forms, coral is actually clusters of tiny animals that live inside hard calcium skeletons.  Live coral varies in color from purple, green and yellow to bright red.  When coral dies, it loses its color, revealing its brilliant white skeleton.
The ideal temperature for coral growth is 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit.  As the oceans grow warmer with climate change, many corals are dying and reefs are being destroyed.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most wondrous places on earth.  Our visit to Heron Island was a chance to spend a few days immersed in its beauty and richness.

For more information about visiting Heron Island, click HERE. 

Learn more about Heron Island and the Great Barrier Reef in my book A Walk on the Great Barrier Reef, available as an e-book on Amazon.

All text and photos copyright Caroline Arnold

HERON ISLAND, a Jewel in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

Heron Island lies fifty miles east of the city of Gladstone in Queensland.  Part of the island is the Heron Island Resort; the other houses a scientific research institute.

If you could choose to be stranded on a desert island, what would you look for?  A source of shelter?  A ready supply of food? The white-capped noddy tern, a sea-going bird that lives on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, needs just such an island for nesting, and Heron Island fills the bill.  Hundreds of noddy terns breed on Heron Island, located almost exactly on the Tropic of Capricorn off the Queensland coast.

Brittle Star

Thirty years ago, in August 1983 (winter in the southern hemisphere) our family visited Heron Island and saw noddy terns, herons, and a host of other fascinating wildlife.  It is one of our most memorable vacations.  During our stay we walked the island and watched the birds, explored the reef at low tide, snorkeled at high tide, observed sea turtles and deep water fish from a glass bottomed boat, and enjoyed the amenities of the resort.  Art’s hundreds of photos from this trip inspired my book A Walk on the Great Barrier Reef.

Noddy Tern

Unlike most of the other small coral islands of the Great Barrier Reef, which are rocky and barren, Heron Island is covered with lush vegetation, including pandanus palms and pinsonia trees, which make ideal nest sites protected from the weather and predators. Huge flocks of noddy terns make virtual apartment houses out of the trees. Each pair of birds claims one horizontal branch where they build their nest with seaweed and leaves.

The Great Barrier Reef stretches for 1250 miles along the northeast coast of Australia.  It is an undersea wilderness of coral, colorful fish, and thousands of unusual sea creatures–some of which are poisonous, and all fascinating. At low tide, the top of the reef is revealed. To protect the reef and its wildlife, the Australian government declared it a national park in 1979.

Like other reef islands, Heron Island is surrounded by a large “reef flat” which extends nearly a quarter of a mile into the sea.  Fish and sea animals that live on and around the surrounding reef provide food for both migrating and nesting birds.Where the reef flat drops off, the water is about thirty feet deep, and there, from a boat or with diving gear, you can see large formations of coral and groups of colored fish.  But at low tide the water on the flat itself is only a few inches deep and in many places the coral rises above the water.  Wearing canvas shoes as protection against sharp pieces of coral, and carrying a stick for balance, we went out each day to discover the wonders of the reef for ourselves.

Giant clam embedded in brain coral

Despite its plant-like forms, coral is actually clusters of tiny animals that live inside hard calcium skeletons.  Live coral varies in color from purple, green and yellow to bright red.  When coral dies, it loses its color, revealing its brilliant white skeleton.
The ideal temperature for coral growth is 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit.  As the oceans grow warmer with climate change, many corals are dying and reefs are being destroyed.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most wondrous places on earth.  Our visit to Heron Island was a chance to spend a few days immersed in its beauty and richness.