Between me and the mountains, under the calm, blue surface, there was an ocean of mystery. A few times per hour, the surface would break with the flash of a humpback whale’s tale, or a quick glimpse of their humpback. Once, a baby whale and its mother made an appearance close the coastline. Each time they revealed themselves, the atmosphere on the boat would shift and everyone grabbed their camera or binoculars and found their place alongside the railing, filling all the gaps to catch a view of these creatures. When we found a safe place to anchor and enter the ocean, I kept an eye out for wandering whales, but only heard their music ringing through the water.
I took this photo far into the hike out along the coast, enjoying the bright blues and greens surrounding the trail. On the way back, however, the entire view was shrouded in clouds, with gray mist shielding the coastline from view. The hike in and the journey out were completely different experiences due to the weather conditions and I’m glad I took this photo as soon as the moment of inspiration struck me.
I’ll be honest. I am terrified of heights. When I first moved to Oahu there were certain hikes that would send shivers up my spine and cause my legs to tremble. But I never stopped exploring those hikes and beyond them. Each time I face this fear my comfort level expands. I was dangling my feet over the cliff when I took this shot, yet not out of recklessness, but because I had hiked this enough times to know through experience what was feasible for me and could identify a safe and sturdy enough place to perch. Maybe the next step is this gliding through the sky, protected by much less than what a plane can offer. Here, it is you, your parachute, and the sky. Then maybe who knows if floating could lead to free fall, something I never thought I’d do. With each new exploration comes new awareness.
