Sunday, March 11, 2007

Leaving Lahaina

The ferry to Molokai leaves the harbor in Lahaina at 7am before this major tourist town really begins to wake.















The Lahaina Banyan Tree across the street from the harbor covers nearly two thirds of an acre. It is a city park in the courtyard of the old courthouse.


















The Pioneer Inn directly on the harbor has a wild past. The debauchery of drunken sailors during the height of whaling once filled its rooms.

















Looking out at the surf break next to the harbor in the morning light.


















Looking back at historic Front Street in Lahaina Town.

















Headed out to sea with some major force.

















The deep blue of the Pacific for County Clerk especially. The water was very calm that morning. The winds had been near dead for the last two days as a cold front approached and a hot humid vog was pulled up from the south.















The black bump of a Humpback Whale in the miles and miles of blue water. The ocean was filled with whales. We saw dozens. They are very hard to photograph at a distance and when most of their body is under water.

















Molokai appears through the volcanic haze.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Humpback whales--very cool. I'd love to see "an ocean full" someday.

Annie in Austin said...

The names sound familiar to me from reading Michener's Hawaii, but that book was about yesterday.
Your wonderful photos and words are about today ~ Lahaina & Molokai in an age of global tourism.
I'd also like to see whales and one Banyan tree making a whole forest.

Annie

christin m p in massachusetts said...

I was thinking that someone should do a painting of that third photo down from the top -- the one of the view "Looking out at the surf break next to the harbor in the morning light."

Do you paint?

Christopher C. NC said...

I bet that harbor has been painted countless times. Lahaina is a major fine arts center.

I don't paint yet.