Rare Treat...

I told you guys last week that I was super excited that my brother-in-law was in town to visit/stay for a while.  I've been trying to give him a feel for the island while still saving the good stuff for when Kent comes home.  Last Friday I decided we would take a drive around the island, stopping off at any points we found interesting.

We headed up toward the North Shore of the island, and we stopped off at one of the beaches locally known as "Turtle Beach."  There, you have a very good chance of seeing a sea turtle basking in the sun.  Since we left fairly early in the morning, I wasn't sure we would see a turtle, but we stopped anyway.  We walked along the shoreline staring into the water in hopes of seeing a turtle.  Then, all of a sudden, I noticed a really bit critter enjoying itself on the beach.  It was a seal... a Hawaiian Monk Seal!!!  One of the most endangered seals on the Earth!  I knew we were supposed to be at least 100 feet away, so we backed away, but I zoomed in as much as possible and snapped quite a few photos as we moved away.

I can't tell you how incredible it was to see one of these in the wild.  Photos do not do it justice.  Knowing that you are so close and watching an animal that many scientists only dream of observing is really, really amazing.  

After the thrill of seeing the monk seal, we continued on along the North Shore, just stopping when we felt like it.  It was pretty cool, and I always enjoy driving that route.  It reminds me of the beauty of the island when I so often get caught up in being here alone in the more populated areas.  

Here are a just a few photos from our tour of the island....

 

Ever see a chicken on the beach?  Well, come to Hawaii, and you will.

Hope you guys are having a fantastic Monday!