Just wondering how many of us who regularly drive past Ala Moana Beach Park ever really take notice of the trees, plants or flowers.  One day while walking through the park and through the distractions, traffic noise, and people bustling about, I noticed this banyan tree that fronts Ala Moana Blvd., that I never really noticed before –  it made me realize that at times it is hard for us to look beyond and see things that are right in front of us…

Bath Salts Hawaii

About Bath Salts Hawaii – “As a young boy,  my grandfather (a conservationist, fisherman and waterman) taught  how to gather sea salts from the tidal pools on the beaches of Makaha, on the Island of O’ahu.  Today to continue his tradition and legacy we provide these high quality bath salts to purify your well-being.” 

Purchase bath salts at:  www.wishiwereinhawaiishop.com

Sharing a story: “While growing up on a 5 acre farm lot in Wai’anae on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, a stray dog and her puppies lived under our house.  We quickly learned that they had fleas and soon my legs were ravaged by flea bites.  My parents would take us tot he ocean to sooth the itchiness and clean the bites.  Needless to say swimming and playing in the ocean was a fun and it got me out of some chores!”

The ancient Po

Roman soldiers were partly paid in salt money, salarium argentium, it is said to be from this that we get the word solider – ’sal dar’, meaning to give salt.  we also get the word salary ’salarium’ hence ’salary’ and “worth his salt.”  Not to be worth one’s salt was considered a great insult.

The Native Hawaiians named the seal Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua, which means “dog that runs in rough waters. ”

Why oh why are they called “MONK” seals? There are several reasons for this. They are usually “loners” and are sometimes seen in small groups. Additionally, their loose skin around their neck tends to look like a monk’s robe. We will be posting a video shortly, where you can see what we mean.  One of them is just “hanging” out there by himself, contemplating.. well, Sea Life, we suppose….

Some facts:

• In their natural habitat they feast on fish, spiny lobsters, octopuses and eels. However, because of the many environmental factors and disturbances in their natural habitat their numbers have been slowly declining. According to our experts at Sea Life park there are only approximately 1100 Hawaiian Monk Seals left. as of this writing.
• Their average life span in the wild is 25 to 30 years an their average size is approximately 7 ½ ft.
  They have no external ears and they swim using their hind flippers while using their front flippers as stabilizers.
  Mother monk seals are dedicated and remain with their pups constantly for the first five or six weeks of their lives. They do not leave their pups during this time and if disturbed by humans they have been known to abandon their pups to flee.

So. if you are here visiting the islands:

•  Do not approach monk seals while on land or in the water. They may approach swimmers, divers or vessels out of curiosity, but in no instance should you approach them. This may be considered a form of harassment.
• When it is necessary to pass by a monk seal that has hauled itself on to a beach, it is recommended that you remain a minimum distance of 100 feet away from the seal, so as not to disturb them.
• Do your best to avoid female monk seals with pups, and never come between a mother and a pup.
• Report sightings of injured or sick seals or of harassment by others to the National Marine Fisheries Service in Honolulu at your earliest convenience. The seals will thank you! The number there is: (808) 955-8831.

Wish I Were In Hawaii and Bath Salts Hawaii have adopted these seals as our “mascot” and the non-profit organization we will be working with will be named soon.

You can purchase this book and read about the meaning of the ocean and Hawaii

 and how there is a deep and ancient connection with “Kai” (ocean) :

(Click on Image)

This second video is from that day that I went to the North Shore hoping for better weather. Rather than just packing up the camera and heading home, I decided to shoot some video since I was already out there.

This video was taken on December 2, 2009 in the morning a few hours before large winter swells arrived to the delight of surfers.

This video was produced by Hawaiian Outpost.

Don’t let this video deceive you. While it can be calm as show in the video, it can also be extremely dangerous with giant waves crashing over the outer wall. Here’s a video clip of the exact same cove on a day when the surf was huge.

If you want to see what it looked like in the movie, here’s a clip I found on YouTube. If you look closely, you’ll see that it looks the same but different. Somehow the sand and rocks look a little different. Maybe the tide or sand levels were different at the time of filming. One thing is for sure. The movie peeps sure know how to make lying in sand after coming out of the water look fun! In real life, it feels pretty weird. Sand stuck to your wet feet is one thing. Sand stuck all over your body is quite another.