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Published: February 8th 2012
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Maui is an incredibly diverse island - biologically, culturally, and geographically. Being cut off from the mainland, there are loads of species endemic to Hawaii. Located in the middle of the Pacific, Hawaii seems to be equal parts polynesian, chinese, australian, and mexican. There are also a huge amount of tourists and surfers from the mainland US.
I spent the first two weeks here looking for an appartment or room-share. I can't believe how difficult it was! Between checking online everyday, the local papers, and asking everyone I met, the cheapest I found was a closet converted to a bedroom with share kitchen and bathroom for twice as much as a normal appartment anywhere else. But I am about two blocks from the beach and our research headquarters.
Some friends and I woke up dark and early to do the famous Road to Hana - a journey of about 70 miles that takes about 5 hours each way. Here's why: it's a one-lane road with only a few passing turnouts and packed with tourists stopping every two minutes to take pictures. It's a winding cliffside road through lush jungle with waterfalls every few hundred yards. The north side of
Back side of Haleakala Volcano
The leeward side of the mountains is very dry due to the rain shadow effect. the island to Hana was very nice but I prefered the drier southeast side of our loop around the island (see the pics of the dry canyons below).
Snorkeling has been great! Not as good as Belize but still pretty good. Tons of fish and even a green sea turtle! The other interns have a bunch of surfboards in their yard so we tried it one morning but it's tough to find a nice break away from the sharp coral within walking distance.
After two weeks of waiting for the boat to get fixed we finally got started with the humpback research. We're in a 30' motorboat studying a 50' animal which can be quite thrilling - especially when we're in the middle of a competitive group of 10+ males. We basically look for these groups to study the competitive behaviors leading up to mating. It is yet unknown the function of these competitions as there is not necessarily a winner and if there was, it is not necessarily that individual who gets to mate. Us interns photograph flukes and dorsal fins for identification purposes, record behavior of individuals, and record which photos and footage (surface and underwater)
go with which whales. Unfortunately, I can't share any photos taken while on the research boat without permission of the NMFS but I included a few from a commercial whale watch that a friend took us interns on.
This passed weekend we helped at a fundraiser for HWRF(my org), Center for Whale Studies, and Whale Trust. There were 8 reserachers from all over the world who presented their findings to a crowd of 500 people. After, we got invited to a catered reception and got to meet the researchers.
I'm glad I brought the tennis rackets. I've been playing almost everyday with a hs senior who is headed to a DI school in California on tennis scholarship. I introduced myself to all the local resorts hoping for a part-time tennis coaching job but with no luck. Then at the public courts I met Mac the local hs coach who hired me for two days a week to coach the junior high.
I've nearly completed five paintings of Maui so far. Just small, quick studies focused on color and gesture of scene. Mac makes a living as an artist (http://pascualfinearts.com/About_The_Artist.html) and may help me sell some of mine
in an upcoming national
plein air painting competition in Lahaina.
I really want to get up to Haleakala for sunrise. It's paved like Cadilac in Maine except it's over 10,000' and there's a big ol' crater in the middle. We may rent a car and do it some weekend. There are also some 6,000' peaks on the west side of the island but there aren't any trails up because it's so steep and fragile. I've signed up to do some bird mist-netting and invasive species volunteering in part to get up into those mountains - they may even have to helicopter us in.
I'm starting to settle in here and I'm sure the whales departure in late-April will come quick. I miss the cold and snow though, today was the first rainy day and it's still in the 70s. I doubt I will use my rain jacket or fleece the whole time. Some people here never wear a shirt or shoes, in fact a sign at the grocery store says 'No shirt, no shoes, no problem.'
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