Higher Thinking Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 My wife and I are currently in Molokai, HI. We spent 4 days on Oahu and then headed here. It's been a pretty great experience. On Oahu I got to hike a normally locked pathway on the military base (my friend is currently stationed there and we got special authorization) and got to train Jiu Jitsu on the beach under the sunrise. Visited Pearl Harbor of course. We also made two dives there. Unfortunately I don't have an underwater camera so no coral reef pictures [emoji26][emoji26] Still....Oahu was fantastic! Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 Next, we flew to Molokai!Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 Molokai has been great! It's actually home to Hawaii's largest reef. Wife and I did two more dives today and I'm doing two more tomorrow. Never had 6 dives in one trip, so I'm feeling super stoked! On Molokai, the local post office had this thing where you can decorate coconuts and then ship them anywhere you want. Pens and coconuts are free, just have to pay shipping. We sent a couple out today! If you aren't familiar with Molokai, you may not know it once housed a leper colony. In the mid 1800s, when leprosy began breaking out, the Hawaiian government forced those affected with leprosy into a secluded colony on one end of the island. Long story short, it was a pretty messed up thing to do. Thousands of people were essentially condemned into isolation with little to no resources. Christians ended up showing up and stayed there for over a hundred years caring for people, fighting for better treatment, and eventually helping people get cured when medicines were developed during the late 1940s. In 1965, the isolation law was finally redacted and people were allowed to leave. Some left, others stayed behind, desiring to finish out their lives on the little piece of Hawaii that they had known for so long. There are currently only 5 patients left. There's like 90 workers though. It's a national park and you need permits to enter. You can usually hike down to it, but because of a landslide, you can only fly in to that area now. So the wife and I hoped onto a plane and took the ten minute flight down there and got the tour. It was definitely an experience, that's for sure. The city Kalaupapa is located at the base of the tallest sea cliffs (in the country I believe). Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 This is the view of the settlement from a high ground lookout point. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 Some of the original churches still remain. Most of the original buildings are no longer there, just rock foundations remain. There are countless graves of all who perished from the disease. There was a guy named Father Damien and a nun named Sister Mary Ann, who are the two most famous people who enacted the greatest change for all those who suffered in Kalaupapa. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 If you've read this far, congrats and thanks! Final note, I have been blessed to dive Kauai, Oahu, and now Molokai. Molokai absolutely has the best reef that I've seen in Hawaii. To be fair, the fish quantity seemed lower on Molokai, but the overall reef was far and away the best! Mostly all SPS, a few fungia plates. Primarily acropora, pocillopora, and montipora. As if it wasn't already ridiculous to see people selling "colonies" that are 2", when you see coral colonies that are 10 feet, your perspective starts changing. [emoji2][emoji2] Main fish I've seen pretty consistently: A bunch of tangs (yellow, Sailfin, Naso, convict, orange band, and Kole), countless butterfly fish, trumpet fish, eels, several triggers (Humuhumu, of course!), lots of parrot fish, Moorish idols, and a couple white tipped, reef sharks. Of course there are thousands of other fish I can't even identify. One thing that is abundantly clear, I NEVER see fish in someone's tank that get as big as these fish in the wild. I'm talking yellow tangs that are over 8".... All day! The more I watch fish in the wild, the more I think that it's impossible to provide adequate tank size for a lot of fish. Whether your tank is 55 gal or 250 gal, I can't possibly see how it would make a difference. Apart from aggression and territory issues (that's a whole different thing), you are placing fish in something that is a billionth of it's usual size. I can't understand how a couple hundred gallons makes any difference. I, of course could be totally wrong, who knows? Like I said, more space is absolutely needed for territory and aggression issues, but as far as giving the fish "adequate swimming room"....I think it's impossible for many fish. What does this newfound perspective mean to anyone, myself included? I guess nothing... I'm not changing anything with how I stock my tank. Anyway, just rambling at this point.... Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmas_one Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 Thanks for sharing! I never knew all that about Molokai. Those airplane shots are amazing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimusprime3605 Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 Awesome, thanks for sharing! Sent from Atlantis 🤙 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milesmiles902 Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 6 hours ago, Higher Thinking said: If you've read this far, congrats and thanks! Final note, I have been blessed to dive Kauai, Oahu, and now Molokai. Molokai absolutely has the best reef that I've seen in Hawaii. To be fair, the fish quantity seemed lower on Molokai, but the overall reef was far and away the best! Mostly all SPS, a few fungia plates. Primarily acropora, pocillopora, and montipora. As if it wasn't already ridiculous to see people selling "colonies" that are 2", when you see coral colonies that are 10 feet, your perspective starts changing. Main fish I've seen pretty consistently: A bunch of tangs (yellow, Sailfin, Naso, convict, orange band, and Kole), countless butterfly fish, trumpet fish, eels, several triggers (Humuhumu, of course!), lots of parrot fish, Moorish idols, and a couple white tipped, reef sharks. Of course there are thousands of other fish I can't even identify. One thing that is abundantly clear, I NEVER see fish in someone's tank that get as big as these fish in the wild. I'm talking yellow tangs that are over 8".... All day! The more I watch fish in the wild, the more I think that it's impossible to provide adequate tank size for a lot of fish. Whether your tank is 55 gal or 250 gal, I can't possibly see how it would make a difference. Apart from aggression and territory issues (that's a whole different thing), you are placing fish in something that is a billionth of it's usual size. I can't understand how a couple hundred gallons makes any difference. I, of course could be totally wrong, who knows? Like I said, more space is absolutely needed for territory and aggression issues, but as far as giving the fish "adequate swimming room"....I think it's impossible for many fish. What does this newfound perspective mean to anyone, myself included? I guess nothing... I'm not changing anything with how I stock my tank. Anyway, just rambling at this point.... Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk I agree. Most tanks are relatively small for these fish, especially Nasos. The highest prevalence of "pacing", "re-tracing" and/or Zoochosis I see in fish is with the Naso tang. That's why I am happy to see breeding of tangs in general. I can guarantee it helps the mental state to breed and domesticate them. ..would I buy a Naso tang? Eh, if I had a big enough tank, but for now. There are enough smaller fish that appeal to me. Glad to hear Hawaii was fun. I'm sure I could wrestle you to the ground, but I am not sure who would win. Appreciate the wicked photos. Cheers! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuncrestReef Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 Wow, looks beautiful. So jealous! My wife & I got married on Kauai and spent our honeymoon on Maui. We really need to go back soon. How many days is your trip? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 Wow, looks beautiful. So jealous! My wife & I got married on Kauai and spent our honeymoon on Maui. We really need to go back soon. How many days is your trip?We arrived last Saturday and headed home tomorrow. [emoji26] 9 days if you include the two travel days. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuncrestReef Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 6 minutes ago, Higher Thinking said: We arrived last Saturday and headed home tomorrow. 9 days if you include the two travel days. I can’t believe you skipped my BBQ just for this...🤣🤣 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 Awesome pics and write up Andrew - thanks for sharing! I had heard the stories about the colony there but don’t think I had ever seen current pics of the location - great that you got to explore that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted September 2, 2019 Author Share Posted September 2, 2019 I'm sure I could wrestle you to the ground, but I am not sure who would win. Challenge accepted...Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted September 2, 2019 Author Share Posted September 2, 2019 A couple final photos, including the trip home. I'm definitely not ready to be back, that's for sure... Molokai... It's like the most real Hawaii, only more expensive than the other islands: Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted September 2, 2019 Author Share Posted September 2, 2019 Before the final dive of the trip, I got to chatting with some other divers who had a sweet underwater camera setup. They were kind enough to agree to snap a bunch of pictures of me diving as well as getting all the regular reef photos, of course. I gave them my contact info so they could send me the pictures. I certainly hope that happens [emoji16][emoji16] I'll be sure to post those when I get them. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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