Mike in the Wild

Hurricane Lowell had drenched Maui over several days before I arrived for my September vacation.  Fortunately there was little damage in the way of flooding or erosion.  However the storm left snorkeling conditions less than ideal at one of my favorite spots, Honolua Bay in the island's northwest corner.  A freshwater stream was flowing stronger than I've ever seen it as I followed the adjacent path to the rocky beach, resulting in brown patches in the normally turquoise cove.  Murky water can not only diminish visibility, but it can indicate bacterial, chemical, and physical contamination.  Nevertheless, I entered the water and headed to the middle of the bay where vibrant coral formations came close to breaking the water's surface.   However before I reached those outcrops, I spotted a completely different sort of animal: my first ever shark in Hawaii.  A couple of months ago a shark sighting in Hanalei Bay on Kauai left me unnerved while I snor...