Photos

It's such a hot day and we have been driving the tortuous road along the north coast of Maui to Hana. Wouldn't a dip in the ocean be great?

Here is the Black Sand beach looking very attractive in the hot afternoon sun.

Black sand is formed when lava cascades down from the volcano and strikes the cold water of the ocean, exploding into tiny crystals.

As we walked down the path to the beach we passed sign after sign with warnings on them. A few have been tacked on to the bottom of the picture.

This beach is located in Wainapanapa State Park. Legend says that Princess Popoalaea hid from her cruel husband in one of the many caves here. But she was discovered and killed. Several times a year, the water turns bright red, commemorating the event. Of course, it is the shrimp that make the water red, but it is still a great story.

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The Portuguese Man of War is a jellyfish creature that floats on the surface of the water and has long tentacles which sting.

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The neatest thing about the Man of War is that it actually sails. It has a sail that protrudes above the water and it can tack into the wind. Many years ago, we caught one in the Mediterranean and played with it in a bowl. Turning the bowl and watching it trim its sails as the wind changed. Fascinating creature. No fun to swim with. See Animals that Sail.