Viewing the waters edge along the Keanae Peninsula one can truly see how time to humans is not necessarily the same thing to time as it relates to the Earth. Just a few hundred years ago Haleakala erupted sending down the lava flow that now makes up its rugged shoreline. One would think that after a few hundred years of pounding surf and driving winds the sharp lava rock would experience at least enough erosion to round off the sharp edges. But no. Hell no. My only thought while crawling around on the rocks was “Don’t fall over!” and “Don’t trip!” and “Man is this stuff sharp!”
Kaenae Peninsula, Maui, Hawaii April 2010
Yet even with the possibility of turning my legs into raw meat I couldn’t help but think what a beautiful place it is. I had never seen anything like it. Exploring the small tide pools, with their fish and crabs, I stumbled across a sleeping Monk Seal. Now I’ve heard the stories (and saw the Brady Bunch Episode) of the bad luck one gets if they remove or steal anything not given to them from the islands. Conversely I’ve also heard that running across a Monk Seal, haphazardly, is good luck. So as it snored and grunted in its morning slumber I shot a few pictures as quietly as I could with the warm sun on my back and smile on my face.
Monk Seal, Keanae Peninsula, Maui, Hawaii April 2010
After a few frames it opened one eye and snorted loud enough to send a cold chill down my spine. I froze. It raised its head, opened its other eye, looked right at me and snorted again, even louder. I thought about my surroundings. Is there an escape route that I could use that won’t skin me alive while I’m running for my life? Will this beast charge or retreat? And what’s the average land speed of an Hawaiian Monk Seal? And how the hell does this animal negotiate these surroundings in the first place? Wouldn’t it be torture by a thousand cuts traveling the thirty feet to the waters edge? And really, what if….
It snorted again. This time louder than the last. My attention was back, focused like a laser beam. I didn’t feel lucky anymore.
After what I’m sure only took a few seconds, but felt like long years, our staring contest ended. The seal lowered its head and nestled back into a relaxed napping position. I exhaled slowly and wondered how long it was since my last breath.
It must have let me go. I’m no Jack Hanna, but my guess is that I wouldn’t have stood a chance in hell against an angry Monk Seal in its natural surroundings. No way. It must have took pity on me.
After its eyes closed I backed away slowly and mumbled to myself, “So yeah, okay, its beautiful here with all the sun, surf, lava rock and wildlife. I’ve seen it and I’m out.”
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