In the second half of April, we visited Hawaii for almost two weeks. We spent most of our time on the Island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island; however, we also dropped by Oahu for a quick nostalgic visit. Even though it was mainly a vacation, I still managed to photograph some interesting places and wildlife. The Big Island is famous for its black sand beaches, and the most well-known one is probably Punaluu Black Sand Beach Park (map). It’s great for snorkeling or simply relaxing and enjoying the view. Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) like to spend time there as well. When we arrived, there were six sea turtles basking on the beach, and we also saw one in the water. I love sea turtles and enjoyed photographing them while living on Oahu. Back then, I was able to capture them in beautiful light, and one of my all-time favorite photos shows a basking honu on the beach. This time, I didn’t have time to wait for sunset, but I was happy to get a quick shot of a sea turtle on the black sand. Fortunately, it was a little overcast, so I didn’t have to deal with deep shadows, and I’m satisfied with the result.

Gear: Canon EOS 5Ds camera, Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM II lens