Laniakea Honu

I went up to Laniakea Beach on Oahu's famous North Shore with a specific shot in mind. The beach is nicknamed "Turtle Beach" for the frequent visits by the native Hawaiian green sea turtles, or Honu. I wanted one on the reef, away from the crowds of tourists, allowing me frame the shot with the ocean behind the Honu, a breaking wave, with the beach and the palm trees in the distance.

When I arrived, luck was with me and I found this lone Honu perched on the reef. With the afternoon sun already in the west, she was... of course... turned to the east, with her face in shadow. I sat patiently beside her for over two hours, lifting my camera over my head as bigger waves washed over me and watching as she would slowly swing towards the west, only to be pushed back into shadow by the next wave.

Finally, my patience paid off and she was turned into the sun. As I watched the white water from a wave breaking behind her, I saw her pick her head up, allowing me to snap the shutter for this capture.