Nikko Bay in HDR

Another photo of Nikko Bay, this time in HDR. I combined a total of 6 images and then ran it through photomatix. I had the tripod and camera in the water waist deep to take this. One of the good things about kayaking is you can get into places that are hard with a boat.

Heart Scare

I guess it was bound to happen. After eating such an unhealthy diet and not really exercising, woke up Friday not feeling too good. Kind of felt some heaviness in my chest. Went to work and got dizzy and decided I better get to the doctor. After driving myself to the hospital and waiting an hour to see a doctor, they ran some tests, including an EKG. Good news is they said no heart attack. Bad news is my cholesterol was 248. Made me decide right then and there need to eat healthy and stop with all the fat in my diet. Dad ended up dying way too young and got kids that need me. So today was a bowl of oat meal. Went kayaking all day and packed a healthy lunch. Instead of chips, brought some dates and some Taro, which are good sources of carbs to help me during my paddle. Ended up leaving at 10:00 in the morning and paddled all day, stopping a few times in places to eat and have a drink and snorkel. Ended up getting back home at 4:30PM. Picked up the kids and went to Sams. Instead of something Fried, asked for some fish grilled without butter and oil. No problem, they cooked up some grilled wahoo that was great. Sam's by the way is one of the best places to go and have a cold drink and get some food. Right on the water to watch the sunset. The place is actually called Bottom Time Bar and Grill, which is also the home of the Yacht Club in Palau. Great food, great people and if you have kids like me they are very kid friendly. If you are visiting, check them out not only to eat, but if you want to dive/snorkel/kayak or just go on a tour. You can't go wrong with them.

The photo above was taken after paddling through the bay and almost out the other side. If you are planning to take photos here of landscapes, the one thing you want is a polarizing filter. It will make a huge difference and is a great investment. In fact, if I could only have one filter, it would be a Polarizer.

Star Fish

We loaded up the Kayaks with lots of drinks and food and headed out from the house towards Nikko Bay. It is only a 10 minute paddle and once inside the bay you are treated with a wide variety of corals and fish. We paddled through a 100 yard area that was filled with these starfish. These things are the largest I have ever seen. Stopping right after the shallow area we tied the kayaks up and went swimming. I say a small blacktip shark which was kind of cool, but was unable to get a photo. It is so tranquil here and we got up along the rock islands and explored the many areas where it is difficult to get to in a boat. Because the bay is so protected, it is a great place to snorkel and there are huge amounts of baby fish all over the place. Paddling right up against the rock islands you can't help but marvel at how beautiful and peaceful it is. Despite it being a sunny day we saw only one boat the whole time. It was great.

Land Crab

Well it's official, I can't start my boat. Don't know why, it turns over but won't start. Will have to check some more but I want to get the bottom painted so will probably just have the engine checked out and the bottom painted at the same time. Luckily we were tied up and not out in the ocean somewhere. Guess it will be back to kayaking. I need the exercise anyways.

This photo is a large crab I found on one of the rock islands. Not sure what type it is but it had some mean claws. Guess it is some type of land crab? If you know what type it is, please let me know.

Fishes of Palau

I'm blessed to be living so close to the water here in Palau. I'm amazed at how many great sites are located within paddling distance in a kayak from my house. Although I have a boat, gliding along the shallows in a kayak gives you so much more opportunities to see things. We found an old WWII site last weekend with a bunch of old motors and 55 gallon drums. It was so far back I probably would not have found it if I was in my boat. Another stop and I found a trail leading up to the top of one of the rock islands. I plan on exploring this more over the weekend. Best of all about kayaking is the cost. No paying for a bunch of gas for the boat. I am hoping to get the kids in the boat and make a 5 minute run to a landing where you can fish and snorkel and explore. I plan on dragging the kayaks behind the boat. Hopefully it will be nice.