More underwater living treasures photographed while snorkeling in the shallows of To’aga lagoon during low tide.
I’ll do my best to ID what I can at some point, but comment below if you see any you know!
Ichthyologists, please chime in!
Photos from January 7, 2019.
Thanks to Mareike S. for letting me borrow your Canon G7X and housing, and Rick M. for shooting with me!
View more Ofu underwater pics here.
Yet another insanely beautiful day in Ofu.
I was supposed to be heading back to Tutuila on this day, but I waved my plane goodbye and decided to take a chance at another flight out of Ta’ū next week. Then we spent the rest of our morning and afternoon at the beach.
The day was still young, and the sun shone bright on the heavenly sand at To’aga. Ian hung his hammock between coconut trees, and I walked down the stretch and found the perfect nook to set my camera down on timer and attempt classic jump photos (and failed). Sorry not sorry, I can’t help it – To’aga lagoon, Sunuitao peak and Piumafua mountain are absolute icons in my opinion.
Rick stopped by and I had to get a father/son photo. And then we just lazed the rest of the day!
With only one flight a week to and from Ofu, it can be a bit tricky when it comes to flight changes. After a sweet week ringing in the New Years and doing all the adventures, I wanted to stay longer and really relax. The original plan was that I would only stay one week, and Ian and his parents would stay two weeks since he’d get to work out of the NPS ranger station. But with the government shutdown still ongoing with no sure signs of ending, we all thought why not stay just a little bit longer? No work, no problem! (for now)
Ian tried to arrange my flight back for the next week but it was all booked out. So on Thursday morning, the flight I was supposed to head back on had arrived and after a busy 30 minutes, it was decided. I waved goodbye to the plane and would manage my flight back through Ta’ū next week. I head back to the lodge and unpacked my bag again, then head to the beach!
And that was my only ‘worry’ of the entire two weeks.
The end. xoxo
The underwater marine life in Ofu is just beyondddd!
I have amassed quite a few photos of fish and coral during our 2 weeks in Ofu. I’m constantly dazed and amazed at To’aga beach and the National Park of American Samoa on Ofu island.
Here’s part 1 of snorkeling photos.
(View more underwater photos here)
I’m still trying to ID all the different fish and coral, so if you know any of these, please let me know in the comments below!
fire coral
Strongylura incisa – needlefish
Oxymanacanthus longirostris
fire coral of some sort
Acanthurus triostegus / Acanthurs guttatus
Chrysyptera taupou
Porites coral
Acanthurus triostegus – convict tang
Porites coral
Acanthurus nigricans / Acanthurus nigroris / Ctenochaetus striatus / Halichoeres hortulanus
Acanthurus guttatus / acanthurus striatus /
christmas tree worm
fire coral
Acanthurus triostegus – convict tang
acropora
Chlorurus frontalis
Porites cylindrica??
manini
02 January 2019
–
What better way to start off the new year than with a restful day lounging at the beach (which is basically all I did on New Years Day), followed by a strenuous hike up Mt. Tumu! Our awesome hosts, Ben and Deb, at Vaoto Lodge offered to drive us to the trailhead just pass the wharf in the main Ofu village, and we started our trek up Tumutumu.
I was super slow to start. I forgot how difficult the hike was (the last time I hiked Mt. Tumu was about 2 years ago!) and had to stop a bunch in the first hour to catch my breath, rehydrate, and rest my little legs while Rick and Polly blazed ahead. The trail looked surprisingly good for not having been maintained over the last couple of weeks since the government shutdown, and I whispered a thank you to the Ofu National Park Service team for their work.
In the second hour, I finally found my rhythm. While trudging forward, I actually tried to mentally harden myself for the hike and told myself we were probably only halfway there. But as soon as I said that, we came upon the blessed sign that said ‘Tumu Overlook’ and I almost cried hahaha. I hippity hopped up behind Ian through the last 15 minutes of the trail and laughed out loud when I heard Ian hoot at the top.
Mt. Tumu is my favorite hike thus far. Making it to the top is worth every bit of the struggle it took to get there. Besides, it really wasn’t that bad, right? We drank in the view of the Ofu, Olosega, and Ta’ū isles. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was happy to see the top of Mt. Piumafua which is normally enshrouded in clouds. Another reason I love this hike is the view below. Standing at the precipice, you can look down and see the lush green mountain drop almost straight down to the blue To’aga lagoon and stretching into the Pacific horizon. It just feels epic. Being here with Ian and his parents made my heart swell with gratitude for our time together in this magical place.
