Nature and Travel Photography Matt Gragg —Field Notes

A sailboat plies the calm waters of the lagoon surrounding Bora Bora. This lagoon was created by the fringing coral reef that surrounds the island. It's size is massive and there is only a couple of places where there is enough of a break in the reef to create a navigable passage for ocean sea vessels.

I came across this lovely flower in an outdoor atrium/koi pond at a hotel of all places.   This plant is an aquatic perennial. Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China.

This photo was taken under ideal ocean conditions near Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park. The activity at this site has been the most prolific in nearly five years.

We met this lovely lady one day on our circle tour of the island of Taha'a. I thought her demeanor was typical of many of the people we encountered there.

Last week I had the opportunity to go to one of the Nature Conservancy's protected preserves here on the Big Island. This 8,000 acre parcel is located in the South Kona district about 5500 feet up on the southwestern slope of Mauna Loa. The name of the preserve is Kona Hema, and the land was purchased some years ago from area ranching concerns in the Conservancy's efforts to protect the pristine upland koa and ohia forests that reside there. This area also contains the world's largest koa tree, a massive 119 foot tall behemoth that is close to nine feet in diameter at the base. It is maybe 500 years old and of course predates western influence in Hawaii.