A Northern Cardinal was not a bird I expected to see in Hawaii.

Everyone loves to watch dolphins play and show off their amazing skills.

We were watching the dolphins I had wished for and then a whale showed up to join the party!

I always hoped to see and photograph that moment when the whale's tail was fully visible and suspended before its dive. Moment achieved!

Another shot of the nearby and amazing whale that approached our boat.

There were many Spotted Doves in the neighborhood where I stayed. They had a much deeper call than the smaller and more numerous Zebra Doves that also lived there.

The Red-footed Booby showing off those incredible red feet! Could they be the inspiration for Christian Louboutin shoes or the Ruby Slippers?

There were many of these small, fast songbirds in the trees around the house. They were always on the move and only stopped for seconds at a time. Cute though.

Sailing back from a long afternoon I wished for Dolphins and within five minutes they appeared! Such an accommodating and beautiful creature.

As you can see, the whale came very close to our boat. Very close.

Java sparrows were abundant in the neighborhood. Cute and colorful little birds that weren't really sparrows, but were instead finches.

The male Shama that lived in the yard where I stayed was not nearly as friendly as the female from the breadfruit farm. I heard him often but usually only caught glimpses now and then. This photo shows his signature white rump.

Gecko explored the tabletop on the lanai. They really were everywhere.