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Hawaii Eye Shark's Cove
Hawaii Eye Shark's Cove
Hawaii Eye
| Shark's Cove |
| Written by Susan Benay |
| August 10, 2007 |
|
Big Surf at Shark's Cove Shark's Cove
 I had heard on the news at 5 AM that a big swell was rolling into the North Shore on Oahu. That meant photo op day – maybe some great surfing shots! I downed a quick cup of black tea, grabbed my camera, and headed north testing the speed limit all the way. As I drove along, the waves were noticeably growing into bigger sets. By the time I hit Sunset Beach a crowd had gathered, watching the huge waves bashing onto the shoreline reefs. The ocean was white with churning foam and the beach was cordoned off with yellow tape and “Danger, High Surf -- No Swimming” signs. I looked for surfers as they sometimes brave these extreme conditions to get their phenomenal rides, but didn’t see any. The ocean was too wild. Next, I stopped at Pipeline and then Banzai. Same story, the beaches were closed off and no surfers. The waves were towering and dangerously blown out from the strong winds. I continued driving on towards Waimea, being careful to avoid some water lapping up on the road from the waves. I pulled along side Shark’s Cove to check it out. Here too was the warning yellow police tape stopping you at the roadside. It is not a surfing spot, but the waves looked really awesome so I parked my car to get some shots. Shark’s Cove in wintertime is known for thrilling glimpses of nature’s fury in action. It has a rocky reef that, when the waves hit it, huge sprays of misty-white water rocket skywards up to 50 feet. On this day, the waves were absolutely humongous, rolling mountains of water exploding upon impact. The ground was vibrating from the pounding surf and the ocean roar was thunderous. It was thrilling and spectacular and I couldn’t get my Canon out of its case for shots fast enough. Standing next to me was a lifeguard. Looking out towards the raging ocean, he picked up a bullhorn and yelled, “Get back from there! Get back now! Get away from the water!!” I looked over and saw a guy that had crossed the yellow warning tapeline and walked way out to the end of the reef peninsula. The waves were crashing in rapid succession all around him. Their magnitude absolutely dwarfed his size. It was a super dangerous place for him to be, as big surf on the North Shore is wildly unpredictable! “What is he thinking?” I thought as I snapped photos while wiping the constantly-blowing spray off my lens. The lifeguard yelled over and over for him to get away from the surf. He didn’t move. I don’t know if the guy was so mesmerized by the monstrous waves that he couldn’t move, or if he couldn’t hear the lifeguard over the intense roar of the ocean. The guy finally turned around and began walking very slowly, almost nonchalantly, away from the water. That’s when I got this photo, an amazing moment in an incredible sequence of events! Right after I took this photo, the next wave that came in broke across the reef and almost swept the guy out to sea and a questionable future. At that point, the guy finally “got the picture” and ran like a crazed gazelle to higher ground. Meanwhile, the lifeguard was running to rescue him meeting up with him as he was jumping off the reef. He was then escorted up to the road. I can only imagine what the lifeguard said to him! As a closing thought, the North Shore lifeguards are always incredible and deserve a most heartfelt Mahalo for all that they do! Susan Benay © July 7, 2007 All Rights Reserved. |
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