Latest news with #BigIsland
Forbes
a day ago
- Health
- Forbes
Fairmont Orchid: A Lush 32-Acre Retreat on Hawaii's Kohala Coast
Fairmont Orchid resort on Hawaii's Kohala Coast With recently refreshed guest rooms, several oceanfront dining destinations, and countless watersports on gorgeous Pauoa Bay — plus 32 stunning acres of lush tropical gardens and lava-studded oceanfront on the Big Island's black-lava Kohala Coast — there's a lot to love about the Fairmont Orchid. Fairmont Orchid sits on 32 acres of oceanfront property Fairmont Orchid is located on the Big Island of Hawaii, on the majestic Kohala Coast. It's a short drive from many top beaches and Pololū Valley, and about 30 minutes by car from Kona International Airport (KOA). Outrigger canoeing Resort pool A recently refreshed guest room A renovation of the resort's 540 spacious rooms and suites was completed in 2024. The refreshed decor is quietly luxurious, with a fresh color palette of whites and tans layered with soft blues and pastels. All have seating areas, spa-inspired white marble bathrooms, and private lanais overlooking the lush gardens or shimmering ocean. Fairmont Gold lounge In addition to the standard guest rooms and suites, there are also 45 ultra-luxe Fairmont Gold accommodations. Fairmont calls this VIP level their 'oasis within an oasis.' Indeed, it comes with a whole host of services and amenities that start even before you get to your room with private check-in. The Gold level also includes personal concierge, and an exclusive lounge with complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, evening craft cocktails, and canapes — plus a well-stocked honesty bar. Brown's Beach House The resort's signature restaurant, Brown's Beach House, showcases island-inspired cuisine and spectacular sweeping ocean views — especially at sunset. The seafood-centric menus include 3- and 4-course options, as well as a la carte dishes like Kona prawns, local mahi mahi, and ti leaf-wrapped kanpachi with sweet potato, tiger shrimp, and bok choy in a coconut-orchid honey sauce. Binchotan Bar & Grill celebrates the confluence of Hawaiian and Japanese cuisines with craft cocktails, plus seafood, wagyu beef, and seasonal vegetables kissed by the flames of traditional-style robatayaki grills. Oceanfront Kahakai Bar The resort also offers guests several more casual options located throughout the extensive property. Orchid Court is the spot for breakfast and Hale Kai serves up more casual eats and cocktails under its thatched-roof huts. Kahakai Bar specializes in handmade tropical cocktails and small plates, and the popular Brown's Deli is the perfect grab-and-go option for iced coffees and matcha, morning pastries, and gourmet snacks. A thatched roof garden haler at the resort's Spa Without Walls Get pampered by booking one of the resort's oceanfront cabanas, or dreamy private thatched hales that are nestled in between waterfalls, lush orchid-filled gardens, and streams with koi and waterlilies. The Spa Without Walls menu includes Hawaiian-inspired facials, scalp and foot massages, and the signature lomi-lomi massage, which uses rhythmic massage strokes to help restore one's mana (energy). For guests who may have spent too much time basking in the sun without enough SPF, there's also the After Sun Soother, which uses a soothing gel mask made with active marine ingredients to help soothe and rehydrate the skin. Snorkeling and other water sports are available on-site Fairmont Orchid champions sustainability by eliminating single-use plastics like water bottles, straws, and individual bathroom amenities. Each guest room comes with two reusable water bottles, and refill stations are located on every floor. Every week, guests can join the Botanical Bees & Chef's Garden Tour to learn about produce grown on-site and the 80,000 bees that produce a delicious monofloral kiawe honey that is featured on the resort's menus. Oceanfront pool For more information or to book a stay, visit Fairmont Orchid.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Sharks surprise scientists by sharing a meal
Of the over 500 known shark species, many of these giant fish are hunters and not scavengers–particularly those found in the open ocean. White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) ambush their prey from below and even sharks closer to shore like reef sharks are known to chase their prey into smaller crevices before eating them. Yet a small portion of the diets of most sharks still comes from picking apart already dead animals. Sometimes, these usually solitary hunters will even scavenge in groups. In a study published May 29 in the journal Frontiers in Fish Science, a team from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa describe an unusual aggregation of sharks coming together to feed on a decaying carcass of an unidentified animal. 'To our knowledge, this is the first study to document a feeding aggregation of tiger sharks and oceanic whitetip sharks scavenging concurrently, and peacefully, on a carcass,' study co-author Molly Scott said in a statement. 'These species are rarely seen together in the wild because of the vastly different habitats they occupy.' Oceanic whitetips (Carcharhinus longimanus) are a highly migratory and threatened species of shark. They grow to an average of 6.5 feet long, spend most of their time roaming the oceans alone. Their preferred habitat in the open ocean make them difficult for biologists to study, but they do aggregate near Hawai'i's Big Island during the spring and summer months. Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are slightly bigger at about 10 to 13 feet long. They are also more coastal and like true locals, live in the waters around the Big Island all year round. 'It is incredibly rare for these two species to overlap in space and time,' Scott said. In April 2024, a tourist boat spotted a heavily decayed carcass about 6.2 miles off the west coast of Big Island. The spectators on board observed the feeding event for 8.5 hours, spotting at least nine oceanic whitetip sharks and five tiger sharks. 'Even though up to 12 individual sharks were feeding intermittently from a very small, highly degraded carcass we did not observe any agonistic inter- or intra-species aggression,' Scott said. 'This was surprising to me; I would assume some agonistic behaviors would exist when there are that many sharks attempting to feed around such a small carcass. But it seems all individuals knew their place in the social hierarchy.' Most likely due to their larger size, tiger sharks were the more dominant species during this group scavenge. All of the tiger sharks–except one smaller female–and the two largest oceanic whitetips were more frequently observed feeding directly on the carcass. The smaller sharks primarily stayed under the surface, feeding on scraps of flesh drifting away. These sharks were potentially attracted to the scene by scraps and regurgitations left behind by the larger tiger sharks, according to the team. Additionally, there could have been some other reasons behind which sharks got the first bites of food. 'Some individuals, like the female tiger shark, may have been shier or less bold, likely again due to her size. Also, with the other sharks having established the feeding hierarchy before the female tiger shark arrived, maybe she didn't feel too welcome to get in on the action,' Scott explained. [ Related: Whale shark pre-mating ritual observed for the first time. ] One of the limitations to this particular study is one that often occurs in moving bodies of water. The carcass could not be located again the next day, so the study was conducted over a short period of time. Despite this, the team believes that considering the size of the carcass and the number of sharks present, this research could provide new insights into relationships and social interactions between shark species that don't typically inhabit the same waters. It also can offer a new perspective on sharks for us humans, as they are not the mindless maneaters they've been made out to be. 'There were between two and three humans in the water at all times filming more than 12 sharks feeding. None of the photographers reported any scary, aggressive, or harmful interactions with the sharks,' Scott concluded. 'I hope this provides a new perspective that sharks are not the human-eating predators they are made out to be.'
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Then and Now, It's a Thrill to Star Alongside Stitch
When Maia Kealoha learned that she was going to play Lilo in Disney's live-action remake of 'Lilo & Stitch,' she sobbed big, fat, happy tears. 'That might be the first time I was quiet in my whole entire life,' she said of the video call with the film's director, Dean Fleischer Camp, in 2023, when he asked her to be his Lilo. Kealoha, 8, is a big fan of the original animated film from 2002 about a destructive but adorable alien experiment named Stitch who crash-lands in Hawaii and befriends a young girl named Lilo. The film, which earned more than $273 million (or $484 million when adjusted for inflation) at the global box office, was one of the first Disney animated movies to be driven by a nonromantic story line. It also won praise for its strong female characters and nuanced depictions of Hawaii. 'I've seen it 1,000 times,' Kealoha, who was born and raised on Hawaii's Big Island, said in a recent video call. 'It's so good.' Stitch, unsurprisingly, is her favorite character. The rambunctious blue troublemaker also reminds her of someone she knows: Her 1-year-old brother, Micah Kealoha. 'I relate to Nani sometimes when I have to take the blame for my brother, or just protect him,' she said, referring to the adult older sister who becomes Lilo's legal guardian after their parents' deaths. 'And sometimes I have to teach him some lessons and how to be good.' The film was Kealoha's first time acting onscreen, but for several of her castmates, it was a return to a franchise that has come to encompass three direct-to-video sequels, three television series and a number of theme park rides, as well as oodles upon oodles of Stitch merch. Among them: Chris Sanders, a director and writer of the original animated film who created Stitch and has voiced him in almost every Disney production to date, and Tia Carrere, who played Nani originally and now returns as a social worker, Mrs. Kekoa, who checks up on Lilo. 'It's really gratifying to see the amount of excitement surrounding its release,' said Sanders, who recently directed 'The Wild Robot' (2024). 'The greatest hope was for him to be a character that endures. That's something you can't engineer — whether it happens or not is up to the zeitgeist. So the way it has connected is so exciting.' It's particularly poignant to Sanders that it is Stitch, of all the characters from his films, who has proved to have such a lasting presence. 'For him to be this massive in the Disney universe, I'm really proud of, because he's me,' he said of the lovable misfit and menace. 'It's not a big leap when I write him.' Carrere was, at 58, too old to play Nani in the live-action adaptation. But the role was a career highlight for her. 'It was so important for me to be able to represent Hawaii,' Carrere, who is from Honolulu, said on a recent video call. So she knew she had to be a part of the reboot in any way possible. She asked about portraying a new character — a supportive neighbor, Tutu, who becomes a surrogate grandmother to Nani and Lilo — but the filmmakers wanted someone a little older (the role eventually went to the 72-year-old Amy Hill, who voiced the kindly old fruit vendor, Mrs. Hasagawa, in the animated version). But they came back with a better offer: Would she like to play Mrs. Kekoa, the now friendly and helpful social worker who takes the place of the intimidating Cobra Bubbles character from the animated film? 'It was perfect, because instead of playing Nani, I'm playing Nani's mentor all these years later,' she said. Though she originally related to Nani, she now also feels for the social worker: In the live-action version, the character was re-envisioned, at Carrere's suggestion, to be a product of the system herself, more interested in helping Nani navigate it than in taking Lilo from her. 'Back then I was younger, I didn't have a kid — I was a little all over the place, a little more Nani-like,' said Carrere, who has younger sisters in addition to an adult daughter. 'Now it's interesting to have the parallel as a woman being more in that mentoring role with younger actresses that I work with.' In the new film, the back story for Nani (Sydney Agudong) has been expanded: Now, she is a former star student and athlete who had to put her dreams of becoming a marine biologist on hold to take care of Lilo. Agudong, 24, who is from Kauai, Hawaii, grew up a big fan of the original film, which she watched for the first time when she was a year old. She initially had a case of impostor syndrome, unsure how much to draw on Carrere's portrayal, and how much to put her own stamp on the character. A video call with Carrere shortly after she booked the role, she said, helped guide her. 'She said, 'You got the role because they saw something in you, and you trusted your instincts, so you need to trust that, and you need to have fun with it,' Agudong recalled, adding that Carrere reminded her that she, too, was a big sister (to the actress Siena Agudong) and hailed from Hawaii. ''You need to own that,'' Agudong said Carrere told her. The younger actress realized, 'She was right, and it gave me a lot of freedom in my artistic expression and in my own identity.' Nani's determination in the face of obstacles was relatable in the original, but in the new film, her personal sacrifices are an even greater point of emphasis. Agudong said she conceived of Nani as a young woman whose thoughts frequently get 'stuck in her throat.' She added, 'You could see that she was struggling and kicking her feet under the water like a swan, but then still trying to look as graceful as possible, because she has to stick a smile on her face to be able to keep her sister around.' In addition to a few new characters and the absence of the original big bad, the whale-like Stitch hunter Captain Gantu, there were other changes for the live-action movie. For one, how those who acted alongside the now-C.G.I.-generated Stitch worked. In live shots with the actors, the mischievous blue alien was represented by a tennis ball, a person in a gray suit or a lifelike Stitch puppet, Kealoha said. That must have been a bit of a challenging scene partner, right? 'It was actually easy to imagine that Stitch was there because everyone says I have an endless imagination,' Kealoha said, grinning. The new film also expanded on the original's nods to Hawaiian culture, which now include Nani's ukulele-playing skills and love of surfing. Agudong had surfed before, casually, but said she enjoyed the water training she was able to do with local big-wave surfers. 'They were also locals and so it felt like you were just going to the beach with family,' she said. 'It was a dream come true. I felt like I got my childhood back.' Over all, the actors said, they are proud of how the new film recalls the original while also very much charting its own course. 'It's a really nice way to share light and love and the sense of aloha and ohana that is Hawaii,' Agudong said, referring to the Hawaiian words conveying harmony and family. She added, 'I'm really excited for my community to be able to see themselves in that.' Carrere remembers how excited fans were to see a 'thick, brown Disney princess' when the original was released 23 years ago. Nani is 'sturdy, she's strong, she's a surfer, she's athletic, she's running in her boots and cutoff jean shorts and her T-shirt,' Carrere said. 'She's not a dainty, waifish person. I remember a lot of girls coming up and commenting on that because they felt that their body type was celebrated.' Kealoha said she hoped that a new generation of girls could also relate to her Lilo — and not just to feeling misunderstood. 'She's fearless. She's strong-minded. We both have big hearts. She loves her ohana very much, and she would do anything for her people — or aliens,' she said, laughing.
CBC
4 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Kīlauea: a living volcano and natural lab
Kīlauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island is erupting again, shooting lava over 300 metres into the air in a rare display of sustained lava fountaining. As Johanna Wagstaffe explains, this kind of eruption isn't just dramatic — it's also a gold mine for scientists.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Kilauea spews lava as Hawaii volcano erupts again
One of the world's most active volcanoes has erupted again in from Kilauea on Hawaii's Big Island showed fountains of lava being sprayed 300 metres into the the 23rd time that activity has taken place on the volcano since it erupted in December last is one of six active volcanoes located in the Hawaiian Islands, which also include Mauna Loa, the largest volcano in the world. What's happened? Kilauea is the most active volcano on Hawaii's Big have been ongoing regular eruptions taking place there for the past forty to experts, activity at the summit - or top - of Kilauea has been coming and going since an eruption in December USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the latest eruption began on Sunday, in the north vent of one of the craters of Kilauea, called Halema'uma'u. The agency added that fountains of lava were sprayed more than 300 metres into the air and that lava flows had covered the floor of the crater. Around an hour later, activity also started in the south vent - spewing smaller lava fountains around 70 metres in observatory told CBS News that lava flows remained within Kilauea's summit caldera, and did not affect any residential areas. Why are there volcanoes on Hawaii? Most volcanoes form at the boundaries of Earth's tectonic plates, huge slabs of Earth's crust and upper mantle, which fit together like pieces of a plates are not fixed but are constantly moving at a very slow Hawaii is slightly different, as it doesn't sit on a plate volcanoes have formed the long chain of islands because of the "Hawaiian hot spot".A hot spot is made up of super-heated material deep inside the earth, located in the middle of a magma - or molten rock - rises upwards through the planet's some of it pushes its way to the surface, a volcanic eruption takes place.
