Heading away from Port Allen, looking back at the southwestern Kaua'i coast.

Under way, Kelly, I, and the rest of the passengers are getting ready for some dolphin watching...

Is that a spinner dolphin in that lush blue water?

Yes it is!!

Just a cool shot behind the boat I thought of taking. One of our charter's competitors lagging behind...

More dolphin action as a spinner decides to take a leap.

While a couple of them are hard to see because of the glare off the water, here are five spinners of a much larger pod. Our guides estimated the total spinner dolphin population we were trolling through to be between 50-60.

Spinners travel in much larger pods than the bottlenose dolphin.

A couple of more dolphins join up to swim along with our boat.

Going back under....

Taking a breath...

While difficult to see in the picture, this is the best shot I could get of the pod as a whole. The spinners seem to split into smaller pods of four to six dolphins, but they all remained within a few yards of one another. You can see some dorsal fin tips scattered throughout the water, marking the other dolphins.

In the distance is Ni'ihau, the forbidden island.

The island is a dry, somewhat barren land of 46,000 acres 17 miles west of Kaua'i. It is owned by a single family, the Sinclairs, who purchased it from King Kamehameha V in 1864. The present-day family owners, the Robinsons, operate the island as a cattle and sheep ranch.

About 200 native Hawai'ians live there, working the animals and making Ni'ihau shell leis, worth several hundred dollars each. There is one unpaved road going halfway around the island, no telephones except for a wireless two-way to Kaua'i, and no cable tv. Power is supplied by generator.

Another shot of Ni'ihau.

Ni'ihau's one school houses about 45 students, where Hawai'ian is the primary language. The Hawai'ians all live in the one town of Pu'uwai and receive their mail once a week, delivered by boat by one of the residents. The Post Office will only deliver as far as Makaweli on western Kaua'i.

The Robinson family claims that their unique deed to the land gives them ownership of Ni'ihau's beaches, which is in conflict with state law that says all beaches in Hawai'i are open to the public. To date, no one has challenged the Robinsons in court (they also own about 20% of Kaua'i, making them fairly wealthy landowners).

It's said that if you land on a beach on Ni'ihau, you will be asked to leave, and that if you refuse, a truly gargantuan Hawai'ian gentleman will be summoned to ask you a bit more firmly.

A shot up one of the peaks on the Na Pali coast.

A sea arch on the Na Pali coast.

Looking down into Waimea Canyon.

Another canyon shot. Notice the color differences at the varying altitudes, showing how rocky and barren it is in places that even small shrubs cannot find a place to root.

Looking as the canyon moves toward the sea.

Another shot from a higher altitude.

They look like shrubs from this distance, but you can see two black mountain goats across the way. According to a couple of locals who were at the looking point, it is unusual for the goats to get this high, past 3,000 feet.

Looking straight down into the canyon. Well, as straight down as one can manage from an official, gated looking point...

Another downward-looking shot.

A "close-up" of one of the canyon ridges.

Kelly at the official Waimea Canyon Lookout, 3,400 feet up from the sea.

The forbidden island of Ni'ihau in the distance, from the Puu Hinahina lookout.

Chris at the Puu Hinahina Lookout, a little higher up from the canyon floor.

A great shot the length of the canyon.

You can go camp on the canyon floor (though you need a permit to do so), and there is a trail to hike as well.

The Navy maintains a missile range on/off Kaua'i, and Kokee Park is the tracking station for the range. NASA tracks the space shuttle from here, and their observatory is now tasked with tracking the International Space Station as well.

Looking at the Kalalua Valley, from the rim of Waimea Canyon.

Looking down to the Na Pali coast and out to sea.

More of the Kalalua Valley.

This view of the Kalalua Valley has been called one of the greatest views in the Pacific.

The beach is accessible only by the 11-mile Kalalua Trail or by kayak.

The clouds are rolling in over the lookout above the Kalalua Valley.

The sign for Mount Wai'ale'ale, the wettest spot on Earth. The name means "rippling waters."

One of the best shots one can hope to get of Mount Wai'ale'ale, as it is always covered with clouds. That explains why it rains on average 440 inches a year on the mountain.

Clouds roll down the mountains over the Kalalua Trail.

Another trail off Waimea Canyon, one that overlooks the valleys of Na Pali and the Kalalua Trail.

Trying for another shot of Mount Wai'ale'ale.

Instead, clouds.

Again.

Can you tell I loved this view?

I decided to go down the trail pictured a couple of shots back, while Kelly headed back to the Jeep. Starting on my way back, I saw how cool the rock steps are, and decided to take this shot.

On my way back, I found the sign designating this the Pihea Trail...

This is a Nene, the Hawai'ian goose and state bird. People are asked to not feed the nene, as they seem to be natural beggars that do not require further encouragment.

No, I didn't catch this one in mid-walk. It was nice enough to actually stop and pose...

On our way back down from viewing Waimea Canyon, we came across this rippling stream, with a great view beyond.

The same stream, upslope.

Looking downslope from the stream. That dark, thin shadow right in the middle of the ocean is Ni'hau.

Just a cool pic of the sky.

Our intrepid guidebook hadn't let us down yet, and suggested that one stop, on the way to or from Waimea Canyon, at Jo-Jo's Clubhouse for the best shaved ice on the island. So we did!