A Moment in Time

Early mornings on Maui spent paddleboarding out across the glassy open waters have become like a homecoming for my soul. The gentle golden light glistening across the sea as the sun just begins to peak over the top of Haleakala and illuminate the skies with the most glorious and vibrant pastel colors, the sweet sound of the song birds waking up in the tree tops off in the distance, and the expansiveness and peace that comes from gently floating out in the middle of the ocean.

It’s winter time on the island and while there isn't much of a shift in seasons, there is a definite shift in the waters. Namely, that of the arrival of the humpback whales who have made their long journey across the Pacific all the way from the freezing waters of Alaska to the warming waters of Maui. This is a powerful time of the year that signals a beautiful act: when these mystical creatures appear around the island to give birth to their young and raise them until they are just strong enough to migrate their way back North. Their song reverberates throughout the waters and can be heard swimming from anywhere on the island.

About a year ago I acquired an underwater housing and it has completely opened me up to an entirely new and inspiring world with my photography. It was actually gifted to me by another incredible photographer friend and mentor, and what a true gift it really has become. When everything suddenly shifted with covid and people were forced to keep a distance from each other, I took to the waters. The ocean became the safe place I continuously returned to find myself again; to return to what’s real. I returned again and again to this particular spot just off the south shore of Maui and began to develop a relationship with this area. Understanding its tides, ebbs and flows, and having chance encounters with the incredible creatures who inhabit its beautiful teal water.

This particular morning, I paddled out at sunrise with my best friend to for a fun underwater photo session. We had just slipped into the water when this sweet mama humpback and her baby slowly emerged from the depths like a miraculous vision to greet us. The mama whale’s presence and wisdom was unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. Her body a massive vessel of deep sea life and knowledge. Her baby was curious and swam right over to us, playfully gliding around and taking us in. It seemed we were all suspended in time together, connected through the water flowing infinitely around us, our eyes locked in an enchanted trance beyond what any words could ever give justice to. Peering into the eye of the mama humpback whale was a direct connection to something much more, something divine. These special creatures radiate such a pure and visceral sense of unconditional love that is otherworldly and evokes something greater than space and time, something that feels as eternal and profound as the ocean itself. When taking this photo, it was like capturing a sacred moment that would never take place in quite the same way again. I’m so grateful for the water holding me through it all and the art that can come from our most raw and vulnerable depths within.