Kapo'o Nalu

I captured this image in the early evening of February of 2024 on the North Shore of Oahu as a massive swell was filling in. The lifeguards were in the process of closing all of the beaches. From a safe distance, I watched the huge waves relentlessly pummel the jagged lava rock coastline near Shark’s Cove. In the summer months, when the waves are almost nonexistent on the North Shore, this area is a popular snorkeling spot. But in winter it’s a different animal. Huge surf regularly breaks on the ledges of lava rock close to shore. To get this shot, I laid down on the ground just above the lava rock and used a long telephone lens, then I let Mother Nature work her magic. 

As for my title, ‘Kapo’o’ is the Hawaiian name for the area called Sharks Cove in Pupukea on the North Shore of Oahu. In Hawaiian, Kapo’o literally means ‘the loud booming sound of waves crashing onto the rock.’ Nalu means wave.  

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