What’s Going On Beneath The Surface of the Ocean? By Photographer, Author Don Hurzeler
Growing up in Palos Verdes Estates, high up the hill on Via Acalones, we had an expansive view of the shoreline and ocean. On the days when the fog was not doing its best to obstruct my view, I would sit for hours (rather than doing my homework) and look out at the view. Some days the focal point would be the heavy swells smashing against the Redondo Breakwater. On other days I would track the pods of dolphins as they put on a show off-shore. Seasonally, I could see the gray whales when they ventured off course a bit to explore the sea canyon off of the Redondo Pier. There were bait balls of fish being attacked by sea birds. On rare occasions I would see a pod of orcas pass through. Everyday was a new treat. Oh, and in the old days a Navy ship would anchor well off of the Redondo Pier on July 4th and, if the fog did not roll in, I could watch the fireworks display. I loved our view.
Early television (I am talking about the 1950’s and early 60’s because I am actually old enough to remember way back when) had shows about the ocean. Sea Hunt, based out of Marineland was a favorite. So were the Disney episodes based on ocean themes. They got me curious…what could I see just below the surface of our part of the Pacific Ocean? That curiosity has now lasted a lifetime…I am still exploring the ocean…off of California, Hawaii and many other spots around the world. In fact, I will be out in the ocean tonight photographing manta rays as they feed on plankton off of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii where my wife, Linda, and I now live.
Wave mechanics…what goes on beneath the surface of a breaking wave…has always fascinated me. Today, with the help of warm water, abundant waves and some great camera equipment, I get to capture some of that beauty.
That is a wave that has not quite hit the shoreline and is about to break.
This is a view of a wave that has broken and has trapped the air from the tube of the wave…taken from behind the wave as it heads to the beach.
When that previous trapped air begins to escape, it forms these vortices that vent air to the surface. They only last three tenths of a second and then the whole thing turns to the white water you see from the beach. The bottom shot earned me a trip to the hospital and my friend got banged up, as well.
As I venture a bit away from the shoreline, all kinds of things come into view. Turtles are a favorite here.
We don’t have all the sting rays that I used to step on in the South Bay, but we do have eagle rays and they are beautiful. My current home is up the hill on the side of the Hualalai Volcano in the background of this photo.
Ten feet from the shoreline here, you start to see fish…small tropical fish or anything that might be in the area. These are blue fin trevallies…a medium sized fish we see about everyday.
Heading off shore you start to see my favorite, the dolpins.
Whales.
Whale sharks.
Or perhaps an oceanic white tip shark…and trust me, they will be happy to eat you if you give them a chance.
I will save the exotic things you might see in the sea…but those involve travel and I will cover them in another article down the road. Here is a preview…
A super large napoleon wrasse that I came across on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
Saltwater crocodiles in the warm waters of Mexico at Banco Chinchorro 40 or more miles off of the Mexico and Belize border.
And if you really get lucky, you will come across a mermaid or two…my wife took this photo of our mermaid friend, Heather Silverberg. You just never know what you might see…beneath the surface of the sea.
Aloha.
Today, Don can be found in the surf or out snorkeling in the warm, clear waters of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Better yet, Hawaii has an erupting volcano, perfect for an explorer and photographer. However, he does admit that he thinks of PV often…as it stands today and as it was. And what he misses most from those early days on the hill are growing up with a great set of friends and neighbors and the unimaginable freedom enjoyed in those days. He claims that he was raised like a free range chicken, able to hitch hike to get around town, to go out in surf that would scare any parent and to carry around a bow and arrow or small caliber gun to protect himself from rattle snakes when he hiked the canyons…not as a highly trained, accredited, licensed gun owner…but as a 12 year old kid whose dad treated guns like tools…there for protection and to be treated with respect and care.
And the best part of his freedom, no cell phones. Don was basically on his own and no one could track him or reach him until he decided to come home. Don always knew when dinner was served and he made sure to sneak in the door a few minutes prior. And, get this, dinner always included beer for Don…from about age 9 on. Or a milkshake made using 31 Flavors Baskin and Robbins ice cream from the Hollywood Rivera store mixed with crème de menthe. His dad felt the alcohol would whet Don’s appetite and help him grow from the skinny kid he was in those days. That did not work, but it did make him (temporarily) unafraid of orcas.
You can catch up with Don Hurzeler on Facebook. He is also on Instagram @donhurzeler. His book writing website is donhurzeler.com and his photography website is lavalightgalleries.com.
For a kid who grew up on the mean streets of Palos Verdes Estates, parented in a way that would land everyone in jail today, but supported, coached and loved…Don came out alright. A PV boy who fully understands how lucky he was that his parents built their dream home on a hill with a million lights sparkling below…or a fog bank a thousand feet thick.
