Mokolea Lava Pools Kauai

Lava Pools of Mokolea, Kaua’i

Enchantment and mystery can be found throughout Hawaii, but perhaps even more so on the island of Kaua’i. The lava Pools of Mokolea on Kaua’i’s eastern shore is one great example.

As water rushes in and out of this broken a’a lava rock shoreline, a misty scene unfolds in the foreground while a golden storm brews in the background befitting the area’s name–Moko is Hawaiian for “flooded, filled with water.”

In the summer when the waves are waning, low tide casually fills these pools with deep, clear sear water. In the winter, the beautiful mystery of the spot is replaced with pounding surf and explosions of spray.

Behind the scene with the photographer:

“Because landscape shots are often more interesting when there are extreme foreground elements to complement the middle and background, you have to use a wide angle lens and get very close to the ground. This was precisely my strategy for the Mokolea Lava Pools except that getting close to the ground meant getting close to the crashing waves on the lava bench…and when I mean crashing, I mean CRASHING.”

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About Matt Wade

Matt was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado and attended Colorado State University. From his earliest memories as a child, he had an interest in art. "Art has always served as a respite from life’s demands and a way to explore parts of the world that I don't normally experience in my daily routine. For this reason, I’ve focused mostly on landscape with several artistic mediums over the years. The inherent abstract quality in the forms and shapes in wilderness, combined with the right light and atmosphere, create scenes that surpass anything I could imagine. If I’m successful in capturing these moments, though they can last mere minutes, seconds or even less, they serve as a reminder that our lives exist in context with something much larger." Home Base: Loveland, Colorado