Devil's Bath
It may not have been the best idea to trek down to this spot with my tripod and camera gear. The location on Maui's west side is not the easiest to traverse with a lot of gear. There are rope ladders and steep cliffs that make using two hands almost necessary.
Anyway, I've only shot photos here once. Not because it wasn't gorgeous, obviously, it is, but because of the peril that hides behind the mask here. The day after I shot this two young adults (17 & 18, I think) were swept out to sea here and couldn't get back to shore. They were local kids with good knowledge of the ocean.
What happens here that you can't see is swells from the ocean will come in and blast the rocks entering into the tide pools. If you are standing on those rocks, its easy to get swept off your feet, hit your head on the unforgiving lava rocks and go unconscious as you are swept out. I'm not exactly sure what happened with those kids, I think one jumped in after the other and neither could get back on shore because of how strong the waves were crashing into the rocks.
This image serves as a stark reminder to me that for as beautiful and calming as the ocean seems, it's also important to always understand and respect it's power.
And on a side note, if you were to find yourself in that perilous situation of having been swept off a lava rock coastline and out in the middle of the ocean, your best bet is to stay out in the ocean. Don't try to come in if the waves are strong. Better to let lifeguards and firemen who are trained in ocean rescues use their skills and equipment to bring you in safely. And as hard as it would be if you were to see a friend or family member get swept out, it would be more advantageous for you to tell them to stay out while you go get help or call 911.
