#Grotto of the Apex Predator

[justavulcan]

Grotto of the Apex Predator Compilation Post

The caves connected to the sea have been dreaded and prized by the locals in these parts for generations.  Dreaded for the way the deep caves turn you around and keep the freezing spray of the northern ocean trapped, prized as a hiding place for smugglers and their goods when the capital’s taxes get too much to stand for.  That kind of a mixed reputation is a quick path to a legendary reputation, and the Shimmering Shoals have that in spades.

The real reason the Shimmering Shoals are as dreaded as they seem to be is simple: the depths of the cave are pitch-black, lightless, and unmapped by most creatures on two legs.  Instead a wide variety of darkness-loving predators have fought for space and food in the depths of the cave for time immemorial, making traveling the Dungeon deep in the caves an exercise in staying alert.

The oldest and most fearsome of the Dungeon’s residents is an ancient troll augur.  Skilled in the way of his people in haruspicy, and specializing in reading his own entrails, little surprises the Master, and he’s more than capable of disembowling others for purposes of prognostication…or self-defense.  Being the Master of this Dungeon takes strength and endurance, and this ornery old troll has both.

The greatest threat to travel in the Dungeon after the predators is the tide.  The Dungeon is most accessible at low tide, when the entrance is out of the water and would-be explorers don’t risk hypothermia- but the Dungeon’s smarter residents know to try and knock attackers into the low water, where climbing back to land is a fight against both the slick rock and the tide.

The cave’s current occupants are a group of wolves with strange, dimly glowing runes engraved in their sides- whether they’re escaped experiments or mutants, none know.  What is clear is that they’re hungry, very clever for animals, and seem resistant to magic.  The truth is that they’re actually creatures created by the Dungeon itself as an essential expression of its will; and while they serve the Master for now, if he is slain, they will answer to the new apex predator in their lair.

The Master’s closest followers are a mismatched group of hunters who are skilled at speaking with and connecting to wild animals, as peers.  They hunt the hallways and passages of the Dungeon as much as their more animalistic counterparts, serving as eyes and ears for the pack and running with them to rend and tear newcomers for their own necessities of survival.

Hidden in the depths of the dungeon are a pair of lights, burning and casting back the dark from the place where they’re found, where the sun doesn’t and has never shone.  Two magical flames, one with the power to cast illumination into not just the present, but also the future; and one with the heat to warm not just the body but heart and soul.  How these two gifts to mortals ended up here, in a dark, wet place beyond the eyes of humankind is a story best reserved for another time.  But to those who find them, these two flames are gifts like no other.

[lunanightriderofthecove]

I just took the time (at work no less 😆) to write down every single leaked track title of the season 6 and 7 soundtrack and what I think which episode it's part of. Some of them were so much easier than others 🙈

Those with two episode numbers I wasn't sure so I put both.

List (including spoilers) below the cut

Season 6:

Bittersweet Morning (6x01)

The Path of Freedom (6x01)

Forest Chase (6x02)

The Sunfire Soul (6x02)

Shrink Magic (6x02)

One Spell / The Frozen Sea (6x03)

The Frozen Ship (6x03)

Esmerelda Skall (6x03)

We're Close (6x03)

Fiery Escape (6x03)

The Starscraper / Apex Predator (6x04)

Viren’s Confession (6x05)

Storm of Grief (6x05)

Corona of the Heavens (6x05)

Time-Blind (6x05)

Father and Son (6x05)

Sacred Promise / Tainted by Darkness (6x05)

The Truth Is (6x06)

To the Stars / Your Mother’s Tears (6x06)

Deep Truths (6x06)

Second Chances (6x06)

The Queens’ Wedding (6x07)

Call the Sun (6x07)

Archdragon’s Descent (6x07/6x08)

His Good Heart (6x08)

One Last Time (6x08/6x09)

Lotus Petals (6x09)

Leola’s Fall (6x09)

Season 7:

(99% of this is speculation, obviously 😆)

Ruin and Rebirth (7x01)

Time to Grieve (7x01)

Arrest Him  (7x01)

The Puzzle House (7x01/7x02)

Forgive Me (7x02)

Escaping the Lodge, Again (7x02)

The Great Amnesty (7x03)

The Mage Wars (7x03)

Reunion (7x04)

No More Half Truths (7x04)

Ritual of the New Moon (7x04/7x05)

Rayla Reborn / Unfinished Business (7x04/7x05)

Moon Cubs (7x05)

Driven by Love (7x05/7x06)

Why Are You Doing This? (7x06)

Lissa (7x06)

Umbra Dolor [trl: shadow pain] (7x06)

Inversion (7x06)

Rise Again (7x06)

Fall of a Titan (7x07)

Callum’s Plan (7x07)

Compromise (7x07)

Written In His Eyes (7x07)

Boiled Grotto (7x07)

Hungry Shadows (7x07)

Extinguished (7x08)

Let There Be Dark (7x08)

The Orphan Queen / An Old Friend (7x08)

Eternal Night (7x08)

For Xadia (7x08)

Battle of the Sunforge (7x08)

The Novablade (7x08)

Best Laid Plans (7x08)

When a Star Dies (7x08/7x09)

Dragonsong (7x09)

Brothers, Brothers, Brothers (7x09)

Breaking New Ground (7x09)

I Miss Her / Forgiveness (7x09)

This Changes Everything (7x09)

Starlit Serenade (7x09)

Leola’s Last Wish (7x09)

I have thoughts about some of the s7 track titles. If I manage to put them into somewhat coherent words those thoughts will follow later 👍🏻

[trollhuntingdirectory]

Saltwater Sea Trolls

Found in nearly all oceans across the world, Saltwater Sea Trolls, or just Sea Trolls for short, are a cheerful, if not sometimes enigmatic species. Sporting patterns akin to those of other apex predators of the sea, these trolls are a sight to behold in the water, boasting great power with every twist and flip.

It is very difficult, oftentimes, for non aquatic trolls to find them, or even see their hidden grotto villages, if a gyre link has not already been established. Nevertheless there is one such village located not too far from an undersea stop, and the locals are always excited to share their culture with visitors.

FUN FACTS:

While Sea Trolls do not wear clothing while in the water, they do enjoy adornments in their much drier villages. They’re masters of constructing nets and clothing from seaweed, and weave shells and teeth and pearls into their garments.

Tattoos are rather uncommon for Sea Trolls, preferring scars from surviving the ocean... Some trolls, however, do enjoy tattoos for aesthetic purposes.

The larger, bulkier variations of these trolls are known as Bulls, but their size is not linked to any sexual dimorphism, as any gender can be a Bull. It’s a natural mutation that affects eye color, bulk, and horn placement. In comparison to their normal variant’s seven to ten feet of height, Bulls stand on two legs at an average of 13 to 17 feet.

Surprisingly squishy, even while still being made of stone!

Darker dorsal colors are possible, but exceedingly rare.

Teeth fall out and regrow regularly

[youcancallmecirce]

Sandwalker, part 2

Part 1     on AO3

He was gone.

Rey shut her mouth with a snap, and slid down the irregular rock wall to sit at its base, staring at the place where he’d been just a moment ago.  Unease slipped through her, and for the first time, she wondered whether she’d been unfair in her judgement of him.   She forced herself to review recent events.

He had saved her from drowning.  He had left her in a place that was protected, with food and fresh water close at hand, with someone who had cared for her.  He had not harmed her, turned her over to the Empire, or threatened her in any way.

He’d been sharp, and angry, but that had been after—“Be calm,” he’d said, his voice low and smooth in her ear, offering only reassurance.  But she’d heard it through the filter of her fear and assumed the worst.  Now she had to admit that he’d done nothing to deserve her enmity and everything to deserve her gratitude.

Shame suffused her, heating her cheeks and tightening her chest.

She owed him an apology, and she resolved to deliver it as soon as he returned.

If he returned.

She grimaced, remembering his parting shot, and forced herself to consider that he might not return at all.  But the mage must return at some point, right?  She would meekly ask for his help in leaving, and to pass along both her apology and her thanks to the—the—what had he called himself?  A Mer?  Yes, that sounded right, but gods, she didn’t even know his name.  She flushed with guilt once more, and hoped for the chance to apologize.

To her surprise, though, she saw neither the Mer nor the mysterious Mage for what must have been days. Life was timeless in that grotto, with no sunlight to tell her whether it was day or night.  She simply slept when she was tired and woke when she was rested.  Each “day”, when she awoke, she found that her stash of food and water had been refreshed, a new oilcloth-bound bundle and full water skin placed in the same place on the table each time.  The bundle usually held some combination of read, fruit, and cheese, but sometimes it held carefully-wrapped meat as well.  Once, after having felt particularly chilled the previous day, she woke to find that another blanket had appeared and been tucked around her.

It was unnerving to know that someone—presumably the mysterious mage— was somehow aware of her needs and returned while she slept, but what could she do?  Rey couldn’t blame him for avoiding her, if the Mer had told him what a beast she’d been to him.  So, she spent her time exploring the grotto in more detail: reading the books, examining the mage lights, poking through the random piles of treasures and sorting them into some semblance of organization, and even peeking into the trunk in the sleeping room.

That held little of any interest, only clothes and linens and furs, but the piles of treasures...  There were musical instruments, old maps, and strange tools she didn’t recognize.  She found half of a chess set, an incomplete deck of cards, and a pair of dice.  There were weapons, too, and various forms of armor, some familiar and some not.  She was particularly intrigued by a long, slender metal cylinder that she found wedged behind the book shelf.  It was strange, wired and buttoned like a piece of tech, but with hand grips that made it look like the hilt of a sword.  That, she’d set aside with the rest of the weapons, though she wasn’t sure why.

Some of it, though, was literal treasure, and it made her scavenger’s heart flutter with avarice as that pile grew.  When she’d finished sorting through the mage’s strange horde, she returned to this pile first.  There were ropes of pearls, coins of every denomination, jewelry of gold and platinum… She finally gave into impulse and draped herself in the jewelry with girlish giggles, admiring the way it all shone and sparkled in the glow of the nearby mage light.  She wore it for the rest of the “day”, clinking and tinkling as she’d supped and prepared for bed.  Then she took it off and placed it carefully, piece by piece, into a small chest that she’d found and emptied days ago.  The last thing to go in was a delicate torque of hammered rose gold and finished with a vibrant blue gem at each end.  Simple though it was, it was the piece she liked the most and the piece she was most reluctant to put away.  She ran her fingers over it longingly.

Perhaps…but, no.  None of this was hers, no matter how long she’d been there, and to pretend otherwise was wrong.  Helping herself to any part of it was even more wrong.  A scavenger she may be, but she was no thief.  Rey closed the lid with a snap, and lifted the now-weighty chest to sit in pride of place on the bookshelf she’d organized the previous “day”.

She dreamt that ‘night’, for the first time since coming to the grotto.  It was dark, but she knew instinctively that she wasn’t alone.  There was the impression of a man, dark-eyed and broad, and his fingers delicate at her throat.

“You like this,” he said, his voice low and sliding over her senses like rich, dark chocolate.

She touched her throat, her fingers brushing fleetingly against his, and felt the torque resting on her collarbone. She nodded, and felt satisfaction from him.

“It’s yours.”

And then he was gone, leaving her alone in the dream with the memory of his velvet voice in her ear.

She woke with the weight of the torque at her throat.

Ren withdrew from her mind and retreated to the safety of the pool, his eyes on the darkened stone doorway.

What was he doing?  Why hadn’t he found a way to return her to where she belonged?  He ran his hands over his face and then back through his damp hair, and blew out his breath.

He already knew the answer.

This woman, this prickly, unusual, beautiful woman, had captured his fancy and now he was disinclined to let her go.

That first day, when he’d left her in a fury of frustration, he’d picked a fight with the largest shark he could find and had killed it with his bare hands.  It wasn’t the smartest thing he’d done, tangling with an apex predator without the benefit of armor or weapons, and he had the still-pink scars to show for his stupidity, but he’d known the outcome of the fight when he’d started it.  The shark had used its tail to buffet his head, knocking him into a reef to stun him, and then had gone in for the kill.  But Kylo Ren was a hardy one.  He met the open jaw with his hands and had spread it farther, wider, until the shark had attempted to recoil in a panic.  Ren hadn’t stopped; instead, he wrapped his thighs around the beast’s body for control and wrenched—dislocating the jaw and ripping it away entirely, all at once.

By that time, other sharks had been drawn by the bloodied water, but each and every one of them had recognized the superior predator and turned away in search of easier prey.

Ashamed of himself, Ren had returned home with the body and delivered it wordlessly to the fortress kitchens.

That day, Snoke and his court dined on shark steaks.

In the days following, Ren had returned only to bring her food in the dead of night, after his work for the day was completed.  When he realized that she’d begun to go through his things, sorting and organizing them, he grew more curious.  Now he was returning earlier and earlier each day to watch her from beneath the protection of a cloaking spell, dismissing the niggling sense that it was wrong to observe her like this.

She was just so…fascinating, especially when he realized that she’d begun talking to his mage lights, of all things, in an effort to stave off her loneliness.  She’d figured out that she could make them follow her (she was obviously quite clever) and while two still hovered near the wall at opposite ends of the cave, the third followed her like an obedient puppy, providing its light to whatever she was working on.  Apparently, it was also a source of company.  She’d told it what she thought about the various things she found, speculated about the mage who had consented to host her in his grotto, and worried aloud about her friends and the fate of the Falcon.

Then, yesterday, she asked whether she’d ever get an opportunity to apologize to ‘him’, and Ren was startled to realize that she was talking about him. With a lazy stroke of his tail, he drifted closer, out of the shadows and close enough to see her expression as she stacked his books, heedless of the fact that doing so weakened his cloaking spell.

“Luke would be ashamed of me, I know,” she continued, lifting a particularly large grimoire and sliding it into place on the shelf.  “I let my fear get the better of me.  I know better than that, and I let it happen anyway.”  She sighed, and flipped open the next book in the stack, then placed it next to the grimorie. “And now, he won’t come back to let me apologize and even the mage hasn’t returned.  Not when I’ve been awake, anyway, and I’m really starting to think that I won’t be seeing either of them, ever.”  She placed the last book on the shelf and then stood, dusting off her hands.

Ren had moved back into the shadows, his mind a whirl as he grappled with the realization that she wanted to see him again.  He’d left not long after, and returned only long enough to leave her usual food and water on the table.

Today, he’d come back to find her draped in his jewels like a child playing in her mother’s jewelry box, and he’d been stricken with the sudden desire to see her draped in his jewels—and nothing else.  Lust had pooled low in his belly and prickled through his awareness

He’d left almost as soon as he’d arrived.

She was putting it all away when he’d returned.  She’d chosen a small chest that had once held a random assortment of oddities, and turned it into a treasure chest.  When it was nearly full, and she was nearly bare of ornamentation, he saw her lift her hands to her throat and remove the last piece of jewelry: a torque of hammered rose gold, with faceted kyber crystals at either end.  She held it gently, running her fingers over the subtly textured metal, and for a moment Ren wondered whether she would return it to her neck or place it in the box with the rest.   She sighed, and then he got his answer—she set it into the box, closed the lid with a sharp snap, and placed the box on the shelf with his books before disappearing into the smaller cave to sleep.

He’d waited until the sounds of her moving around had quieted, then reached for her with his mind and nudged her into sleep.  Then, and only then, did he rise from the water to place her food for the next day on the table.  He ought to have left then, but instead, he opened the chest and thoughtfully drew the torque from within.  It was an unusual piece, and lovely, but there were other, lovelier things in his collection—things of far more obvious wealth.   But she hadn’t lingered over the platinum circlet set with diamonds, or the flawless emerald pendant almost as large as her dainty fist.  Those had gone into the box without hesitation, but she’d lingered over this, a piece whose value lied not in its beauty but in its power.

On impulse, he’d turned and stepped into the room where she lay sleeping and touched a finger to her forehead, reaching for her slumbering mind and presenting himself as a dream.  It had been easy enough to do, but even in an induced sleep, her clever mind was working.  He was certain that she hadn’t accepted him as a mere dream; the question now was whether she would remember.

He wondered, and not for the first time, if she knew what it was.  He supposed it didn’t matter.  He’d gifted it to her, and while he wasn’t sure why he had done so, he had no intention of taking it back—even if it meant that he would no longer be able to hide from her.

Hell, that was probably why he’d given it to her—to assuage his guilty conscience.  To have watched her without her knowledge or consent was, at best, morally dubious.  He knew that, and yet he’d done it anyway.   Now, if she wore the torque, she’d be able to see through his illusions, forcing him to either stay away while she was awake, or to actually engage with her.

As he swam back to the fortress, it occurred to him that he had no idea which of those it would be.

When Rey awoke several days later, it was with the chilling, bone-deep awareness that there was someone else—someone malevolent—in the grotto with her.  She held herself still, hoping to give herself time to think, but that was not to be.

“I know you’re awake,” he said in the common tongue, his voice cool and accented.  “Don’t bother pretending.”

She felt fear claw at her insides.  Her inclination was to lash out, but remembering how that had gone the last time she’d been confronted with someone new, she forced herself to sit up and regard the newcomer calmly.  She couldn’t see much, only his silhouette.  “Are you the mage?” she asked, sure that he was not but needing to consider the possibility anyway.  She was proud that her voice didn’t quaver.

“Of course not,” he scoffed.  “Did you mistake me for Ren?”

Rey frowned.  “Who is Ren?”

“Your keeper.”  Rey heard the frown in his voice, and read it in his restless shift.  “What do you call him?”

“Nothing,” she replied honestly.  “I’ve never met him.”

“No? Well, not his whore then.”  There was a pause, and then he continued with a leer in his voice.  “Unless he’s wiping your memory of it after.”

“What?”  Rey straightened, bristling.  “No!  I’ve been alone until now.  Besides, I am no one’s whore.”

The man chuckled darkly, and Rey felt renewed fear skitter down her spine. “Perhaps I’ll make you mine, then.”  She stiffened, but before she could object, he continued, sounding puzzled.  “But not until after I’ve figured out why Ren has made a pet of you.  Why are you special?”

Rey ground her teeth at his arrogant impertinence.  “I think you should leave.”

“And I think that you should show more respect for your betters.”  His hand shot out and caught her full across the mouth, knocking her to the side and making her ears ring.  “Talk back to me again, and it will be my fist rather than the back of my hand.  Now, answer the question: why are you special?”

Rey pushed herself up once more and glowered at him, but did not answer him.

“I see.  So that is how it will be.”  He leaned forward and wrapped his cold hand around the back of her neck and dragged her forward to the edge of the bed.  “Come.  It is time you learn your place in the Order.”

[violentnonretirement]

Last Of Your Kind

@odxchi

     Ever since their creation the Siren’s had been pack creatures. Colonies spread across the oceans where the creatures had once lured sailors and humans to their deaths. With large wingspans, long tails and stunning colours, there had been one colony is particular that had spent most of their lives of the coast of Velen. There had been a runt among that litter that had the beauty to attract the sailors but not quite the heart to destroy people even for food. The colony had been guarded by a Leviathan for some years, a Leviathan that had been keeping them safe from the dangers of the deep sea… until he had abandoned them.

     He had left and the colony had been savaged, torn apart and destroyed, murdered and ruined with the sold survivor being the runt that had been small enough to hide and then flee but not before one of his wings had been torn free, the other shredded by the beasts that feasted on the remains of the colony.

     Genji. Genji, the youngest and the smallest fled from the destruction, fled in pain and fear, angered by how his colony was abandoned but ultimately terrified. The young siren swam as far as his lithe form could take him until he found himself passing bright white coils. Long coils he couldn’t quite work out what they were but as he swam he started to notice how they got closer together until eventually the injured Siren took refuge between white, what he assumed to be, walls and curled in on himself, nesting as much as he could.

     He would wait for as long as he could and then… then he would… he would keep swimming.

He was tired and full and sunning. Not terribly near the surface but the rays of the sun were warm and kind and the skeletonized shark nearby was proof the leviathan’s status as an apex predator. He’d been investigating a wreck far outside his normal grounds and the shark decided to wander too close, becoming a meal within moments. And now he was lazy, yawning his massive jaw of teeth and licking his lips.

The sensation of something new around him was odd. Especially since whatever it was, it was terrified. It came closer, and Jack lifted his head, webbed ears expanding to catch the noises of the creature moving about.

And then something was resting on the lazily draped coils around the surrounding rocks and sea life. Oddly enough, it seemed to be the presence, but far closer than he’d thought. He slipped through the massive length of his tail and looked for the source. He found it sleeping, apparently having passed out. He frowned at the injuries on the poor thing, and wondered why a siren was so far from its colony. Once protected by a leviathan, they did not stray far save to eat, but perhaps the injuries were the reason for that.

Best to get him to the grotto, where he could sleep on soft sea grass and moss. He gingerly picked him up in his arms, soft webbing cradling the creature as he began to move for the safety of his home.

[marlutterianae]

Brutish and bestial as they might appear, they deceptively intelligent, deriving delight from the violent act of eating other creatures to absorb their essence as if their looping guts processed the very essence of life. In the exceedingly rare case where a hunter may find a Behemoth resting in deep slumber, proceed with caution for it is dreaming vile visions of the things to satiate its endless appetites, keeping them on edge even when half awake. Through cosmic hunger they dream about devouring the stars, the moon, the sun and the world.

In regards to their behavior in interiors, these brutish monstrosities derive great enjoyment from wrecking through the walls and corridors of the abyssal Berelithian structures, smashing nearly everything they come across wether be living or dead into a bloody pulp or meaty chunks, including each other, and then slurp the pulp. According to the demonologist scholars of the Magal Guild their propensity for devouring manifests as the incarnation of the voracity of the Nightmare itself. Thus, their voracious eating of their prey derives from an existential hunger of their spirits. It is their cosmic nature, alien as it might be.

As well as being imbued with a dose of pleasure unexplainable to human understanding. This bloodlust battle frenzy and hunger for flesh can even be contagious, as the most imposing Behemoths are capable of exuding through their skin via a bio-spiritual process known as "glandular fusion" where they can secrete a refined version of their most abundant humor; in this case Cholera, to corrupt and warp the minds of humans. Their golden mists secreted by the pores on their boiling flesh induces a hallucinatory bloodlust within the minds of humanoids, even more dangerous in the minds and bodies of the Zathán. It causes intense hatred for the secretor of this pheromone, the Behemoth in this case. Turning the Behemoth into a target, as a twisted strategy to call upon its prey to crush it mercilessly. Even when surrounded by other predators, it is but a trick to devour them. Truly, an abominable apex.

For even when the greatest of their specimens were hunted systemically in mass by the Legions of Slayers during the Hunting & Gathering centuries of the second millennium, adapting to compressing their sizes to fit neatly inside grottos for hibernation, then morphing their entrails into complex glandular laboratories for different forms of fusions, such as boiling their own bile to ignition point, bursting flaming propulsion out from their tubular horns connected to their guts, traversing the vast desolate wastes like organic dreadnoughts.

Behemoths don't show that abominable anguish more Regal demons show when they become accursed by being anchored to the Earth for too long. Instead, their frenzy and madness seems to be only fuel to their carnage. These are demons that thrive in the carnal domains of man, and that makes them extremely dangerous and numerous despite being the simplest known to the Hunting Guilds.

INKMalia 2022: Day 14 - Empty

“Demons do not require sustenance to survive. They feed merely from a desire to indulge in voracity.

This endless hunger is a curse from the Nightmare Above, with its void, seeking vital heat imbued in living matter to soothe its eternal coldness. 

Behemoths manifest this cosmic appetite the most. Brutish and savage as they may appear, they are deceptively intelligent.

They relish in delight of their cannibalistic violence when devouring other creatures.”

[wikitopx]

The Hawaiian Islands are known for beautiful weather all year round, but conditions can vary at different heights, so we want you to be prepared on arrival.

[toc]

 1. Snorkel with Sharks, Oahu

One Ocean Diving offers a shark tour, unlike all others, the only one in which guests snorkel without a cage, and the only one that goes to where the sharks live rather than attracting them with food, so they can be observed in a calm, natural state.

This is an exhilarating experience, perhaps even life-changing, a chance to get up close with the oceans’ apex predators and gain new insight and understanding of these magnificent creatures.

Owned and run by marine biologists and experts in shark behavior patterns, One Ocean is part of a conservation and scientific study group. There are no age requirements, but guests must be at least 4 feet tall and strong swimmers: children must be accompanied by two adults. Tours are two hours long, with about 30-45 minutes in the water.

Operating out of Haleiwa, close to the river for an amazing SUP experience, surfing spots Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay, and famous Matsumoto’s shave ice (though Anahulu’s down the street is more flavorful, shorter line, and less expensive).

2. Doors-Off Helicopter Tour, Kauai

Jack Harter Helicopters is a must! About seventy percent of gorgeous Kauai is inaccessible by foot; the only way to see it all is by helicopter, and flying with the doors off means the stunning views are completely unobstructed. Spectacular views surround the guests, including Na Pali Coast, Waimea Gorge, Mount Waialeale, and Jurassic Falls.

For doors-off tours, passengers must be at least ten years old. They do offer tours with the doors on (and air conditioning) that are suitable for younger guests; however, this can wind up being an expensive nap for little ones!

Tours last 60 or 90 minutes in total air time; plan for additional time for safety instructions and transportation to and from the helicopters (provided by the company). Flying out of Lihue, Jack Harter Helicopters is close to Kalapaki Beach and Backcountry Adventures tubing tours.

3. Manta Ray Night Dive and Snorkel Ecoadventure, Big Island

Neptune Charlie’s Ocean Safari helps guests get up close to these gentle giants, averaging a twelve-foot wingspan. At sunset, the boats leave the Kona coast to reach the offshore focus of hundreds of rays.

Manta rays are attracted to the area using lights, held onto by guests, and they put on a show of waving and rolling in search of plankton within inches of the snorkelers. There are no age restrictions, but six years and up is recommended.

The three-hour tour leaves from Honokohau Marina, close to Pine Trees Surfing Beach and Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm, making it a perfect ending for a day of sun, sand, and nature.

4. Sunrise Lava Tour, Big Island

Epic Lava Tours organizes a spectacular guided walk to visit the active lava stream. Beginning within Volcanoes National Park, guests get within a few feet of fresh lava, take in the sunrise, and visit lesser-known areas within the rainforest park.

Snack, water, and rain ponchos provided. The hike is long, about four to five miles in each direction, depending on current volcanic activity. There are no age restrictions, but it may be too strenuous a hike for very young children.

Additionally, volcanic fumes are strong; pregnant women, infants, and the elderly are advised not to get this close. Tours begin at 4 a.m. and end between 9 and 10, depending on how near the lava is flowing that day.

5. Na Pali Sunset Dinner Sail, Kauai

Captain Andy’s catamaran sails feature dramatic views of the rugged Na Pali Coast. Sheer and jagged cliffs encounter with spinner dolphins plus more sea life, and sunset colors make this an excellent choice for a romantic evening for two.

Great dinner with cocktails included. Boats leave from Ele’ele and last four hours. Stop by Kauai Island Brewing Company on the way for a flight of local beers, as food and cocktails on the boat aren’t served until a couple of hours after departure.

6. Molokini Express, Adventure Snorkeling, Maui

Blue Water Rafting offers one of the shorter and more affordable snorkeling trips out of Maui to the crystal waters off Molokini, a volcanic crater and seabird sanctuary. The inflatable rafts are small and maneuverable, able to get very close to plunging cliffs.

This is amazing snorkeling in areas where bigger boats are unable to fit, with tropical fish everywhere and over an hour spent in the water. The highlight of the trip, though, is the ride itself, as the tiny boat catches air, leaping over the waves.

Children aged four and up are welcome; younger children are allowed on private charters. The tour lasts two hours total and leaves from the Kihei Boat Ramp, near Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, home to endangered wetland birds, and Maui Brewing Company, with a tasting room and brewery tours.

7. Mountain Tubing through Canals and Tunnels, Kauai

Kauai Backcountry Adventures is the only group to offer tube tours on the island. Guests are driven through the rainforest to the old Lihue Plantation, where they are given a headlamp and tube and set to float through the old irrigation system built in the late nineteenth century.

Fun and knowledgeable guides will keep people on the go as people travel through lush landscapes and through dark tunnels. Finish with a light lunch. Children five years and up allowed. Tour departs from Lihue, near the helicopter tours, Fern Grotto, and Lydgate Beach Park.

8. North Shore Beach Tour, Oahu

Aloha Beach Bus’ deluxe tour breaks travelers out of Waikiki and up to Haleiwa in the North Shore for an all-day sun and surf adventure. Learn about the history of surfing among Hawaiian royalty, and visit the most famous surf spots in the world, Banzai Pipeline, and Waimea Bay, with water clear enough to see the bottom and a huge rock for cliff jumping.

Guests are invited to swim, surf, snorkel, canoe, or scuba here. At Pua’ena Point, snorkel with sea turtles, before moving on the Wailua River for standup paddleboarding and shave ice. Finish with a trip to the Dole Plantation for pineapple ice cream. Lunch at Tsue’s Farm is included. All ages welcome.

9. Tour a Kona Coffee Farm, Big Island

Kona Old Style at Kuaiwi Farm offers guided tours of their five-acre, organic, sustainable coffee plantations. Alongside coffee berries, find macadamias, cacao, bananas, pineapples, and more. Learn the intricacies of the coffee-making process from start to finish.

Tours include a delightful tasting of their own award-winning coffees, mac nuts, and jams. The basic tour lasts two hours and welcomes all ages. An optional chocolate-making class can be added for guests over ten years.

10. Spot a Sunken Ship from aboard a Submarine, Maui

Atlantis Submarines Maui explores ocean depths in search of reef sharks, dolphins, eels and tropical fish. Diving over 100 feet underwater, the submarines pass by a sunken ship and visit three reefs.

This is a great escape from the midday heat, and it’s a perfect way for not-so-strong swimmers to experience marine wildlife. No age limits, but guests must be at least 36” tall. Tour leaves from Lahaina, right off Front Street, near Banyan Court Park and several restaurants, boutiques, and beaches.

More ideals for you: Top 10 things to do in Detroit

From : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-hawaii-704415.html

[justavulcan]

Grotto of the Apex Predator 7

Hidden in the depths of the dungeon are a pair of lights, burning and casting back the dark from the place where they’re found, where the sun doesn’t and has never shone.  Two magical flames, one with the power to cast illumination into not just the present, but also the future; and one with the heat to warm not just the body but heart and soul.  How these two gifts to mortals ended up here, in a dark, wet place beyond the eyes of humankind is a story best reserved for another time.  But to those who find them, these two flames are gifts like no other.

[justavulcan]

Grotto of the Apex Predator 6

The Master’s closest followers are a mismatched group of hunters who are skilled at speaking with and connecting to wild animals, as peers.  They hunt the hallways and passages of the Dungeon as much as their more animalistic counterparts, serving as eyes and ears for the pack and running with them to rend and tear newcomers for their own necessities of survival.

[justavulcan]

Grotto of the Apex Predator 5

The cave’s current occupants are a group of wolves with strange, dimly glowing runes engraved in their sides- whether they’re escaped experiments or mutants, none know.  What is clear is that they’re hungry, very clever for animals, and seem resistant to magic.  The truth is that they’re actually creatures created by the Dungeon itself as an essential expression of its will; and while they serve the Master for now, if he is slain, they will answer to the new apex predator in their lair.

[justavulcan]

Grotto of the Apex Predator 4

The greatest threat to travel in the Dungeon after the predators is the tide.  The Dungeon is most accessible at low tide, when the entrance is out of the water and would-be explorers don’t risk hypothermia- but the Dungeon’s smarter residents know to try and knock attackers into the low water, where climbing back to land is a fight against both the slick rock and the tide.

[justavulcan]

Grotto of the Apex Predator 3

The oldest and most fearsome of the Dungeon’s residents is an ancient troll augur.  Skilled in the way of his people in haruspicy, and specializing in reading his own entrails, little surprises the Master, and he’s more than capable of disemboweling others for purposes of prognostication…or self-defense.  Being the Master of this Dungeon takes strength and endurance, and this ornery old troll has both.

[justavulcan]

Grotto of the Apex Predator 2

The real reason the Shimmering Shoals are as dreaded as they seem to be is simple: the depths of the cave are pitch-black, lightless, and unmapped by most creatures on two legs.  Instead a wide variety of darkness-loving predators have fought for space and food in the depths of the cave for time immemorial, making traveling the Dungeon deep in the caves an exercise in staying alert.

[justavulcan]

Grotto of the Apex Predator 1

The caves connected to the sea have been dreaded and prized by the locals in these parts for generations.  Dreaded for the way the deep caves turn you around and keep the freezing spray of the northern ocean trapped, prized as a hiding place for smugglers and their goods when the capital’s taxes get too much to stand for.  That kind of a mixed reputation is a quick path to a legendary reputation, and the Shimmering Shoals have that in spades.