A Lone Giant

This picture of me was taken last summer by my brother Chris. My father is steering me up behind a crazy, giant single that we ran across on our way in. As you can see from the big, zig-zagging wake in front of me, this tuna was big and smart, just trying to watch its own back. In the end, this tuna's survival tactics paid off as we did not get a great chance with the harpoon. (click image to enlarge)

The Swell of Earl

This picture was taken the day before Hurricane Earl "hit" the Gulf of Maine and Cape Cod. While Earl died out and did not wreak as much havoc as everyone had anticipated, the swell was still great. This picture was taken at my home break, the Ogunquit Rivermouth, just as the sun was rising. In the picture is Jack Phinney, a Rivermouth local, checking out the swell before he heads out. (click image to enlarge)

A Pod of Pilot Whales

The pictures below are of a group of pilot whales we stumbled onto one day while we were out fishing. Pilot whales, also known as blackfish, tend to travel in pretty big groups. As you can see in the third picture, this group was especially tame, as one of the pilot whales got on its back and tried to wave to us. (click images to enlarge)

A Young Humpback

This picture is of a juvenile humpback whale that we saw out fishing one day. We were about 40 miles off the northern coast of maine when we saw it. Despite being a juvenile, the whale is about 30 feet long. (click image to enlarge)

My First Turkey

These pictures are of the first Thanksgiving meal I have ever prepared. Considering it was my first time, it went about as well as it could have, everyone enjoyed the food and no one got sick. The pictures below are of the  turkey before and after it was carved and put on our plate.

Harpooning Sequences

The collage of pictures below consists of a series of shot taken of my father harpooning an Atlantic Bluefin tuna. You can see the fish under the water (purple blobs) if you look under the the little V shaped wakes in front of my father. In the last shot of the sequence, you can see the fish swimming away with the rope coming out of its back (look to the left of my fathers left knee). It may help to click on the image below to enlarge the photo.

The link below is to a video photo compilation of a longer sequence of photos in which my brother harpoons another Bluefin tuna. The fish in the video compilation was about 300 pounds and was caught in the Gulf of Maine. The quality of the pictures below are not great given the movie making program, but one can get an idea of the practice of harpooning by watching the film.

Harpooning Atlantic Bluefin Tuna -- Video Compilation

Moonrise

This picture is of the full moon rising into the sky. It was taken in August, two summers ago, off the southern coast of Maine. While this looks like the sun, it is, in fact, the moon and the stars in the night sky. (click image to enlarge)

Mt.Tauhara Hike, New Zealand

These pictures were taken on a hike I took with some friends when we were staying in Lake Taupo, New Zealand. The hike started off in green grassy hills, which eventually became dense forest. The path, created mostly by erosion from streams and small brooks running down the mountain, led us to the top of Mt. Tauhara. The view was unbelievable. On one side of the mountain was a small rainstorm looming over endless forests and farm lands. On the other side was a spectacular view of the Lake Taupo district and the surrounding areas, still engulfed in sunshine.

This picture of the cows is particularly interesting, for  you can't tell which body the head belongs on.

This picture, of the five of us who went on the hike, was taken with the self-timer on the camera. From left is Cat, myself, Garg, Scotty, and Lundy.

Boon Island Light

This picture is of Boon Island Lighthouse, just off the southern coast of Maine. This picture was taken last summer on a ride in from fishing, just before sunset.  Boon Island Light, built in 1811, is located about 8 miles of the coast. (click image to enlarge)

The Bean

These are a few pictures I took while I was in Chicago on my way across country. The pictures are of a landmark called "The Bean." It is a huge reflective/metallic bean looking sculpture that is located in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. You can get some cool pictures there. (click images to englarge)

The above picture is of my friends Ryan, Chris, and Jenny.

The above picture was taken from right underneath the bean. The four people in the middle of the picture are my friends and me.

An American Goldfinch

This picture is of an American Goldfinch sitting atop the bird feeder that we have outside of our house. (click image to enlarge)

Lake Taupo Sunset

These pictures were taken last November while I was visiting Lake Taupo, New Zealand. I highly recommend visiting New Zealand to anyone looking for a good adventure. (click images to enlarge)

Weapon of Choice

This picture is of the dart that is attached to the end of our harpoon. It is about four inches long and once it goes it, it doesn't come out. (click image to enlarge)

Close to Home

I took this picture from the tower on the way in from a day of fishing this past summer. At the top of the screen you can see three small humps along the land. These serve as a point to steer at, as our home is just to the right side of the three humps. The biggest of the humps is Mt.Agamenticus, located in York, Maine. (click image to enlarge)

Sinking Away

This picture is of a humpback whale about to sink away and dive down to feed. This picture was taken in the summer of 2009 about 60 miles offshore. (click image to enlarge)

Lined Up

This picture is of my father, Steve Weiner (in the pulpit), going up on a bunch of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. The fish are "lined up like soldiers," meaning they are strung out in a line about a foot or two apart from each other. There are about eleven fish making wake in this picture. The dark V-like wakes are the individual tunas. (click image to enlarge)

Stormy Seas

These pictures were taken a few days ago during a small northeaster that hit the Maine coast. The pictures show how tumultuous the seas were during the storm. The wind was blowing about 30 mph. (click images to enlarge)

Steaming In

This picture is of the Bettina H., a tuna harpoon boat of Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine. He was headed by us on our way in after a long day of fishing. (click image to enlarge)

My Grandfather's Garden

This picture is of a flower (not sure what kind) in my grandfather's garden in Maine. It was taken in early July of this past summer. (click image to enlarge)

Herring Carrier Ship

This picture is of a Herring Carrier ship that was awaiting a Herring Seiners catch on Jeffery's Ledge last June (2009). (click image to enlarge)

Baby Geese

These pictures are of some baby geese that were living next to the pond near my house in Andover, MA. They were taken last spring soon after they hatched. (click image to enlarge)

The Silver Lining Goes For a Sunset Cruise

This picture is of the Silver Lining, a private sailing charter out of Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine. The boat is a 42 foot wooden sailboat built in 1939 and takes multiple trips every day, all summer long.  Visit the Silver Lining's website at http://www.silverliningsailing.com/wedo.html. (click image to enlarge)

A Frond of Ponga Tree Fern

This picture is of a young Ponga fern in New Zealand (also called a frond). Ferns are very common in New Zealand's forests. (click image to enlarge)

This Frond will eventually grow into a big fern like the one pictured below. (again, click for enlarged image)

Scanning the Ocean

This picture is of my brother scanning the ocean for tuna from the tower of our boat. I took the picture from the tip of the pulpit (the stand, as we call it). We spend the majority of our day up in the tower looking for any signs of tuna (whales, birds, bait, etc.). (click image to enlarge)

A Stack of Rocks

This picture is of a stack of rocks I found on a rocky beach near my house in Maine.

Jumping Off the Bell

This picture is of one of my good friends taking a leap off the Perkins Cove bell buoy last summer. While the buoy doesn't appear very large from the shore or from a boat, it is about 15-20 ft off the water and is quite a leap. Also, this picture was taken with my phone.

Fin and Tail

This picture is of harpooner pursuing a bunch of Bluefin tuna. It was taken this summer (2010) about 65 miles offshore. The harpooner, again, is my  brother Chris Weiner. You can see the dorsal fin and tail of one of the Bluefin tunas in the bunch just ahead of Chris, the fish is about 300 lbs (7ft). (click image to enlarge)

A Small Swarm of Mosquitos

This picture is of a swarm of mosquitos that was sitting above me and my friends' heads while we sat next to a lake in Hamilton, New Zealand. We didn't realize how many mosquitos were actually above us until I took this picture. (click image to enlarge)

A Lost Frog

These pictures are of a frog that found its way onto my deck during a rainstorm this summer. While it was pretty tame, it did not let me get too close. (Click image to enlarge)

Bursting with Sulfur

This picture was taken just North of Lake Taupo at a Sulfuric Mudpool. This geothermal activity is a key component to New Zealand's electricity generation. While these mudpools look cool, they don't smell very good. 

A Trip to Tapotupotu Beach, New Zealand

This picture was taken at an awesome little white-sand beach in the North Island of New Zealand. The is located in Tapotupotu Bay, hence the name Tapotupotu Beach. There was not a soul on the beach when our school group arrived and the weather was perfect. I would highly recommend to anyone taking a trip or traveling to go to New Zealand, it is quite a place.

Sunrise in Southwest Harbor, Maine

This picture was taken at sunrise in Southwest Harbor in Downeast Maine. It was taken in the end of August from our mooring within the harbor. As one can see, a large fog bank sat outside the harbor. Fog is something not uncommon to the beautiful island of Mt. Desert. (Click image to enlarge)

Gotta Start Somewhere

This first picture was taken in the summer of 2009. The fish on the right is about a 350 pound fish and the fish on the left is about 250 pounds. The harpooner is my brother, Chris Weiner.  Click the image to see the blown up image.