Photo of the Day 465

F-105 Fighters, Hawaii

Photograph by Albert Moldvay

A haze of smoke veils the silver snouts of the "Flying Tigers," an F-105 squadron which, at the time of this 1965 photo, was on temporary duty at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. Flight crews used black-powder charges to start each jet's powerful engine.

(Photo shot on assignment for "Of Planes and Men—U.S. Air Force Wages Cold War and Hot," September 1965, National Geographic magazine)

Photo of the Day 427

Playful Dolphin, Waimanalo, Hawaii, 2001

Photograph by Jodi Cobb

A bottlenose dolphin plays in a lagoon in Waimanalo, Hawaii. Located just a half hour's drive from Honolulu, Waimanalo stretches out lazily along the coast like a sleeping hound. Its long, curving white-sand beach was once used as a backdrop for the television series Baywatch Hawai'i.

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "ZipUSA: Waimanalo, Hawaii," February 2001, National Geographic magazine)

Photo of the Day 313

Cliffs and Lighthouse, Waimanalo, Hawaii, 2001

Photograph by Jodi Cobb

The red-topped lighthouse on Makapu'u Point stands at the end of a long, fence-lined trail in the southeast corner of Hawaii's Oahu island. Built in 1909, Makapu'u Lighthouse is only 46 feet (14 meters) tall, but its light, concentrated by the largest lens in America, can be seen 28 miles (45 kilometers) out at sea.

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "ZipUSA: Waimanalo, Hawaii," February 2001, National Geographic magazine)

Photo of the day 220

Green Grappler Moth Caterpillar, Maui, Hawaii, 2003

Photograph by Darlyne Murawski

Sensitive hairs and nerves on the back of the green grappler moth caterpillar detect the slightest touch of prey. Lightning-fast reflexes and six needle-tipped claws spell the end for this termite in Maui, Hawaii.

(Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Killer Caterpillars: Built to Eat Flesh," June 2003, National Geographic magazine)

Photo of the Day 173

Garden of Gods, Lanai Island, Hawaii, 1997

Photograph by Jim Richardson

Thousands of years of erosion left this lunar-like landscape of boulders strewn across a canyon on Hawaii's Lanai Island, known as the Garden of the Gods. According to island legend, gods tending their earthly garden dropped the rocks from the sky. Visitors to the area have constructed rock cairns, a tradition many islanders disapprove of.

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Hiding Away in Lanai," January/February 1997, National Geographic Traveler magazine)

Photo of the Day 96

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Hawaii

Photograph by Walker Brooks

Two carved wooden images, called ki'i , overlook Keone'ele Cove in Hawaii's Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. These statues and dozens of others stand sentry over the Hale o Keawe temple, a sacred place where the bones of 23 Hawaiian chiefs once rested.

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Insider's Hawaii," November/December 2002, National Geographic Traveler magazine)

Photo of the Day 91

Molten Lava Flow, Hawaii, 2004

Photograph by Frans Lanting

A flow of glowing lava issues from Mount Kilauea in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Hawaii has some of the youngest land on Earth, remade daily by these rivers of molten rock.

"Kilauea molds the land, belching lava and fumes, hissing, roaring, always transforming," says photographer Frans Lanting. "The view I photographed that day doesn't exist anymore."

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Red Hot Hawaii: Volcanoes National Park," October 2004, National Geographic magazine)

Photo of the Day 45

Spider Guarding Eggs, Maui, Hawaii, 2001

Photograph by Darlyne Murawski

Found only on the islands of Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii, the happy face spider, such as this one guarding its eggs on a leaf in Maui, is known for the unique patterns that decorate its pale abdomen. Scientists believe Theridion grallatormay have developed its distinctive markings to discourage birds from eating it.

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Deadly Silk: Spiderwebs," August 2001, National Geographic magazine)

Photo of the Day 25

Caterpillar on Fern, Hawaii, 2003

Photograph by Darlyne A. Murawski

A carnivorous Eupithecia caterpillar prowls a fern leaf in Oahu, Hawaii, in search of prey. Such predatory caterpillars are rare and possess extraordinary adaptations, such as armor shields, seductive smells, or artful camouflage, to enhance their lethality.

(Text adapted from an photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Killer Caterpillars: Built to Eat Flesh," June 2003, National Geographic magazine)