From a distance, I wondered what I was seeing - was that a waterspout forming? The wind was a very strong northerly and the ocean surface was all churned up and foaming, but quite flat at the same time. Closer to shore, the water was white with the reflected bright afternoon light, in stark contrast to the shadowed coastal hills by Owhiro Bay. And against the backdrop of the hills, this was what I saw...
The strong wind funnelling down the valley to Owhiro Bay must have been hitting the water in such a way to cause these tall plumes of sea spray to billow up in the air - you can see houses in the lower right hand corner of the image, so this gives you some idea of the height of the spray. The way it swelled up then drifted was so reminiscent of smoke, I wondered for a moment whether there was a fire - but no, it was the force of wind on the ocean creating another dramatic spectacle.