Saturday, September 24 2016
Brian and I had to get up at 5:30 this morning and even though it was 11:30 Michigan time it was a good thing I set my alarm or we might have missed the boat. Luckily we woke up and took our time getting ready, went to get coffee and arrived at the boat dock early.
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| Bright and early and ready to go |
I signed up for the snorkeling tour with Redline Rafting pretty far in advance and I think that's why Brian and I got to be in the smaller raft (15 seats I think) with seasoned Seth (who was an awesome captain) and Chase (very knowledgeable with the sea life and got some great shots on the GoPro).
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| Way behind. |
Brian and I were the last ones on the boat (Brian remembered last minute to put his wallet and keys into a plastic bag and into the backpack while everyone else was filing on the boat) so we had to sit in the very front. The front is reserved for the more adventuresome folk who love wild and bumpy rides. (Apparently the seats in the back are as smooth as a Cadillac. ) It was a lot of fun though and they played some great music which made it even better. The ocean was pretty calm today though Brian and I did get tossed around a lot (our necks were a little sore the next day). It would have been a lot worse if our driver didn't know what he was doing but I could tell Seth was a pro at the controls and was trying to make it as smooth a ride as possible for all of us.
Seth and Chase brought us to FOUR different snorkeling locations. The first was in the front of the Molokini crater where we snorkeled in super clear waters and saw amazing coral and lots of fish. The first time you put your head in the water is an amazing experience, it is such different world in the ocean and to experience it first hand is unforgettable.
The second locale was the backside of the Molokini crater, a place where the bigger tours can't go because they are unable to anchor their boats. This was a neat spot because along with seeing more coral and fish, we also got to experience "The Elevator". The Elevator is a space between two cracks in the crater where, when big waves or swells of water come along, instead of crashing you against the rock it just bouys you up and down. It's quite a fun little ride.
The third location was near Forbidden Coast in La Perouse Bay. We saw and heard about the ancient lava rock and Seth told us a little bit of Maui's history. We parked on top of a school of Hawaiian sergeant fish and saw another ridge of coral in the middle of the bay.
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| Beginning of the trip |
I was really worried about getting sea sick, especially since I had forgotten to bring the Dramamine, but I kept my eyes to the horizon and tried to stay in the water as much as possible and luckily, I didn't get sick!
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| Molokini crater |
Seth and Chase brought us to FOUR different snorkeling locations. The first was in the front of the Molokini crater where we snorkeled in super clear waters and saw amazing coral and lots of fish. The first time you put your head in the water is an amazing experience, it is such different world in the ocean and to experience it first hand is unforgettable.
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| Chase grabbed a video of this creature at the bottom of the ocean. He opened his little mouth and everything. |
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| Us from below |
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| Pretty |
The second locale was the backside of the Molokini crater, a place where the bigger tours can't go because they are unable to anchor their boats. This was a neat spot because along with seeing more coral and fish, we also got to experience "The Elevator". The Elevator is a space between two cracks in the crater where, when big waves or swells of water come along, instead of crashing you against the rock it just bouys you up and down. It's quite a fun little ride.
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| Brian in The Elevator. |
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| We is having the time of our lives. Haha. |
The third location was near Forbidden Coast in La Perouse Bay. We saw and heard about the ancient lava rock and Seth told us a little bit of Maui's history. We parked on top of a school of Hawaiian sergeant fish and saw another ridge of coral in the middle of the bay.
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| More coral |
Unfortunately I couldn't find any footage of the sergeant fish, but I did find lots of me:
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| Boo |
The last snorkeling site was a place where Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles are commonly seen. I was most excited for this location and was SO hoping we would spot one!
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| Scanning the ocean for turtles |
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| YAY!!! |
Seeing the huge turtles in real life was ridiculously cool. It is so tempting to reach out and touch one but it's illegal and if you did, you would be fined $5,000 and/or go to jail for three years. I did see the turtle below take a groin swipe at the guy in the black shorts (I have it on film haha) before heading straight towards me (so cool!!).
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| Fun times. |
All in all we loved the five hour long tour and would totally do it again if given the chance. Seth and Chase were entertaining, knowledgeable and professional and told us everything we needed to know before each dive. They provided us with breakfast and lunch and gave everyone plenty of time at each snorkeling site.
All the photos I took while snorkeling are screen shots from video I recorded on the Go Pro we were allowed to borrow for free. At the end of the tour we had the option of buying the SD card if we thought we captured some good stuff which we definitely did. I am so happy to have footage and photos of us snorkeling in Hawaii!
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| End of the trip |
Dinner tonight was long awaited pizza. It was so-so but I think I'm a little pizza picky.
That's all for today!
Check out the whole trip!
Hawaii Vacation Day One! *Travel to Oahu*
Hawaii Day Two *Waikiki Hoolaulea*Hawaii Day Three *Ala Moana Beach and Ocean House*
Hawaii Day Four *SUP Yoga and Migraine*
Hawaii Day Five *Pearl Harbor*
Hawaii Day Six *Diamond Head*
Hawaii Day Seven *Travel to Maui*
Hawaii Day Eight *Kapalua Coastal Trail*
Hawaii Day Nine *Snorkeling Forbidden Coast and Molokini*
Hawaii Day Ten *Road to Hana*
Hawaii Day Eleven *Surfing Lessons*
Hawaii Day Twelve *Beach Day and Koiso Sushi*
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