BEST SNORKELING OF ALL! Friday, January 15. Hawai’i Island

Snorkeling in Keylakekua Bay

I wake up alert and full of energy, hearing tales of last night’s manta ray trip with no regrets that I wasn’t there myself.  In fact, I am confident that I made the right choice because I feel very excited and strong about this morning’s snorkel.

After a delicious spam-free breakfast at 7:30, we leave our beautiful yacht by skiff.  Then gingerly transfer to a zodiac to speed (zipping along about 30 mph) to Keylakekua Bay.  Our captain (a.k.a. Captain Zodiac) is an experienced boatsman who loves whales, the ocean and Hawaii and speaks poetically and knowledgeably.  He says if we arrive early, we’ll have plenty of snorkeling time before other boats join us.

Keylakekua Bay is an underwater state park and Marine Life Conservation District.  Rules about who can do what safeguard the coral reef and its creatures.  Captain Zodiac has permission to come in by boat but none of us should touch the coral or come on shore.  The bay is remote and protected from wind by the shape of the coast.  It is one of the top ten snorkeling places in the world.

Captain Z suggests the best place to snorkel, facing but not passing the outer rocks.  I feel 100% comfortable and safe, using a noodle and NO fins!  (Why did it take so long for me to believe in myself about not using fins?  I bowed to the greater experience of others, which is not a bad thing.) 

Yellow Tang are the bright ones

Big guy is a parrot fish

I think this is a Humuhumu Hiukole (Pink Tail Triggerfish)

The water is clear, fish are plentiful and diverse, plus there are other sea creatures.  It is gorgeous!  If I wouldn’t gurgle ocean water, I’d yell with delight.

Don't you love his eyes?

Humuhumu-Eleele Black Durgon Triggerfish plus several others

Surgeonfish I think

 I see three kinds of urchins.  Crown-of-Thorns sea stars with lots of legs (?).  Two moray eels (one swimming and one in his/her house).   And an octopus who was swimming away.  Lots of yellow tangs, parrotfish, and many, many others. 

Look at that variety!

 The coral is fairly close to water's surface, which means diving is not needed.

Crown of Thorns Sea Star

 

Butterfly fish of some sort

Moray Eel At Home

 

Look at all that variety! 

See the smile on the yellow tang?

Wonder what the attraction is...

 I swear I see smiles on a couple of those fish!  [Don’t you see the smiles, too?]  Certainly I’m smiling as I look at them.  I look forward to making a movie because a flat photo doesn’t transmit the glory of seeing all this beauty completely around, above, and under me.

She is not a Road Scholar 

 When I look up to be sure I have not drifted too far away from our boat, I see that lots more snorkelers have arrived in other boats. 

This moray eel is traveling.  Don't know whether he is another variety of eel.

Don't know what the dark ones are

 It looks like it’s time for us to go because our boat is filling up with Road Scholar snorkelers drying off.  As I approach to climb in, our captain asks, “Do you know how long you’ve been in the water?  90 minutes.”

Memorial to Captain John Cook

On shore is a memorial to Captain John Cook, who was killed a few feet away from the white statue -- in 1779.  Captain Zodiac tells us lots more about Cook, who was an incredibly skilled navigator.  I am impressed but, thanks to the dark matter in my brain, forgetful.

 Going back, we have an exciting ride, sometimes at high speed toward lava walls.  

 Pele, Hawaiian goddess of fire, can be seen lying stretched out  with her flowing dark hair over her shoulders.  

 Off in the distance a whale blows air through his blow hole.  Someone declares, “Thar she blows!” We are nearly back to our skiff and yacht.  The program could end now and I’d be satisfied.  But having said that to myself three other times over the last few days, I know there’s yet more good stuff coming.

Kaloko Cloud Forest 

 After lunch we head for Kailua Kona pier.  A bus ride and we arrive at Kaloko Cloud Forest.  Norman Bezona, Professor Emeritus in Tropical Agriculture at UH, owns this private forest preserve; he greets us in the driveway.  On the slope of Hualalai Volcano, it had very little vegetation on it when he bought the extensive property because it had been used for cattle.

 What is a cloud forest?  

Moisture to the plants comes mostly from fog drip rather than rain.

 

Norman  puts the same sort of granules in their Bromeliads that I put in rain barrels to prevent mosquito growth. 

Norman has planted a gazillion tropical trees and bushes, mostly from Asia.  I am looking for native plants because that’s my interest but we do not go on that trail for lack of time. A fiery red non-native kahili ginger, while pretty and aromatic, takes over like privet, so they do pull them out here and anywhere people are trying to sustain natives.  On the other hand, Norm says there is no such a thing as a bad plant — only those which are being used poorly.    

Tree ferns and their delicate leaves are the top canopy over most of this trail.  

Colorful eucalyptus also grows quickly and tall.

 

 

 

Norm points out five varieties of bamboo including some big guys they used to build their house.

 

Angel trumpets remind me of Helene’s.

Norm and Voltaire use Deet in their mosquito repellant because some places in Hawaii are experiencing Dengue Fever.  Somebody (who?) says there are only two native butterflies; the many monarchs are considered invasives.  What a novel idea!  

 

 On the way back to our boat, part of the ocean is rosy, thanks to the sinking sun.  

I run up to the top deck to take another photo.

Appetizers and beverages are set up to celebrate our last evening on board.

While I’m freshening up in my room, I hear Theresa announce there will be a tour of the galley.  Having had such marvelous meals, day after delicious day, many of us are curious about what the galley looks like.  

It’s small!  How can the cook possibly produce such specifically requested meals for all of us in this tiny space?  The kitchen crew typically do 23 dishwasher loads after each meal.  The cook and the baker produced the most fragrant, delicious and healthy food anyone could ask for.

 

As the sun sinks further we retire to the top deck for conversation and music by the multi-talented Troy.  And then the Captain’s dinner, where we clap and toast the most wonderful crew of our beautiful, luxurious home.  I could not possibly imagine how they could have improved our experience.  I fill out their evaluation form in a boring fashion with all Excellent’s.  

 

[My friend Roseann wants to see the tribal shirt I wore to this dinner so here it is.  This is the one I bought in Molokai.]