Maui's Spinner Dolphins were in a playful mood this morning and insisted that I have fun with them instead of doing my ocean swim workout. I played the leaf game with them for a while but was glad when a tour boat came zooming up and herded them away. Finally, I could swim without interruption. Click HERE for lots more photos from today's encounter.
The photo above reminds me all too clearly of my childhood. I can hear my father saying from between gritted teeth, "You WILL go snorkeling."
The photo below . . . is not among my memories.
Wow! What a daring group today. We practiced our tightrope walking skills from a height of forty feet without a safety net.
Many, many thanks to the captain of the Ali'i Nui for allowing us to test our balancing skills on the anchor line of her boat.
Click HERE for more photos from this morning's ocean swim.
We had another absolutely exquisite morning on Keawakapu beach today. But what morning isn't perfect there?
Swimmers and Spinner Dolphins all stopped by this morning to wish a Happy Birthday to my friend, Janet. You really do not look 65.
A group of more than 80 Spinner Dolphins kept following me around on my ocean swim this morning. I wasn't getting my workout done because they were too distracting. Each time I would try to swim away, they would zoom over and surround me again. But that's okay. I've missed them and I guess they've missed me.
Click HERE for lots more photos from today's swim.
Thank goodness for the Brown Anoles. It has been our rainiest winter ever and they are doing their part to reduce the insect population. The Wikipedia article might have been talking about me when it says: it will eat "anything that will fit in its mouth."
I take so much for granted. I thought it was silly when these kayak guides this morning were showing people how to hold and use their paddles. Then I remembered that I used to use my paddle backward until someone showed me how to do it correctly. Oh, how soon I forget.
Omilu look so mean. Maybe it's because they're so big (you can't tell in the photos) or because of the frowns on their faces. But this gang of seven looked ready to rumble. I was fascinated by these Bluefin Trevally because the blue on their backs was glowing intensely; it was a sight to see.
Rich couldn't get over how big this Pillow Starfish had gotten. No matter how puffy it looks, I wouldn't want to rest my head on something this hard.
I have no idea of how Josh was able to find this well camouflaged Scorpion Fish (right). Some of the swimmers were unable to see it even when it was pointed out to them.
This pirate-looking ship was anchored on our swim route which is usually clear of boats. It was built in 1935 as a dentist's office for service along the coast of Alaska. This family sailed it here from Seattle and have been enjoying the Hawaii winter.
Click HERE for more photos from this morning's ocean swim.
"Kids - leave me alone! I'm busy creating memories."
This morning I noticed how many parents were busy getting photos and video of their children rather than playing or interacting with them. Why couldn't my parents have been more like that?!?
I wandered around my yard this afternoon searching for leprechauns and pots o' gold, all to no avail. I did enjoy the golden glow of this palm flower in the late day sunlight.
I looked up while swimming this morning to see a mushroom cloud forming. Fortunately, it wasn't in the direction of our nuclear power plant. Nope, it was over where the airport used to be (and maybe still is).
I've seen this woman's ads for ocean bodywork but never knew how it was done, until now. She also touts the healing qualities of sound waves from dolphins and whales as a benefit of her massages.
The usual water exercisers were out in the same area as well.
What can't be done in the ocean?
In spite of expectations, two days after the Tsunami the ocean was crystal clear. In fact, clearer than it has been in some time.
Not only were the swimmers fooled, but so was my camera - it could not seem to focus this morning. My apologies to the Maui Pink Cap Swimmers. Click HERE for the few photos which did come out.
I was a little miffed this morning when I discovered that Maui's beaches were closed to the local population, but wide open for use by tourists.
Gates were installed a couple of years ago at most beach accesses, supposedly to control crime. Now it is a crime to watch sunset on the beach (a friend's car was recently ticketed while they watched the sun go down), and the beaches are being closed more and more often.
However, for those who can afford to stay at the expensive beach-side resorts, anything goes. Yes, there was a tsunami yesterday morning before sunrise and there were small surges during the day, but that was yesterday. The big resorts were renting snorkel equipment to guests and putting beach chairs at the water's edge this morning. And these are companies which are extremely risk-averse. But if you or I wanted to snorkel, forget about it.
My heart was racing when this giant Humpback whale turned to swim directly toward me this morning. Especially since it was a protective mother with her small calf in tow. Of course, they were just checking me out, seeing who this crazy deep-water swimmer was. Click HERE for more photos from this morning's encounter.
This turtle represents my state of mind today - Inertia.
I did not want to get out of bed
I did not want to get into the ocean to swim
I did not want to get out of the ocean
I did not want to go to lunch
I did not want to leave the restaurant
Weirdly enough, I had no problem laying down for a nap.
Click HERE for more photos from this morning's swim.
From shore this morning I watched this Humpback Whale calf and its mom floating on the surface for over an hour. It wasn't until a large number of kayaks had gathered that the baby began breaching. Show off.
Bonnie stopped by my house on her way to the airport this morning so that she could get one final ocean swim with me and Janet. Her poor husband was left waiting in risk of missing their flight, here's hoping they made it.
As you can tell by the blue photos, I didn't feel like lugging my regular camera around. I wasn't quick enough with this smaller camera to capture the shark I came face-to-face with, but the image will remain in my brain for a while.
Aloha Bonnie
I don't care that I didn't see a single thing on my ocean swim this morning. I've had enough thrills recently. It was wonderful simply gliding through glassy water over a sandy bottom.
