Category Archives: Maui

Maui Ocean Center Revisited

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Vacation was nearing its inevitable conclusion. Time was running out.

Kathy had leave the next day. It seemed suitable to attend a Luau for her last evening on Maui but we needed to keep busy until then.

First stop was Lahina to pick up some souvenirs.

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A pair of grass skirts and coconut bras for the little grand girls would be perfect.

From there we made our way to the Maui Ocean Center. I know we told you about our previous visit but Kathy hadn’t arrived then. It was time to show our cuz the cute aquarium.

It’s taken a quarter of a century for the aquarium to grow to its current size. Maui Ocean Center isn’t just an aquarium, it focuses on the flora and fauna of the oceans surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. Many of the species are found no other place on earth.

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All of the exhibits faithfully replicate the natural environment. Its one of the only aquariums that specialize in caring for live corals. In the living reef building all of the corals are alive, not imitations.

The official sate fish of Hawaii is the reef triggerfish.

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Its Hawaiian name is Humuhumu-nukunuku-a-pua’a. It means trigger fish with snout like pig. Now That’s a mouthful!

The Maui Ocean Center takes part in the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle Educational Loan Program. They host baby sea turtles from hatchlings up to 2 years old when they are released into the ocean.

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That’s just touching on the Aquarium, from surge zone to ocean depths it’s all here for you to see and experience.

 

Under the Sea

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I’d like to be under the sea
In an octopus’ garden in the shade
He’d let us in, knows where we’ve been
In his octopus’ garden in the shade

After my solo adventure you’d think I’d have had enough of being underwater but no. I love the ocean with all the fish. I miss scuba diving. I think it is much easier than snorkeling. I forget that I have to keep the snorkel tip above the water in order to get air. I’m just so used to being able to breathe easily through a regulator!

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Anyway, we scheduled a ride on a submarine and it was today! Sandy’s willing to go “Under the Sea” as long as she doesn’t get wet. Kathy said she had been on a submarine before so she stayed behind.

We’ll be going more than 100 ft below the surface. That means entering a blue world as colors will slowly filter out as we descend.

To get to the submarine we boarded a smaller boat to cruise out to the dive site.

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Once there, the surface support boat let the Atlantis know that the next group had arrived.

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Roxie, the surface support boat

Pretty soon we could see a ghostly outline as the gleaming white sub rose toward the surface.

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Then there was bubbling and rushing water as it broke the surface.

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Hatches were opened and the previous group transferred from the sub to our boat. Then it was our turn to board the sub.

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Inside seats run down the center of the sub facing the portholes.

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There’s room for 2 people per window.

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There was a map on the wall between the port holes of our undersea cruise.  I forget if there were 4 or 5 stops before we had to surface. At one point the depth gauge read 127 ft.

My favorite was the artificial reef called the Carthaginian. This ship was scuttled in 2005 and it hasn’t taken long for the fish in the area to take up residence.

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As long as we were on or near a reef, there was plenty of activity. We saw a huge puffer fish, some reef sharks and even some spotted eagle rays.

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Lots of reef fish schooled around but the minute we left a reef and headed over the sandy bottom we left the fish behind.

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Our 50 minutes under the sea passed quickly. Too soon we were the ones making an exit so the next tour could board.

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Going down! Dive, Dive Dive!

Lanai

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Its time for my solo adventure. Kathy backed out and Sandy said Nope, No Way. But I really, really wanted to get in the water. Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay was a high point in my trip to Oahu. So I was determined to try snorkeling here on Maui. Shark or no shark I was ready.

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I left Sandy and Kathy at the resort and took the car to Lahaina Harbor to meet up with my snorkeling tour.

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It was the small tour. Our boat was a pontoon boat similar to a Zodiac. There were only 35 of us on the trip. Today’s trip was to Lanai across the channel from Maui.

I’d heard lots of stories about how difficult the crossing from Maui to Lanai could be but the channel was relatively calm as we started out.

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Once we reached the Lanai coast it was a different story. The first place we stopped was too rough for snorkeling but we interrupted a pod of spinner dolphins that were sleeping near the surface.

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We traveled along the coastline to another bay which the captain pronounced safe for snorkeling. I admit I was nervous, especially when he announced that we all had to “buddy” up. I was the sole solo person on board. One of the couples said I could Buddy with them so it was set. In we went.

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The water was warm and very clear. It wasn’t long before we were caught up in watching a school of reef fish seemingly pour over the coral. It was fascinating to watch.

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The school seemed to pick up more and more members as it flowed along.

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Next thing I knew I felt a strong current tugging at me. I looked for my buddies and they were being slowly pulled closer and closer to the rocky shoreline. Wimp that I am I bailed and swam back to the boat. A few minutes later my Buddies joined me. They admitted they had gotten so engrossed in watching the school of fish that they forgot to watch their surroundings.

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After that the dive master told me I could snorkel on my own as long as I didn’t stray too far. Once everyone was back on board we were served turkey wraps and chips while we motored to our next stop. The 2nd stop was really nice. I had a great time wandering around after the many reef fish. One of the other snorkelers said he saw a sea turtle. He was on the opposite side of the bay from me. Another one saw an eel. Nothing so exotic for me but I still had a great time.

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Back on the boat we ran into the pod of dolphins again. This time they were more awake and were splashing all around us. All too soon it was time to head back.

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The return crossing to Maui was not the smooth sailing we had in the morning. We were hanging on with both hands as we flew from one wave crest to the next. Sometimes we missed the timing and you could actually count the seconds as we dropped into the trough only to be showered as the wave broke over the bow. Wild!

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I’m not sure what the best part of the trip was, the snorkeling, the dolphins or the wild return trip! I’d do it all over again given the chance.

Shark!

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You hear about shark attacks. California, Florida, Hawaii even Cape Cod but the shark attack off a Maui beach while we were there seemed to carry more punch.

Maybe that’s because the headline “Woman bitten by shark off South Maui beach” was on the front page, above the fold on Tuesday , November 15. Guess what I was scheduled to do that day?  I was going snorkeling. Yup I was going into that shark infested water to do my imitation of a great white whale.

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I wasn’t even sure I could still swim! Its been so long. I tested out the pool first and found that I’m pretty buoyant. Its all that fat you know.

Don’t laugh, I kid you not! When I used to scuba dive I’d start the season with 30 lbs on my weight belt. As the season progressed and I toned up and lost weight I dropped not only  body weigh but lead weight from my weight belt. By the end of the season I’d be down to around 18 lbs of lead at my waist.

Right now I have more to fear from a shark attack than I do drowning. I bounce right back to the surface! Should be an interesting afternoon.

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But back to the Shark bite victim.  Karnaole Beach is 31 miles from Ka’anapali Beach where we were staying. That’s if you follow the coastline, less if you just flip that tail and make a bee line.

She was 58 years old but she was a tough cookie. She told everyone to get out of the water as well as getting herself to shore! She was quoted as saying this wasn’t going to keep her out of the water. I guess most shark bites off Maui occur in October so this was a straggler.

Well, that’s all I have to say on the subject of sharks. I plan to get back to all the fun we’re having.

Until then,

aloha

Hawaiian Sunset

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What better way to spend an evening that sailing along the coast of Maui on a sunset dinner cruise.

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That’s how we found ourselves boarding a lovely yacht for dinner, drinks and a leisurely cruise.

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Seats were assigned and chairs and tables bolted to the floor so they wouldn’t slide if the seas got rough. Our table was on the open top deck and the evening couldn’t have been more beautiful.

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Upon being seated our waiter brought the complimentary Mai Tai’s. Pretty soon we cast off and were underway. The sea was calm so there was almost no swell.

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Off to our starboard we passed a navy ship, The John Paul Jones. We aren’t sure what they were there for. If it was shore leave or R&R we didn’t see too many sailors in Lahaina.

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Of course that triggered a discussion of the type of ship. I felt it was too small for a battleship and finally decided to settle the discussion by asking Google. According to my google search the John Paul Jones is a guided missile destroyer. It was built in Bath, Maine.  It’s the first ship of its class to be homeported on the west coast.

As the sun set, it was beautiful to watch the light playing on the west mountains of Maui.

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Dinner was served and more Mai Tai’s. An entertainer strummed away on his guitar in the bow of the ship. To add to the ambiance it was the night of the “Super  moon”.

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All in all a very relaxing way to spend an evening.