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.
I left Sandy and Kathy at the resort and took the car to Lahaina Harbor to meet up with my snorkeling tour.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The school seemed to pick up more and more members as it flowed along.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
