Beautiful Sunday!

After missing a day of paddling, I was happy to get out on the ocean today and it was one beautiful morning on Maui!  There has been a slight swell the last few days but hopefully it is passing now.  This morning it was glassy out on the ocean and perfect conditions for paddling!  I paddled down to the boat ramp and as I was arriving, I spotted two snorkelers in the water.  I hoped they would not be diving down and chasing the turtles like the snorkelers did the other day.  A paddling friend arrived just after me, so we paddled into the boat ramp together.  We paddled to a spot away from the snorkelers and the first turtle surfaced.  I paddled over to it and it was very friendly, hanging by the side of my board!  Then my friend spotted another turtle north of us.  The turtles were just starting to surface when one of the snorkelers yelled, “There’s a turtle heading right for you!”  That one came up behind me and popped its head up.  One more turtle surfaced and then they seemed to disappear.  My friend decided to leave and paddle down to Cove Park to hopefully watch her son surf, but I stayed a while longer.  I paddled out past the snorkelers, and two turtles surfaced, one on each side of me!  Then one more turtle popped up over by the boat lane.  The conditions were still nice, so I decided to paddle back.  Just outside of Kam I, I ran into my husband swimming so we chatted for a few minutes and then I paddled in.  I was about half way in when I spotted a turtle swimming underneath me so of course I had to stop.  It was a big turtle and it surfaced two or three times, popping its head up to look at me, then it dove down and disappeared.  The conditions stayed quite nice all the way through my swim too.  I was happy for the eight turtles I got to visit with and I was very glad it turned out to be such a nice day!