Nice morning!

Except for some VOG in the air, the conditions were perfect for paddling and swimming today.  The sky was clear with no wind and it was even clear on the very top of Haleakala!  It was 9:00 a.m. by the time I got out but it was looking just like yesterday so I paddled down to the boat ramp.  On my way out, some ladies were on floats and they were chirping about a turtle swimming underneath them!  Then I spotted one surfacing up ahead of me.  It was smooth paddling all the way down to the boat ramp and  when I arrived, there were a  few other paddlers there already.  I stayed north of them and pretty soon I spotted a turtle so I paddled over to it.  Then a few more turtles surfaced and I counted five turtles all around me and one under me!  I saw Bumpy a few times and also Lizard.  There were turtles everywhere again today and the water was so calm and clear!  At one point, I looked down and watched five turtles swimming and sitting near the ocean bottom.  Then two more turtles surfaced in front of me and I cruised up in-between them!  I was having a great time with the turtles and I was sitting in-between two large ones, with one on each side of me when a tourist couple on stand up boards paddled by me.  The woman pointed and said, “Look!” and I said that I had two buddies, one on each side of me.  Her partner said, “Before you know it, you’ll be naming them!”  I laughed and said that I already have named them!  Then I told the couple the names of the turtles and described why I named each of them.  The turtles stayed right by my sides, popping their heads up here and there and the woman said that the turtles seemed to know me!  I laughed again because that’s what I think too.  I had counted at least twenty turtles when a paddling friend arrived at the boat ramp.  Then the pontoon snorkel boat pulled up by me too.  We stayed around for a  little while and I was happy to hear one of the boat crew giving the snorkelers instructions to NOT dive and chase the turtles.  It is one of the things I never liked about that boat and it’s snorkelers, but now they are apparently instructing them to behave so that is a good thing!  The crew told my friend and I that if we were ever thirsty, that they have plenty of drinks on board.  Well, that was nice!  We might just have to take them up on that offer one of these days.  The day stayed so nice and it was smooth paddling back too.  My friend went in at Kam II and I paddled on to Kam I.  I was looking forward to my swim and it was a great swim too!  There were lots of fish down at the reef and the water was so refreshing.  It really was a perfect day!!