wildwahinepaddler

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Well, these last two days were windy and this morning looked like it might be windy too….but I was determined to go out paddling!  It was almost 9 a.m. when I got down to the beach so I also knew I was running late.  The wind was blowing from the south, which explains why there is still VOG in the air, but at least it wasn’t as bad.  I headed south for the boat ramp.  There was hardly anyone out paddling which was odd too, but then I ran into a paddling friend on her way back.  She told me it had been very windy earlier when she first went out, but now the wind had backed off some.  She also told me she saw the Manta ray that has been hanging around, down at the boat ramp.  When I got down to the boat ramp I was all by myself.  Just as I paddled into the area, my first turtle surfaced out in front of me, so I paddled over, but it ended up being two turtles so I cruised up between them!  Then a third turtle joined us and I was in a turtle triangle!  Then the turtles took turns diving down and coming back up, so I ended up sitting there with them for quite a while, still in the middle of them.  The wind backed off completely and it got so nice!  Even though I was later than usual, I stayed a while down at the boat ramp and took my chances with the wind.  Two more turtles surfaced out farther, so I paddled out to them.  They were so friendly and inquisitive!  One big turtle came right up to my board and popped its head out, opened its big mouth, blew air out, and got me wet!  It was so funny!  The conditions were holding, but I knew it could change at any minute so I headed back.  Just as I started to enter Kam III, one more turtle surfaced, so I stayed a few minutes to visit.  The turtles didn’t make me wait today and I was happy to visit with six friendly turtles!   I paddled back in nice conditions and I was anxious to get out swimming since it got so perfect.  My swim was great and the water is really warming up!  It was a surprisingly nice day!!

Manta Rays!

I was hoping for another gorgeous day like yesterday……but this morning ended up windy and bumpy.  The VOG is still with us and although the wind was blowing from the north which would usually blow it all out to sea, the wind was changing back and forth from north to south and that just made the VOG worse!  I think the VOG is giving me a headache!  Hopefully it will blow out soon.  I paddled down to the boat ramp and as I was passing Kam II, I thought I saw my first turtle for the day, but as I got closer I could see it was a Manta Ray!  I paddled up near it and then I saw a second Manta Ray just beneath the other one.  I followed them around a while and then a third Manta Ray swam over and I was surrounded by Manta Rays!  I tried to point them out to a couple of tourists on rented stand up boards, but they weren’t quick enough.  Then I paddled on to the boat ramp.  Down at the boat ramp it was choppy and the wind wasn’t backing off at all, but I did see five turtles!  Three manta rays and five turtles for today!  Paddling back was a chore with the wind, but it never got crazy windy, just enough to make it a bumpy ride.  It stayed windy through my swim too,  but I got a good work out and the visibility in the water is still very good.  I guess we can’t get perfect days every day, but I’m not complaining!!

Shark!

Thank goodness these sharks are in the aquarium at the Maui Ocean Center!  I wouldn’t want to run into one of them out swimming.  Today was a gorgeous day on Maui, even with the VOG in the air making the island of Lanai invisible.  When the wind is absent, the conditions are usually really good, but then the VOG creeps in…. I guess some days you can’t have everything!  My first turtle of the day surprised me just as I was paddling out at Kam I! Then I paddled down to the boat ramp and I had the place to myself, which was odd since it was a Sunday.  I was a bit earlier than on other days, so maybe that is why, but I am not complaining!  At first, only one turtle surfaced to visit, and then there was a long wait.  The conditions were so nice that I just laid back on my board and floated for a while.  Pretty soon I heard a splash, and looked up and a turtle must have swam up to my board and then dove under!  I like it when the turtles come to check me out.  By the time I had counted a dozen turtles I thought about paddling back.  The visibility was so good that I could see turtles swimming down by the rocks and coral!  Suddenly five turtles surfaced and I was surrounded.  Then two more turtles surfaced too so that was twenty turtles for the day, counting the one at Kam I.  I paddled back in perfect conditions and I admit it was a difficult decision to go in, but I was looking forward to swimming.  It stayed nice all the way through my swim and I even saw Unicorn fish down at the reef today!  What a nice day!

Lovely day!

It was another lovely day on Maui, but the wind was already threatening to come in.  The ocean was not calm like the past two mornings.  I paddled out and headed south.  When I got to the boat ramp, I had the place to myself.  I spotted what I thought was my first turtle for the day…… but it ended up being a big Manta Ray!  I followed it around for a while and then it flew out of the water about two feet and then splashed back in!  I wasn’t expecting that!  After it disappeared, I noticed a turtle swimming under the water on the right side of my board.  Then another turtle popped up on the left side of my board!  After those two turtles left, I paddled out a bit farther and came across another turtle.  Soon another paddler came into the area and we chatted briefly and she spotted a turtle out farther.   The conditions had improved and it was quite nice at the boat ramp since the wind had backed off.  Then,  I saw a big nasty cane smoke cloud rising up over South Kihei!  I wish they would stop burning sugar cane!  I wasn’t sure how soon I might be having to smell that smoke, so I started paddling back.  Just as I was passing Kam II, another turtle surfaced!  The wind started to gain strength again, so I headed in.  Half way in I spotted a turtle swimming under the water!  That made six turtles for the day and ONE Manta Ray!  I knew my swim might be somewhat bumpy and it was.  The water visibility was not as good as it was yesterday but I could still see the fish at the reef.  I swam back against the wind.  Despite the windy conditions…..it was still a lovely day!!

Sixteen turtles!

All I could think about this morning was DOLPHINS!  I had dolphin dreams last night and I really hoped to see the pod of dolphins again today.  This is what happens when you are that distracted…….I hurried down to get in the ocean, started to jump on my board….and NO paddle!  Then I was getting out since I had to get out of the ocean, lay my board down on the beach and hike to my car to get my paddle…..yes distraction!  Oh well, it was another beautiful day with just a breeze blowing and calm conditions.  I paddled down to the boat ramp and was happy to be able to see the island of Lanai which means the VOG was gone for the most part today.  I had the place mostly to myself and although I didn’t see the dolphins…….I had a great time with the fourteen turtles there!  I enjoyed being surrounded a couple of times by turtles and even saw “Spot”…. and “Little Torpedo Head” this morning!  It stayed so nice while I was there.  The way back was calm until I reached the end of Kam II and suddenly the wind came in within minutes!  Soon there was a sea of white caps and it took me a while to get in.  By the time I sent swimming, the wind had backed off some and I enjoyed the fish down at the reef.  I was just about ready to head back when a turtle appeared right below me swimming south!  I turned around and swam with it almost back to Kam II.  Two snorkelers were trying to keep up with us too, swimming frantically right by me which was a bit annoying.  Usually this never happens!  Suddenly the turtle started to surface so I backed off, but the turtle arched backwards and came up right in front of me!  I couldn’t resist rubbing its back…..but neither could the snorkelers….so then I got really annoyed.  The turtle kept backing into me, moving towards me at eye level and was looking right at me!  I thought the snorkelers were going to have a heart attack since they were so excited.  Finally after a few minutes, the turtle dove down and continued it’s swim south.  I turned around and swam against the wind back to Kam I.  I love close encounters of the turtle kind…..but if you ask me to verify that I rubbed a turtle’s back….I will deny it!  I love turtle days too!!

Amazing dolphins!

It was a gorgeous day on Maui today with just a slight breeze blowing from the south and calm conditions.  I paddled down to the boat ramp and when I got there…….six other paddlers were already there.  I spotted a turtle out farther, so I paddled out to it.  The other paddlers moved north and I paddled to my spot to wait for more turtles, but there were no more turtles!  I was just starting to feel bummed that I only had one turtle for the day….when a tourist on a rented stand up board paddled up and said, “What is that out there between those two kayaks?  I hope it’s not a shark!”  I immediately looked out and saw dolphins!  I paddled out there as fast as I could.  There was a pod of at least thirty dolphins, maybe more, zipping around the area!  Well I jumped right in paddling with them!  It was amazing!  The pod broke into about three groups going in different directions, so me and a few other paddlers were totally surrounded by dolphins!  A outrigger canoe paddled into the area and I was sitting there surrounded by dolphins and I said, “There is nothing better than being surrounded by dolphins!”  Which they all agreed!  The dolphins put on quite a show, jumping, spinning, tail slapping and back flipping……and swimming around everywhere you looked!  I don’t remember how many times I was surrounded by the dolphins and or how many of them came up right next to me, splashing as I talked to them, but it was amazing!  The dolphins stayed around for at least an hour and a half and I was in the middle of them many times.  One paddler was saying,”Hey I think they like you……you’re like the pied piper!”….and it seemed like they were following me and I was following them too!  I was loving every minute of this amazing dolphin encounter but I knew it was getting late.  Finally I just had to paddle north and not look back!  I was paddling along and all of a sudden……five dolphins came up next to me and there were a few more out farther!  I couldn’t believe it!  I looked back and all the other paddlers were now frantically paddling in my direction.  I paddled along with the dolphins and then they disappeared and I vowed not to look back.  I paddled the rest of the way back in perfect conditions and my day had definitely been made!  The day stayed nice all the way through my swim too.  It was just an amazing day!!

I love turtles!

After the weekend ended up being voggy, overcast, windy, and choppy……and yesterday seemingly better, but then it got choppy and there was a swell coming in…..I was ready for a really nice day for paddling and I got just what I wanted today!  It couldn’t have been more perfect…….except for the VOG that remained.  I got out by 8:30 a.m. and paddled directly down to the boat ramp.  I really hoped to see some turtles today and they did not disappoint me!  The first turtle surfaced out farther, so I paddled out.  Then I looked over to my left and another turtle had surfaced and I was sitting in between them!  It was so nice at the boat ramp and I was able to lay back on my board and just enjoy the turtles swimming around.  One of the turtles I saw today was “Spot”!  I hadn’t seen that particular turtle for a while.  By the time I had counted ten turtles, I was feeling pretty good about the day……and then suddenly three more turtles popped up about the same time and that made thirteen for the day!  The conditions were still nice so I decided to paddle back.  Just as I was paddling past Kam III, another turtle surfaced in front of me and so I stopped to visit with it for a few minutes.  Now my turtle count was fourteen!  The conditions stayed nice all the way back and all through my swim and the visibility was so much better today.  I really needed a nice day and I really needed my turtles to cheer me up!  I knew I could count on them too….I love those turtles!

Love the Honu!

It was a gorgeous day on Maui today!  No wind blowing, no loopy swells, and just a little VOG in the air, but not too bad.  I couldn’t wait to get out on the water and I was early today!  I ran into a paddling friend so we paddled together towards the boat ramp.  She stopped to talk to a couple of friends, so I continued paddling on.  Down at the boat ramp, there were so many people there!  Let’s see….there were two kayaks and I counted about nine stand up paddlers!  A bit too crowded for my taste, but I stuck around for a little while and finally most of them left.  I enjoyed twelve turtles today at the boat ramp and the conditions were so nice that I got to lay back on my board and watch the turtles checking me out.  I love it when I hear them splashing near me when my eyes are closed!  On the way back I ran into another turtle off of Kam III, so that made thirteen turtles for the day!  The day stayed so nice and my swim was great too!  I hope it’s as nice tomorrow as it was today!!!!!!

Nice day!

After being out of the water for three days…..while helping my daughter with my grandson and the new baby….I was more than ready to get out there today!  It was a very nice day……and no wind was blowing.  There was just a slight swell causing some loopy bumps, but other than that, it was really nice!  I paddled down to the boat ramp and just as I entered the Kam III area, a turtle popped up in front of me!  I stopped and sat with it for a few minutes and it made me so happy to see a turtle!  I had a late start this morning, so I continued down to the boat ramp.  I wanted to get down there before the boats started coming in.  At the boat ramp there was a kayak there already, but it started to leave when I paddled up.  The ocean got very nice and glassy!  I sat for a few minutes and saw one more turtle and then decided to head back.  The conditions have been so unpredictable lately, so I didn’t want to push my luck!  It stayed really nice the whole way back and even the loopy swells were looking glassy!  By the time I went for my swim, the wind still had not come up so it was a smooth swim overall, except for the loopy swells.  Whatever this little swell is, it is making the water visibility not as good as it usually is, but at least I could see the bottom.  Hopefully tomorrow it will be just as nice as today and the swell will be gone…you never know!  It was still great just to get out there!