wildwahinepaddler

Posing for a photo!

Today started out windy!  It was blowing Kona and it was a  workout just to get down to the boat ramp.  Not as many people were out on the ocean due to the conditions and I had the boat ramp to myself.  I got another waterproof disposable camera and brought it along….but it was so windy that it was really hard to stay put long enough to get a photo!  Just as I would get next to a turtle, the wind would start turning me around.  I tried my best, though, and out of the seventeen turtles today….. only about three turtles were interested in getting their picture taken!  The other day I brought a camera, and all the turtles were posing, but not today.  I sat between a few of the turtles and got surrounded a couple of times too!  The conditions stayed a bit rough, so I decided to head back.  Then next thing I knew, the wind backed off and it was hot, but it didn’t last.  By the time I went swimming, the wind was still blowing, but not as strong, so I got in  a good swim.  Windy days are good days too!

Here come the turtles!

It was another nice morning on Maui, with patchy clouds, and a breeze blowing from the south.  I paddled north for a few minutes and then turned into the wind.  It wasn’t blowing too bad, so I ventured down to the boat ramp.  When I arrived there, the boat ramp was crowded!  There were three stand up paddlers, three kayakers, and two snorkelers….. it was more crowded than I like it to be, but I paddled over closer to the boat ramp and spotted my first turtle.  It was a big turtle and quite friendly too.  Then two more turtles surfaced towards the back of me and I was surrounded!  I tried to stay as far away from the rest of the people as I could, but I had to follow turtle #4 when it started to swim.  That led me to 5, 6, and #7 turtles and then a snorkeler popped up in the middle of that!  She must have seen them from under the water and swam up, but she was right in the middle of the turtles and right in my way!  I paddled more south and spotted turtles #8 and #9.  I paddled over to them and sat right between them!  Then I spotted turtle #10 and paddled over to it.  It was a big turtle and very friendly!  Suddenly I heard a familiar voice, and it was a paddling friend telling the tourists that there is a huge fine for harassing the turtles.  Then turtle #11 surfaced right by me!  The next thing I knew, the red pontoon tour boat was roaring in with it’s snorkelers…..I couldn’t believe it was that late.  I decided to be grateful for the eleven turtles and paddle back.  The wind was still blowing from the south, so I hoped to get a push back. Then I spotted turtle #12 out from Kam III, so I had to go and visit with that turtle too!  It was nice paddling back, even though the white caps has started to break,  creating a hissing sound from behind.  By the time I got out for my swim, the wind had backed off and it was calmer, but when I came in, so did the wind!  All in all, it was a great day in the water!

Visiting turtles!

It was a perfect morning for paddling and I couldn’t wait to get out there.  The skies were mostly sunny with just some patchy clouds and it was clear on the top of Haleakala, and there was no wind.  I paddled down to the boat ramp and when I was passing Kam II,  a guy in a white one man canoe paddled by me and asked if I was alright and did I want a bottle of water!  I am not sure why he thought I might not be alright, but that was nice of him anyway.  When I got down to the boat ramp, two other paddlers were sitting in my spot, and then I noticed two snorkelers nearby too.  The morning was so perfect and the ocean was so glassy!  I paddled closer to the boat ramp and sat down on my board.  Me, and the two other paddlers sat there with no turtles for a few minutes,  and then the other paddlers got bored and moved on.  Then my first turtle surfaced right out in front of me, and then two more, one on each side of me and I was surrounded!  Then the turtles seemed to be coming up in two’s, and I got to sit between two more sets of two.   Then I spotted a turtle out farther, so I paddled out to it…when it surfaced I saw that it had tumors on both front fins and around its head.  It makes me so sad to see that because I know the turtle probably won’t live very long.  Then more turtles surfaced until I had counted twenty-one of them!  One of the turtles was such a small turtle and I saw it three times.  Then one of the snorkelers surfaced and yelled to me, “Hey, you won’t believe how many turtles are right under you!” I just laughed because I probably had seen all of them today and then some.  The conditions stayed perfect and I decided to paddle back, but as soon as I started to paddle, another turtle (#22) popped up and I had to paddle over to it and stay with it for a few minutes too!  What a great turtle day!  On the way back I ran into a paddling friend and we chatted for a while as we paddled, and then I went in.  The wind had come up a bit by the time I went swimming….but it was the current that worked me!  It really was a gorgeous Sunday!

It was a beautiful morning for Cinco de Mayo, but the wind was already threatening.  The same thing happened yesterday, but the wind backed off and it got really nice.  After all the dolphin and turtle excitement of last Thursday, Friday ended up being sort of uneventful.  I ran into a paddling friend and we paddled together down to the boat ramp.  Only my friend saw a turtle, and none surfaced to visit us.  Even my husband said a turtle swam underneath him while he was swimming, but I didn’t get one turtle yesterday!  Oh well, today was different….I paddled down to the boat ramp and only one other paddler was there and he was leaving.  Just as I got to the boat ramp, I spotted a turtle.  By the time I paddled over to it, another one surfaced next to me and I was sitting in-between them!  They were so close to me!  I looked up and noticed that my paddling friend was paddling over to us so I pointed out the turtles on each side of me.  Then there were so many turtles!  Quite a few of them were just hanging around, just floating next to my board!  I brought the disposable camera which had two shots left on it, so I gave it to my friend and she took the two last photos.  She was trying to get one with me and the turtle in it, so we’ll see.  I am taking the camera in to Costco today to get the film  developed. We counted fifteen turtles in all, and then my friend paddled towards Keawakapu Beach and I decided to take advantage of the nice conditions and paddle back, but before I left I spotted turtle #16 floating on the surface in closer to shore.  Of course I had to paddle over to it and hang out for a few minutes!  The wind had completely died down  and paddling back was actually really HOT….I was sweating so much that I got some sunscreen in my eye and that stung.  I almost lost my balance messing with my eye! Finally I guess my eye watered enough and it felt better.  The conditions stayed really nice for my swim too.  It was a really nice day for Cinco de Mayo!

It was a beautiful morning on Maui with a breeze blowing from the south,  just enough to keep it comfortable.  I paddled north first like I usually do, and then turned to paddle south.  Just as I was passing Charley Young Beach, two spinner dolphins flew out of the water in front of me and dove back into the water!  I almost fell off of my board!  I couldn’t believe it!  I paddled in their direction and they led me out farther, and then they just stopped and started swimming on their backs and playing around!  I looked around and there wasn’t a single other person near me, and then I noticed two more dolphins out a little farther so I paddled out towards them.  They also were swimming on their backs and just fooling around!  So there I sat in-between two sets of two dolphins, all by myself!  Well, a few minutes later the dolphins all disappeared so I waited patiently to see where they were surfacing, but I didn’t see them anywhere.  I continued paddling south, but my day was made already with the dolphin encounter!  The Kona wind kicked up a notch and it was some effort to get down to the boat ramp.  When I arrived there, two other paddlers were already there, so I sat down on my board to wait.  Quite a few minutes went by and there were no turtles, so the other paddlers moved on.  A few minutes later, my first turtle popped up right next to my board!  Then I noticed a snorkeler swimming in my direction and she yelled to me, “You don’t know it, but there a bunch of turtles right under you…. I mean right under you!”  I smiled and waited, and then three other turtles surfaced around me, followed by two more, and then one more…..so I was surrounded by six turtles!  The snorkeler swam north away from me, and one by one, three more turtles surfaced!  I was sure she would probably swim back where I was with all the turtles, but she didn’t, so I had the place to myself!  One by one, nine more turtles surfaced and some of them were really friendly and seemed to like hanging out with me.  By the time I had counted 18 turtles…..I decided to take advantage of the south wind and paddle back.  It was a bit bumpy with the wind, but I paddled back rapidly with the wind at my back.  When I came in, the wind backed off, but when I went for my swim, it had kicked up again, so I got a good workout!  With four dolphins and eighteen turtles, I would say that this was a very good day!!!!

Though the morning was very nice, the wind had already started blowing from the south.  I paddled north for a few minutes and then turned and headed south.  Paddling against the Kona wind took some effort, as well as more extended time to get to the boat ramp.  As I passed Kam III, I surveyed the area and only one kayak was there and they moved on as I entered the boat ramp area.  The Kona wind was still blowing pretty good and I didn’t see a single turtle.  I sat down on my board to wait, but it was difficult to just “relax”  because the wind kept turning me around in seconds!  Just as two kayakers followed me into the boat ramp area, I spotted my first turtle.  I paddled out to it and just as I got to it, another turtle surfaced also!  I was sitting in-between them!  They were so close to my board…… I had one turtle on each side of me!  I thought sure the kayakers would see me sitting with the turtles, but for some reason they weren’t seeing them.  Just then, another turtle surfaced out farther, so I paddled out to it.  That turtle swam right up to my board and looked at me!  Then it just hung out and swam around me….it was in no hurry.  One of the kayakers yelled to me to ask if I had seen any turtles, so I thought, “should I lie to them?”  Instead I told them I had just visited with three turtles and they got very excited!  One of them said, “Oh I thought you might have seen some turtles the way you paddled out.”  Just then another turtle surfaced and swam over by me, so again, I thought sure the kayakers would follow me, but they kept paddling on.  I sat for a while, waiting for more turtles, but they just disappeared!  The wind was not backing off either, so I decided to take advantage of the south wind and head back.  The wind gave me a nice push home and I got back in a lot less time than it took to get down there!  The little white caps the wind was creating made hissing sounds as they broke around me, and I found it a very peaceful sound.  The wind stayed constant, all the way through my swim, but the water was super clear so I had no complaints!  I enjoyed the tropical fish down by the rocks and coral and I had a nice swim back.  When I came in, the wind backed off and it got nice, but it didn’t last.  By the time I left, the white caps were back and I am sure they were “hissing” up a storm out there!  Every day is different and every day is an adventure!

Today was an even nicer morning than yesterday, and yesterday was hard to beat.  Patchy clouds, mostly sunny, calm and a slight breeze blowing from the south were the prevailing conditions.  I headed out paddling north and ran into my first turtle just off of Charley Young Beach!  I paddled over to it, and it popped its head up out of the water twice and then dove down and disappeared.  I turned and headed south.  Suddenly I noticed something dark down under me and I stopped to take a closer look,  and it was a manta ray!   It was such an enjoyable time paddling down to the boat ramp!  As I neared my spot, I surveyed the area, and there was no one there.  I had the place to myself today!  I spotted a turtle over near the boat lane, so I paddled over.  It didn’t stay long, so I started looking around for other turtles.  It was so perfect down there that I was really hoping for some quality time with the turtles!  Suddenly, I spotted a turtle out farther, so I paddled out.  About the time I got to it, two more turtles surfaced on my sides creating a triangle…and I was in the triangle of turtles!  Then two more turtles joined us behind me, and I was completely surrounded by the five turtles.  I just sat back and enjoyed the show!  They all hung out with me for quite a while and then one by one, they disappeared.  Then I paddled more north, and two more turtles surfaced and I sat right between them!  Then I noticed a couple of turtles in closer, so I paddled in.  They were so friendly, floating right next to my board and then swimming under me!  Then I paddled out farther and another turtle surfaced.  This turtle was really little so it must have been a young one and it spooked and dove down.  Another turtle surfaced more north, so I paddled over.  It was friendly too!  I had counted twelve turtles so far and was contemplating heading back, and then turtle #13  surfaced and of course, I had to spend time with it too!  It seemed that the turtles had disappeared and I noticed a paddler heading into the area and two snorkelers…..so that was my cue to head back.  The conditions stayed nice all the way back and all the way through my swim too!  While I was swimming, three large Ulua fishes swam right past me!  Then when I was heading back, a school of eight to ten fish with black stripes, swam past me!  I turned and tried to swim with them, but they were moving pretty fast and they left me in the dust.  I don’t usually see the larger fish when I swim, and then to have two different fish encounters all in the same day?  ….well that was the icing on the ocean cake!!!!!

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!

Today started out being a bit windy and the ocean was not calm.  I paddled into the wind, which was blowing from the north, for a few minutes to see what it was going to do.  I turned and paddled south, with a little push from the wind at my back, but when I arrived down at the boat ramp, the wind backed off and it got very nice and glassy!  Initially I did not see any turtles, but I while I was paddling, I heard a swoosh behind me.  I turned to look over my shoulder, and two turtles were swimming behind me!  I think it is the first time I got surprised from behind like that, it was so funny.  I stopped and sat down on my board and let the turtles swim around me.  They were so friendly!  Then I spotted a turtle out farther, so I paddled out to it.  When I got there, three more turtles surfaced and then two more surfaced!  I was sitting there surrounded by six turtles!  I was having a great turtle morning when the scuba boat came roaring in, right in my direction!  I was not sitting in the boat lane, so I wasn’t sure why he was aiming at me.  I don’t trust that particular boat, so I paddled hurriedly away and he proceeded to stop right where I had been sitting and scared all the turtles away!  Luckily he didn’t stay long and didn’t drop off any snorkelers, so when he left, I paddled back to my spot.  For awhile I didn’t see any turtles and so I decided to leave, until one big turtle surfaced near me!  It was so friendly, swimming up to my board and swimming under me!  When it left, I headed back, but suddenly turtle #10 popped up closer to the shoreline so I paddled in.  It was also a big turtle, but it dove down as soon as I got to it.  Then when I started to leave again, it popped up again drawing me over to it!  This happened one more time, so it seemed like the turtle was playing with me!  I was uncertain as to the wind, so I paddled back.  Then I ran into a paddling friend and we chatted for a few minutes.  The conditions stayed decent, so my swim was nice too.  It was a very nice day to be out on the ocean!

It was another beautiful day on Maui, with some patchy clouds and a breeze blowing from the northwest.  The ocean was not as glassy as yesterday, but it was enough so that the clouds were being reflected on the surface of the water creating some interesting patterns.  I paddled down to the boat ramp and when I got there, I saw four tourists snorkeling.  Then a kayak appeared on the scene with two tourists onboard.  I wondered if I would see any turtles today because when snorkelers are splashing, yelling to each other, and chasing the turtles…..sometimes they stay near the bottom and do not surface.  I don’t blame them!  I turned back around and paddled more north…within a couple of minutes five turtles surfaced all around me!  I was surrounded and then another turtle joined us.  I had six turtles floating on the surface, swimming next to my board and popping their heads up to look at me!  The next thing I knew, the snorkelers and the kayak started coming in our direction.  I knew what would happen next and it did……all the turtles disappeared!  I could hear the snorkelers saying that the turtles were all on the bottom and they couldn’t get down to them.  Well that’s right, if they get chased,  they retreat to the bottom where they feel safe!  Of course I was annoyed, so I paddled out farther away from the snorkelers and the kayak. Finally,  two more sets of two turtles surfaced and I ended up in the middle of them both!  Then the skies got more overcast and the wind kicked up a notch, so I headed back.  While I was passing Kam III, another turtle surfaced up ahead of me, but when I got to it, the turtle disappeared.  I was glad to get eleven turtles, considering all the commotion!  The wind stayed manageable for my swim and it was still nice at the beach when I left.  Except for the disturbances down at the boat ramp, it was a great day!