wildwahinepaddler

I got out earlier today and decided to bring my mask and snorkel.  It was a beautiful morning, but the ocean was not glassy like yesterday, in fact,  there were some small rolling swells from the north.  When I got down near Kam II,  I ran into a paddling friend, so we paddled down to the boat ramp together.  She brought her mask too, so we hoped to do some snorkeling.  When we arrived at the boat ramp, I spotted one turtle.  Before we knew it, more turtles surfaced!  I was trying hard to count, but when I got to 12, I lost count.  They were all around us,  and just about the time I said I like it when I am surrounded by turtles, 7 or 8 popped up all at once and we were surrounded alright!   There were big turtles, small turtles and about every size in between, all swimming around us, popping their heads up and swimming under us.  It was so great!  There were a few other paddlers in the area and they must have seen our turtle fest, so pretty soon there were joining us.  There ended up being about ten of us, all women, and the turtles kept swimming around!  Then I paddled over closer to the coral and went snorkeling.  The water was not as clear as yesterday, but I still enjoyed looking at the coral and fish.  My paddling friend took a swim too and then we headed back.  When I got in I looked at my watch and we had been gone for two hours! Wow.   By the time I went swimming, the wind had started to come up and the ocean got bumpy,  but it was a good swim anyway.  What a great day for turtles!

great day for paddling!

I got a late start today and almost decided not to paddle, but I sure am glad I ended up going out!  What a gorgeous day and perfect conditions, I couldn’t have ordered a more perfect day.  After I paddled north and made my turn south, I ran into a paddling friend, so we paddled together down to the boat ramp.  She had already been down there once and saw one turtle, and since it was after 9 a.m. already,  I wondered if we would see any more turtles. Paddling down to the boat ramp was very enjoyable and the cloud cover today was very interesting to look at.  A mixture of fluffy clouds, wispy clouds, and long shreds of cloud decorated the sky.  Down at the boat ramp we saw two kayakers who were snorkeling off their kayaks and there was a turtle by one of them.  We didn’t see any more turtles, but decided to just hang out for a while since it was so nice.  Suddenly the turtles started to surface!  Some of them were so close to our boards and it was fun watching several of them swimming around under the water.  I counted 8 in all for today!  We stayed down at the boat ramp for about 30 minutes enjoying the turtles and then decided to paddle back just in case the wind kicked up.  We got lucky and the wind never did come up!  It stayed perfect all the way through my swim too.  The water is very clear and warm right now and I saw an  assortment of tropical fish down by the rocks and reef.  The icing on the cake today, though, was running across a small Spotted Eagle Ray on my way back and I got to swim with it for about 15 minutes!  What an unexpected treat!

What a gorgeous day!  I never would have suspected it was going to get windy, but ten minutes into paddling, a south wind kicked up.  I paddled towards the boat ramp, hoping the wind would back off.  When I got as far as Kam I, I was out past the Catamaran and suddenly became aware that I was paddling in between two turtles that were swimming in the same direction as me!  I slowed down and then got down on my board, and then they stopped too.  I sat there watching them pop up and down, and then they swam under me.  After awhile they both swam off in opposite directions and I continued on.  It was a good work out paddling against that south wind, but I made it down to the boat ramp.  It was choppy and even white caps, so I had little hope of seeing any turtles today.  I decided to sit there and hang for a bit just in case.  Suddenly I spotted a turtle and paddled over to it, and then three more turtles surfaced around me!  I was surprised to see them.  Before I knew it, several more turtles had surfaced and were popping their heads up out of the water too!  A woman in a kayak, who was paddling with a man on a stand up board, came over to where I was.  The man commented that I had quite a “collection” of turtles around me, and he was right!  I never expected to get that on a choppy day like this, but I just never know what each day will bring.  Pretty soon the turtles disappeared one by one, and I took my cue to get on my way too.  Luckily the wind stayed constant, and provided some fun paddling for me on my way back!  The ocean is so warm and clear now, that my swim was equally wonderful.  I enjoyed hanging out down by the rocks and reef and watching all the tropical fish scurrying about.  Yes, it was pretty nice today!

Maui Sunset

Nice Maui sunset tonight.  Enjoy!!!!

Wow, three gorgeous days in a row, I feel so blessed.  Initially it seemed as if it might get windy, but the breeze backed off and it got perfect and glassy!  I paddled down to the boat ramp and when I got there, two people and a dog on a kayak were there.  It was just beautiful but I didn’t see any turtles.  The Kayak moved down further and then it was just me.  I sat there for a few minutes and it seemed that it wouldn’t be a turtle day today, but all of a sudden the turtles started to surface!  I counted six in all, with the last two hanging around with one on my left side and the other on my right.  They took turns diving down, swimming under me, and then surfacing!  What fun!  Then I noticed about six other paddlers coming my way and two tour boats.  The turtles dove down and I decided to split…. too crowded for me!  I paddled back in perfect conditions and stopped at the quiet zone to sit for a bit.  On my way in, a turtle surprised me by surfacing right next to me!  I followed it for a while and then saw two tourists snorkeling, so I told them the turtle was heading right at them.  They went under to see it and were ecstatic!  Sometimes it’s good to share the turtles.  The conditions stayed perfect right through my swim and the visibility has really improved.  I saw lots of fish down by the rocks and reef.  It was a great paddle and swim day!

It was just as gorgeous this morning as yesterday and totally calm.  The sky was mostly clear except for some fluffy and wispy clouds strewn about.  After paddling north and making my turn south,  I was passing the Catamaran in front of Kam I and a huge turtle surfaced in front of me!  I stopped to visit and it dove under my board and popped up on the other side of it.  It was very friendly!  After that, I continued to paddle down to the boat ramp.  When I arrived, two other paddlers were there, so I wondered if the turtles would come up.  For a few minutes, I didn’t see anything, but it was so beautiful I decided to hang around.  Suddenly the turtle show began!  First one turtle, then another, and another, all around me.  Some of them were so close to my board I was tempted to touch them!  Before the show was over, I had counted nine turtles in all.  One of the other paddlers had a camera and was taking pictures of the turtles…. I think he must have gotten some good shots too!  Paddling back was just as nice and the wind stayed out.  Just as I was going to paddle in, some little fish were jumping out of the water right next to me!  I just never know what I am going to see.  The ocean visibility is just starting to clear up after the swell, so swimming was better than yesterday.  All in all, it was a pretty good day!

great paddling conditions

I sure was glad to get back out on the water today.  The last three days we had a south swell and it still has the ocean visibility limited, but the paddling conditions were great!  I got out quite late for me (after 9 a.m.) and was worried I might get caught in the wind, but I went for it.  I paddled down to the boat ramp and didn’t see any turtles, but I didn’t end up hanging out down there either.   I was sure the wind would kick up, but I got lucky and it didn’t. Conditions stayed nice the whole time!  What a beautiful day, though and maybe the water will clear up by tomorrow for my swim.  You never know!

Perfect Fall Day!

This photo should be on a post card, and it was just this perfect!  Scattered clouds with wispy clouds mixed in and laying atop Haleakala, and glassy conditions, just the way I like it.  I didn’t get out until almost 9 a.m…..which was really late, but it looked so perfect I couldn’t wait to paddle.  At Kam III, I saw my first turtle, then down at the boat ramp I visited with three more turtles.  It was so perfect I was afraid it might not stay that way and wondered if I should paddle back…. but then the turtle show began! Before I knew it I had counted twelve turtles in all.  Three of them hung around me for quite a while and then all three dove down and I could see them swimming around under my board!  It was really neat.  It was pushing it, staying down there for so long, but it was so perfect.  A paddling friend and her sister came by and she said, “Hey, looks like you’re in the middle of a turtle party!” and then she told me they didn’t want to disturb my party, so they paddled on.  Finally one by one, the turtles disappeared and so I paddled home.  The wind never came up!  It stayed equally perfect while I swam and the water was so clear.  I love days like this….. what a perfect Fall day!

Beautiful sunset!

Just had to share another beautiful Maui sunset!  The colors were amazing.  Enjoy!!!

The conditions on the ocean today could not have been more perfect.  Sunny skies, patchy white and silver clouds, and a glassy ocean.  Paddling down to the boat ramp was a joy!  When I got there I didn’t see any turtles, so I wondered if the extra people out on the water and extra boats and jet skis, were making them stay away.  It was so nice that I just sat on my board enjoying the super clear water underneath me and suddenly a turtle came swimming right under me!  Then two turtles surfaced on each side of me and were very friendly.  Before I knew it, a couple more turtles surfaced, and then two more!  I was really enjoying the turtles, but I also knew that the wind could come blasting in at any minute, so I decided to paddle back.  When I passed Kam III, another turtle popped up and so I stopped to watch it.  That was eight turtles in all!  I enjoyed my trip back, paddling out to the quite zone to sit for a bit since the wind still had not come in yet.  Luckily for me, the wind stayed out for most of my swim too.  The water was so clear, I watched a fish chase a tako (octopus) under some rocks!  What a nice day for the beach.