wildwahinepaddler

It started out looking pretty stormy….. but no rain today.  It was overcast which made good conditions for a beach walk.  The sun struggled all day to come out and never fully emerged.  It was good conditions for swimming too and I saw fish and a large Puffer fish cruise by me.  The ocean conditions seemed to be staying good… so I grabbed my board and went Paddling!  Yay!  It was surprisingly bumpy though…. not nearly as calm as it looked.  I didn’t trust that the wind would cooperate so I opted to stay close by.  Luckily…. I ended up with seven turtles at the point!  I was happily paddling with a big turtle…. when a friend passed me and said the wind line was moving in.  I was focused on my turtle buddy and didn’t notice the ocean surface changing but then I realized my friend was right!  I had to ditch my turtle and paddle back… bummer.  I got in just as the wind gusts were starting but managed to get my board secured up on my racks safely.  I really thought it was getting windy…. and then a short time later, the wind backed off and it actually got very nice.  I hope tomorrow is another good Paddling day….

Five days in a row out Paddling with turtles!!!!  I can’t believe it.  I first walked the beach and watched the sun make its way out of the clouds….. then I went swimming.  The water is staying pretty clear for the moment.  The wind started to come up while I was swimming and it kept coming in and out.  I went Paddling anyway.  The water was surprisingly bumpy.  I could only imagine that the wind was much stronger out farther and generating the bumpy swells, but I almost didn’t stay out.  It was clear that I wasn’t about to trust the wind!  I ended up staying out and hoping the ocean would get calmer ( it happened that way the past couple of days…) but it wasn’t backing off. I did get seven turtles at the point though and got photos!  I was glad for that.  Then just TOO MANY snorkelers started to arrive so I headed back.  It was still a very nice day and Paddling five days in a row?  Well that is terrific!

Nice!

It was another beautiful morning with just a little breeze blowing from the north.  I walked the beach and watched the sun come out and then went swimming.  The water is still pretty clear and I saw fish today.  Then I wondered about the wind and whether it was going to get stronger.  Finally I decided to just go for it!  It was a little bumpy but I ended up with six turtles at the point!  Two of them were hanging around my board and drifted under it.  Then I heard “clunk…clunk….clunk”….. both turtles were under my board!  It was so funny.  Just about the time I was going to come in…. the wind backed off and the ocean smoothed out.  I really didn’t want to come in!  Paddling four days in a row…. I can’t believe it.  The weather continues to say thunderstorms though….. so we will see….

Magical day!  Lovely walk….. nice sunrise…. wonderful swim…. PADDLING…. seven turtles…. and a BIG Manta Ray!  What a day.  I even got photos of the Ray… which is SO rare!  First ever.  Gosh….three great Paddling days in a row!  Someone pinch me!

What a beautiful Spring day!  I walked the beach and watched the sun come up over the mountain.  Then it was time for a lovely swim.  AND then it ended up being a Paddling day too! Wow!  I paddled south and stopped at the point to visit with my first turtle of the day.  Then I headed down to the boat ramp.  There were no boats today…… but two people were scuba diving and there were several tourists snorkeling.  They don’t get it…… the turtles are not “sleeping” when they hide from people diving down to harass them! They are hiding!  Ugggh.  Then one of them was swimming vigorously right in my direction… coming straight at me (I was just sitting on my board…) and when it became evident that she wasn’t seeing my board….. I put my hand out to buffer her head so it wouldn’t crack right into my board.  She was startled and came up bitching at me… saying I should watch out!  I told her hey I was sitting still…. YOU were the one moving and not paying attention!  Stupid Tourists!!!!!  Oh well.  I had fifteen turtles total at the boat ramp  plus the two at the point and got lots of great photos.  The water is staying pretty clear too.  I hope Spring is finally here

Finally a super nice day! The wind cooperated and everything!  Lovely sunrise and beach walk and a great swim in perfect conditions.  Then it stayed nice and I got out Paddling too!  I first paddled north with a couple of Paddling friends and we saw two large Rays hanging near the ocean bottom.  Then I turned around and paddled south.  I ran into a turtle swimming north so I turned to paddle with it for a few minutes.  Then I paddled back and hung around at the point where two small turtles surfaced and a few more were hiding at the reef under the water.  Three women were swimming and diving down at them…. so no wonder they were hiding out!  Then one of the friends I was with earlier showed up and we decided to take a chance and paddle down to the boat ramp.  It was so nice down there and I had one turtle come up to visit.  Then we decided to not tempt the wind and paddled back.  It was still very nice.  We ran into a turtle right outside Kam 2 and then another small turtle at the point on the way back.  That was about six turtles for today!  It stayed so nice I didn’t want to come in!  It was still nice conditions when I left the beach too.  It was just an all around nice day!  I hope it’s the same tomorrow…….

Very nice!

It was a beautiful day!  Not windy initially …. I walked the beach and watched the sun come up.  Then I was off for a swim!  The water was so clear.  I swam with a school of about fifty fish and watched three crabs bury themselves in the sandy bottom.  No turtles around this morning… except one I saw bobbing in the shore water while I walked.  The water felt great!  The wind came up and white caps loomed in the distance.  I will be glad when the wind gets more normal and I can paddle again…..

Nice!