wildwahinepaddler

Two days in a row it was windy….. But backed off long enough for some great paddling!  Yesterday there were two turtles at the boat ramp and today I didn’t see a single turtle.  It was so beautiful though!  Swimming was nice too and water visibility is good.  If I can get even an hour of calm water…… I’m grateful!  Maybe the turtles will be around tomorrow…..Happy December!

It was so windy yesterday!  I ended up just swimming.  Today was different!  It was another one of those totally perfect days.  The white caps were far out so I took a chance and paddled down to the boat ramp. It was so perfect I couldn’t believe it!  After the first turtle surfaced….. A kayak with two people and a dog on it cruised into the area.   The second turtle surfaced and the dog started barking at it!  The turtle spooked and dove down.  I decided to move away from the barking dog.   Out farther a turtle popped up so I got some photos.  Sadly the turtle had some tumors growing on it which made me sad.  The turtle seemed okay though so maybe it will live a while longer.  I paddled back in still perfect conditions……. So glassy!  It stayed perfect through my swim as well.   The visibility is great right now!  I saw lots of fish down at the reef including the big Puffer fish that has been hanging around lately.  I would be happy for another perfect paddling day tomorrow too!

What a windy day!  Even at 7 a.m. it was already windy.  I decided to leave my car at the beach with my board on it and walk home.  Two hours later I looked out and no wind!  I grabbed my stuff and headed for the beach.  It was so nice down there!  I slapped on some sunscreen and hurried out.  I wasn’t sure how long it might be nice so I decided to stay close by.  It was perfect paddling…. Just beautiful!  I paddled for an hour and then came in to swim.  Just as I came in….. The wind decided to come up!  It was tricky getting my board up on my racks in the wind but I managed.  I didn’t mind swimming when it was windy and the water was pretty clear.  I found myself in the middle of a huge school of little fish!  There must have been a hundred of them swimming all around me….. even some of them ran into my mask!  They were that close…. Wow!  By the time I left the beach…. the wind had come in for good and started to blow sand around.   That’s usually when I leave!  I wonder what tomorrow will be like?

We we had weather for about a week…..Rain and wind.  Yesterday it finally got nice again at the beach.  It was Thanksgiving… So between cooking and power washing the house….. there was no time for paddling!  This morning it was nice again so I got back out there!  There was some wind blowing from the south …. So I headed down to the boat ramp.  It was a bumpy ride but it was beautiful!  Down at the boat ramp I visited with four turtles!  I was not too sure of the wind so I didn’t stay long.  On the way back….. The wind changed direction.  Now it was blowing at me!  The ocean was still bumpy but by the time I went for my swim……. It backed off and it smoothed out.  Even with the stormy conditions of last week, the water was pretty clear.  I saw fish down at the reef and followed the Spotted Eagle Bat Ray around for a while.  I was so happy to be in the ocean!  It was just a beautiful day!  I want it like this tomorrow too…..

Calm evening…… First it was all orange and then it faded into pink……nice!

Color in the sunset sky with clouds threatening rain to the north ……

So many turtles!!!!!!

What a perfect day following the windy conditions of Thurdsay and rain Friday.  I paddled straight down to the boat ramp….. Not knowing what was waiting for me.   Two turtles were there so I cruised up between them.  Then a third surfaced creating an instant turtle triangle!  But that was just the beginning of my turtle kind of day.  So many turtles were surrounding me!  At one point, two turtles came right up to my board and practically climbed on!  Then they spooked each other and both turtles went flying into the water…… Splashing water all over me!  That has never happened before!  I could barely keep count…. But I’m pretty sure there were twenty-one turtles at the boat ramp today!  I was so excited to get a turtle day!  Other paddlers came by and just watched what was going on…… I was surrounded by turtles!   It was amazing!  The day was perfect …. Especially loaded with turtles.  Swimming was nice too with pretty good visibility………just an all around great day!

Choppy ride!

Cleaning up the ocean…..

Now it looks like it could rain!

Well…… It couldn’t last forever so in came the wind today.  It made for a choppy ride!  I paddled south and got halfway past Kam 3 when I noticed white caps splashing behind me!  I quickly turned around and headed back north.  The choppiness of the water just got worse and now I was paddling against the wind!  The farther north I got….. It looked like it could rain.  I stopped as far as Charley Young beach and turned around.  Then I saw something floating on the water so I went over to investigate.  It was only a men’s sandal but I scooped it up with my paddle.  That’s one piece of debris that won’t end up in a sea creatures stomach!  After an hour of paddling I headed in to shore.    It stayed windy through my swim too but the water felt great!  I’m hoping for a perfect day tomorrow though……