wildwahinepaddler

Easter Day

Easter morning was beautiful.  The wind was blowing from the west/onshore and the ocean wasn’t as calm as I like it.  I first paddled south and met up with a paddling friend…..we talked about the wind.  We decided to paddle north to Cove Park and look for Manta Rays.  Several people had mentioned Manta Rays there the last few days.  We paddled down past Charley Young beach but no Manta rays!  We turned south and paddled down to Kam 2.  The wind wasn’t letting up, in fact, it strengthened!  The ocean was stirred up and got bumpy.  We paddled to Kam 3 and then I decided to paddle back to Kam 1.  No turtles for today and no Manta rays!  The wind backed off some during my swim and that was nice.  At least it was a beautiful day for Easter!

Bumpy!

Well Hi there!

Wait up!

It was another lovely day on Maui!  Spring really has sprung!  The day started out a bit breezy from the East, but I headed down to the boat ramp anyway.  The sky was a little overcast which made the temperature comfortable.  By the time I started to paddle past Kam 2…… the wind backed off some and by the time I got to the boat ramp it was glassy!  I was so glad I didn’t let the threat of wind keep me away because a trio of turtles was waiting for me when I arrived!  I paddled up to them and started to photograph one of the turtles.  The turtle dove under my board and came up on the other side and I caught the above photo as it was swimming away!  The first photo is of a very friendly turtle that was hanging around me.  I took this photo as it passed next to my board!  It was so close that I could have reached down and patted it’s shell!  Three more turtles surfaced and that made seven turtles for today.  I was glad the turtles didn’t make me wait because I really didn’t trust that the wind was not going to come up!  It stayed nice, though, and when I passed Kam 2, I ran into a paddling friend who had paddled more north.  She said there were a few Manta Rays down by Cove Park.  When I passed Kam 2, I saw one of the Manta Rays come up and splash several yards from where I was sitting.  The day stayed nice with the wind backed off and my swim was pretty perfect too!  I am really enjoying paddling again!

Just beautiful!

Lots of turtles!

Hey there!

Glassy!

Well today was a totally perfect day for paddling!  I went straight down to the boat ramp and prayed the wind was not coming up!  It was glassy all the way there!  As soon as I arrived…….I spotted two turtles bobbing out farther.  By the time I paddled out to them, a third turtle popped up and made a turtle line!  There were big turtles, little turtles, friendly turtles……it was a total turtle day!  A paddling friend showed up and we enjoyed the turtle day together…getting surrounded a couple of times.  The ocean was so calm and glassy!  I counted thirteen turtles at the boat ramp and one down by Kam I…… fourteen turtles for the day!  I paddled back in perfect conditions and swimming was perfect too!  IT was just one of those kind of days!  I wish for a few more of these kind of days……..

Morning buddy!

Perfect!

It was breezy this morning.  I was hoping the wind would back off and  I decided to paddle south.  I ran into a paddling friend, so we paddled together.   Down at the boat ramp the wind had still not backed off and the turtles made us wait!  Finally we spotted two turtles out farther…. So we paddled out.   When we got to  the turtles it ended up being four turtles, instead of two!  I paddled up in the middle of them and was surrounded!  The wind was still blowing.  Suddenly two more turtles popped up…….. Then one…… and one more.  The last one was the friendliest turtle.  That was eight turtles for the day!  The continued windy conditions started to make us nervous so we headed back.  Paddling against the wind…….. It took forever to paddle back!  It was a big workout paddling through the choppy water and hissing white caps.  I finally got back and the wind was still blowing!  I knew it was going to be extra challenging carrying my board up the sandy hill in the wind.  I wasted no time rinsing my board off and getting up on my racks!  Then….. The wind backed off!  Oh well…… It was perfect for my swim!

Lone paddler

It was a nice sunset on Monday.  The sun is setting over part of Lanai right now which makes it set earlier.  It turned the sky orange!  One lone paddler was out…….

Perfect day!

Buddy!

Oh wow, it was a perfect day today!  I got out early and it was so nice.  I paddled south, down to the boat ramp.  It was my first time paddling that far by myself since my surgery…..and I went for it!  Down at the boat ramp, the turtles made me wait but finally I spotted two smaller turtles in closer to shore.  I paddled over to them and pulled up between the turtles!  Suddenly four more turtles popped up and it was a turtle party!  I was so glad to see them.  Then the turtles made me wait some more. Two paddling friends showed up and then so did three more turtles!  When I had counted ten turtles…..I decided to paddle back.  In front of Kam 3…….. two more turtles appeared!  Then one more surfaced.  That was thirteen turtles for today!  Paddling back was nice too.  By the time I went swimming, a south wind had started to blow but it backed of on my way back.  It has been so nice lately……I am ordering more days like this!!!!!

Gorgeous day!

What a beautiful day!   It started out with a whale breaching out in the distance…. Then I went out on my board.  I paddled south towards Kam 2 and ran into a paddling friend.  The ocean got so calm and glassy so we decided to paddle down to the boat ramp.  This was my first outing paddling  that far since getting back out there so I wasn’t sure how it would go.  Down at the boat ramp a turtle was waiting for us!  I was so happy to see it!  Pretty soon a few more turtles joined us and we were surrounded by five turtles!    I got to sit between turtles a couple of times too!  It was so calm and beautiful.  After I counted thirteen turtles….we decided to paddle back.  It was still so perfect!  Swimming was just as nice too and the water is so clear right now.  I hope tomorrow is just as nice!

So many turtles!

Gorgeous day!

I can’t believe it!  I got out paddling three days in a row!  And swimming seven days in a row!  Not bad for being just seven weeks post op!  Yesterday I came across two turtles mating!  I paddled up right next them and they didn’t seem to notice.  The female was a large older turtle and the male looked like a smaller younger turtle.  He was on her back nearly drowning her!  Oh the things you see in nature!  I paddled down to Kam 2 and then north to cove park and then came in.  It is good to be back!

A turtle greeter!

It has been a whirlwind last few months!  My hip is healing nicely after surgery.  I started swimming in the ocean a few days ago and it felt wonderful!  Yesterday I put my board up on my racks and headed to the beach.  Unfortunately when I arrived, the conditions were not as calm as I hoped so I opted to just swim instead.  I left my board up on my racks thinking “maybe tomorrow”.  Well this morning when I arrived at the beach, the conditions were perfect!  I just had to go out.  I managed to get my board down to the waters edge, slap on some sunscreen, put my hat and sunglasses on, and head out. I paddled out on my knees and when it came time to stand up…..I wasn’t sure how it would go!  I got right up!  And to my surprise……a turtle was waiting for me just outside of Kam I!  I called it the “turtle greeter” and I was so happy to see it.  The conditions were so nice.  I paddled down past Charley Young beach, turned around and paddled down to Kam 2.  The ocean was so clear!  I paddled in and when it came time to get down on my board….I wasn’t sure how that would go.  I got down, no problem and no pain either!  I carried my board all the way up to the shower (I did have to stop a few times to get there though!)  But after rinsing it off, I managed to hoist my board up on my racks all by myself!  Success!  I hadn’t been out paddling for about three months!  It is good to be back.  I’m not sure when I will feel confident to paddle any distance…… but getting back out there was a great start!  Then I went for a swim.  It was neat to see so many Unicorn fish down at the reef!  Hard to believe I actually went paddling and swimming all in the same morning……WOW.

Turtles!

A friend of mine posted this picture of a dive on Maui.  It made me so lonely for my turtles!  This is just how I see them when I am swimming in the ocean and I haven’t done that since December!  Hopefully very soon though…….

Mondays sunset

Tonight there was vog in the air and it made for an interesting sunset!  Maui is so beautiful!