Whale Watching in Maui

For Jon and my 4th wedding anniversary (and 3rd anniversary living on Maui), we cashed in a gift certificate for a this 6 hour Captain Steve's Dolphin and Whale Watch Lanai Snorkel Cruise. We had been waiting for a special occasion to use this certificate and wanted to use it during whale season in hopes to see some whales!

A morning wake-up call of 5:30am was no fun, we even questioned if it was worth it... um yes it was. At 6:30am, the 3-person crew took about 10 of us out on a large zodiac-style motor boat. The beauty of these smaller boats, rather than a large catamaran or yacht, is that they can maneuver into hard to reach places, and they can get closer to the whales! In Hawaii, it is illegal to approach a whale closer than 100 yards. If a whale just so happens to pop up next to a motorized boat, they must kill the engine or put it in neutral until the whale is safely 100 yards away. Whales are more likely to be comfortable around a smaller boat than a big catamaran, something I soon found out.

Another thing about a small boat though... is it's a lot harder for us motion-sick prone people (Jon and I). It’s all fun and games until the captain stops the boat and we sit and 

ROCK 

back~and~forth

back~and~forth

I had been on a few whale watches before, but usually on a larger catamaran where the passengers can’t feel the motion as much, and the tours were only a few hours, not 6. 

yes we got sick....

BUT it was worth it! Once the boat would start moving again we'd feel better :D Then worst when we stop.... then better! Oh my gosh, what annoying customers we were, I'm sure. We tried to keep quiet and sit in very uncomfortable sea-sick silence, but I'm sure we were the reason the boat didn't go to certain areas. 

Whale season is during our winter and early spring, beginning in November or December.The whales are in the process of migrating through the Hawaiian Islands during this time. They just came from feeding in the North and pass through Hawaii to breed, birth, nurse, and raise their young. It is not uncommon to see whale tails and fins splashing about off the coast of the beach. These active splashes are usually babies playing around, with their mom not more than a body's length behind. You'll still see whale breaches and splashes of mom, but mostly of her potential suitors showing off. Most common are the whale spouts. That's when you know to keep watching, they might put on a show for you, or dive down and disappear into their underwater life. 

We saw plenty of whale spouts, fins, small breaches, and a few whale tails. But the most amazing part of our trip included a mama and calf that swam up TO us, maybe 20 feet away. The tour guides believed the mama wanted to allow the calf a teaching moment about boats (us). The mama whale was huge- imagine a 45 foot whale weighing 40 tons compared to our boat which was half the size! The calf cruised along looking at us, and the mama even seemed to push the calf to swim closer towards us.

"-See honey, now this is a boat

-They seem small but are dangerous

-Never swim in front of them

-They are loud and annoying, but they won't hurt you if you're careful

-Come on, get a closer look"

“this is funnnn!”

~~That’s how I imagined their conversation going under the surface~~

We stuck our waterproof camera underwater: check out this jaw dropping footage!

The ride over to the neighbor island Lanai included most of the whale watching. Then we hung out at a few stops to snorkel along the cliffs, where you can’t get to unless you have a boat. My favorite snorkel spot was Manele Bay alongside the harbor. It is a marine sanctuary so fishing is prohibited and ocean safety and protection is well regulated to harbor a larger fish population and allow the reef to be more abundant and organically grow (although I’m sure the amount of boats at this spot doesn't help the reef).

Sea sickness is hard on a long tour. We felt so stuck. If the boat would anchor for a snorkel spot, we’d feel queasy on the boat because of the rocking, so we’d get in the water. But the water is moving plenty just like the boat, and the sickness feeling would come back! So we’d get back on the boat and feel that rocking again. All we wanted was land, or to continue to keep moving forever. Neither happened for 6 hours. 

But the beauty of the serene and majestic sea was so heart-warming. While cruising on the high powered motor boat across the sea, the ocean appears so untouched, unbothered. Its glassy and continuous, until a break in the surface from a whale fin or tail J We would love to be ocean people. To buy a boat and sail around the world, but our bodies cannot handle… Maybe it’s all God’s plan because if we didn’t get so sea sick, then we would sail off into the sunset-- into the extremely dangerous sea. God’s just trying to keep us alive.

The view on the way back to our island from Lanai

The very helpful, informative, professionally FUN crew at Captain Steve's Snorkel Adventure

Overall, this year's wedding anniversary was pretty unforgettable, for various reasons! Afterwards we jumped off the boat, kissed the ground, tried to recover from our sea legs, and walked off the queasy feeling before getting right back into another moving vehicle to drive home. We got some food and had a nice dinner at home-- Jon cooked of course, the dinner wouldn't have been so nice if I did :)

Oh the perks  of living in paradise... During whale season you can get free or discounted hook ups for whale watching trips, or other fun excursions on Maui. But whale watching isn't only viewed off of a $150 whale watch boat, you can see them right from the shoreline. We live on the 6th floor ocean view of our condominium and see whale splashes and breaches all day long, or while we walk along the boardwalk, or while sitting on the beach. We love whale season! Reminds us that these is more going on in life than our own little lives.

Maui No Ka Oi

Playing Tourist

We have a term here for when your friends or family come to visit and you get to show them around and show off your beautiful island. It's called "playing tourist." We get to go and do all the fun adventurous things our island is known for because unfortunately we get stuck in a routine and don't take advantage of all the fun things to do around us!
      
My sister Heather just graduated Sacramento State University with a Bachelor's in Speech Pathology. We are very close aside from the struggle of a time difference, work schedules, and homework. She is an amazing human being. She worked at Learning Arts teaching Autistic children how to progress and learn social, verbal, and school skills. She is one of the most patient people I have ever met (she got that from our dad). Alongside a full work schedule, she worked her butt off in school and barely had a minute to breathe for the past 3 or 4 years. I wanted her to enjoy a vacation in the best place you can, alongside a local (me) to show her a good time. My parents, her friends, and I all pitched in to buy her a ticket to come play in Maui for a week.

Excuse my arched back, I was trying to keep the door open

We welcomed her with a beautiful orchid lei and we went to lunch at my work- Hula Grill. I gave her a minute to breathe before she jumped right into my lifestyle- love ya sis! I had one of my NightLife Fitness events the night she arrived. It was held at a nightclub setting at Lulu's in Lahaina. My two co-founders and I switch off with our dance formats teaching the crowd dances while working out! It's a fun nightclub setting with a disco ball, nightclub lighting, a DJ, a stage, and a bumpin' bass. I know it was a bit much to ask her to work out for 2 hours right off the plane, but she was a champ and loved every minute of it, aside from being exhausted haha. We planned a possible meteor shower viewing evening on the beach with wine, beer, and laying in the back of a pick up truck, but we all fell asleep haha. 

Heather borrowed my Zumba shirt that said Instructor on the back and everyone figured she was a fellow Zumba instructor of mine. For how tired she must have been, she definitely kept up!

The next morning we used our hook up with some people from Jon's work to go kayaking in one of Maui's best snorkel spots- Oluwalu. We snorkled with over 30 turtles, many fish, and kayaked around the white tip and black tip  reef sharks!

See all the turtles?!

We went guava picking up the Kapalua Walking Trails. Organic, non-gmo, non-sprayed SCRUMPTIOUS guavas! They make for good snacks along the walk!

"I found one!"

Such a beautiful view along the trail! Pictures never do it justice!

We got to see a cane spider and wasp face off along our walk! Cane spiders are huge freaky fast jumping spiders that can bite if they feel threatened. They are well known here, coming from the sugar cane fields and can get huge. We were happy to see the WASP won!! Muahaha

We stopped for a minute upcountry in Kula along the early morning drive to Hana. I like to go the backside to Hana because it is not as congested in the morning and it is a different kind of beautiful!

Hike to the Pipiwai waterfall through the Bamboo Forest

I don't like to be told what I can and can't do...
"come on Heather, don't mind the warning and danger signs through this barbed wire fence!"

Off the beaten path Venus Pools

Hidden hike to the Red Sand Beach, or the nude beach of Hana

Red sand from the red dirt cliff that have been eroded by the ocean

Wainapanapa

BLACK sand beach

Lava Tubes where the lava flowed into the ocean

Dinner at Milagros and gelato at Ono Farms to refuel after our Hana adventure
This was right before we went out to a night club to dance to a local favorite Reggae band Sounds of Addiction, a DJ, and enjoy drinks with friends!

I was given a gift certificate for a Sunset "booze cruise" for my birthday, so I took my sister on it! There were many dance parties, deep conversations, and wine. This old man in the plaid farmer-looking outfit danced with me. 

-He said, "guess how old I am!" 

-I said, "I don't know, 70's?"

-He said, " I'm 83!"

-I said, "Wow, I would't have guessed that!"

-He said, "I go to Vegas a couple times a year, come with me!"

-I said, "... Hmm thanks for the invite but I have a husband and a job here... kay, bye"

Teaching some guys the Gangnam Style dance

We got to have lunch with our auntie Candy at Jon's restaurant Pineapple Grill, with Heather sporting some of her new clothes after our shopping spree in Lahaina!

On Heather's last day we went bar hopping along the beach walk of Ka'anapali from Duke's Beach House to Hula Grill. We spent most of our time a Hula Grill. My friends met up with us and we all packed into my best friend Toni's boyfriend's truck and headed up to a million dollar house on the Ka'anaplai hillside, where one of our coworkers was house sitting, for a pool party and dancing. It is illegal to ride in truck beds in California and it's one of my favorite things to do in Maui, I'm glad Heather got to experience it. SO fun, wind in your hair, with the ocean view, and good company.

Sister time

She had it coming, spraying everyone with the water gun and all...

View from the pool. So beautiful.
 I spy Heather and Bronson threatening to spray me...

Couldn't stop this dancing machine!

A memorable dance party

View

Alas the trip ended with a BBQ at our place. Good food provided by Jon, a hilarious naughty game of Cards Against Humanity, and friends. The evening concluded in the police coming... but my lips are sealed

Playing Tourist is getting to experience  Maui outside of our work schedule and other priorities that hold us locals back. The island is so beautiful and has so much to offer. Jon and I have tried to set a few "adventure days" aside a month to get out and see the Maui all the tourists come to experience. We've found some sick little gems that tourists do not know about. That's what I can show you if you come over to Maui. Who wants to play tourist with me friends and family?!!

Maui No Ka Oi