Our morning started off just like all of the others, we were all up pretty early and we had breakfast in the condo.
Our first stop today was Kua Bay. Last year when we visited, Kua Bay was one of our favorite beaches. It is relatively close to Kona and it has great waves for playing and boogie boarding. We arrived at Kua Bay a bit after 9:00 and got parked. It is a short walk down to the beach but you have to climb down some rocks to get to the beach. Last year we saw an older woman fall and hit her head. If you visit Kua Bay be sure to climb down carefully!
Ready for the waves!
When we arrived there was a line of boogie boarders already lined up in the water catching waves. The waves were great, big enough to be fun but not big enough for me to keep the kids out of the water. Dan and the kids headed out on their boards right away. I got myself settled on the beach and read a few chapters in my book. Ali didn't boogie board for very long but she did have fun jumping in the waves.
We love this beach!
My family enjoying the beautiful water
We left Kua Bay by 11:00 because we had big plans for the afternoon! We headed back to the condo for a quick lunch. We changed suits and repacked our bag for the afternoon.
I'd spent weeks debating whether or not to book a snorkel boat trip to Kealakekua Bay. Kealakekua Bay is a marine sanctuary with some of best snorkeling in Hawaii. The only way to reach Kealakekua Bay is by boat (or a really long swim). Some guide books will encourage you to rent a kayak to reach the bay but I read a lot of advice online which discouraged that practice. We finally decided to book a trip with Fair Wind, we booked the afternoon snorkel and snack trip.
We arrived at the check in office a bit early and had about 45 minutes to wait before our trip. We sat by the boat launch and chatted before the trip. I was a bit concerned about the weather because it was very overcast with a lot of dark clouds. I thought that I felt a few rain drops but Dan seemed to think I was imagining it.
Ali and I waiting patiently
The boat
Right on schedule we boarded the boat and were on our way south to Kealakekua Bay. Today was very overcast but on a sunny day you'd have beautiful views of the coastline. We kept our eyes out for whales and dolphins but we didn't have any luck seeing them today.
Snorkel gear is provided with the cruise. I decided to leave the gear we'd rented in the car and just use what was provided. When we got the gear on the boat I was very disappointed in my choice. The masks were OK but the snorkels were junky, they were just the super basic snorkels. I really prefer a dry snorkel, I'm a total baby about getting any saltwater in my mouth. It was my fault for not bringing our own stuff. I was really nervous about snorkeling with the basic snorkel but it ended up working fine.
When we arrived at the bay we saw the Captain Cook monument. Captain Cook and his crew were the first Europeans to visit Hawaii. Captain Cook and his men arrived in Kealakekua Bay in January of 1779 and the Hawaiians thought they were returning gods. Less than a month later Cook was killed in the same place. The monument was built in 1878.
Captain Cook Monument
Crystal Clear Water
After telling us about the history of Captain Cook, the crew of the boat gave a safety briefing and also talked to us about the importance of protecting the reef. After the safety talk we were free to get in and start snorkeling. The boat has steps that lower down into the water, it made getting in and out so easy! As soon as I started swimming I could immediately see what makes this place so special. The view is amazing, the water is crystal clear and there is coral everywhere. There were beatiful fish everywhere you looked! The four of us snorkeled together for about 20 minutes before both kids wanted to head back to the boat because they were cold. Dan went back with them and I snorkeled a bit more. I saw an eel hiding in the coral, I wouldn't have spotted it on my own but another snorkeler pointed it out.
I headed back to the boat and sent Dan out to snorkel. The Fair Wind II is a perfect boat for families. They have two water slides and a high dive platform. The kids were a little nervous at first to do the slides but they both went down them and had a lot of fun. Dan returned to the boat just as Connor was trying to work up the nerve to jump off the high dive. Dan said he'd do it first and that convinced Connor to finally jump. Ali wanted to do it too but she was having a hard time being brave, she'd get up to the platform and then she'd chicken out. By this time a lot of people had gotten back on the boat so there were a lot of witnesses to her attempts. Dan climbed back on board and jumped off again. This time when Ali got up to the platform everyone started chanting for her to do it, I think the peer pressure got to her because she jumped! After she jumped the whole boat started clapping for her! It was so cute!
Water Slides
Connor was finally brave enough to jump!
Ali's first jump after a little peer pressure
Happy girl with her happy dad!
I headed back out for a final snorkel, by this time most people were back on the boat. There were only 10 people or so in the water. It was so peaceful swimming around, I was just in awe of the beauty! I ended up being one of the last people to get back on the boat. I highly recommend the Fair Wind Snorkel trip to families and anyone timid about snorkeling. The crew was great getting everyone set up with whatever they needed to feel comfortable in the water. We will definitely book with them again when we return to the Big Island. I think next time we'll do the morning snorkel trip.
Our trip back was chilly, we were wet and it was cloudy. We bundled up in our towels and chatted about all the fun we'd had! What an amazing day!
No comments:
Post a Comment