We were up early as usual and we followed our same routine of an early breakfast and then heading out by 8:00. Today we headed south to Honanunau Bay, also known as Two Step. Honanunau Bay is about 30 minutes south of Kona, it is next to the Place of Refuge that we visited earlier in the trip. Two Step is not a sandy beach, it has a rocky lava shoreline. It is nicknamed Two Step because there are two steps notched in the shoreline allowing snorkelers to enter and exit without getting beat up on the rocks. We saved Two Step for the end of the trip because we were worried about the kids being able to get in and out of the water without a beach.
When we arrived at Two Step there were 20 or so other people there, it wasn't overly crowded. We left our towels on the rocky shore and headed for the steps, it is easy to see where to get in you just look for the line of people. I admit I was a little bit apprehensive, it is kind of scary getting in the water from the rocks. Finally we were all in the water and we knew it was worth the effort. The water is very clear and there are tons of beautiful fish and huge coral formations.
The shore at Two Step, where you see the people gathered on the left is where you enter the water
Connor exploring the rocks
The underwater view
A black sea urchin, thank goodness it was deep
We snorkeled together for about 30 minutes and then the kids were getting chilly and wanted to head back to shore. We all swam back together and managed to get out again on the steps in the lava rock. Dan went right back in for more snorkeling while the kids and I sat up on the shore. The kids had fun walking around exploring, they saw a few crabs up on the rocks.
Dan came back to shore and we were all sitting together when all of a sudden I saw something amazing! I saw a pod of dolphins breaching. I tried to point it out to the rest of my family but they didn't see it and they thought I was crazy. After a few minutes the dolphins surfaced again and this time everyone saw them. Ali was so thrilled, she loves dolphins. We noticed that there were snorkelers out near the dolphins so Dan decided to swim out and see what was out there.
I have strong feelings about people swimming with captive dolphins. It isn't a choice that my family would make. Obviously everyone needs to make choices for themselves but I would ask that before you pay hundreds of dollars to swim with dolphins in captivity that you do some research. Please don't assume that just because the company brags that they only use dolphins born in captivity or that their dolphins are allowed to swim free for a few hours a day that it is the right thing to do. Like I said though, it is a decision that everyone must make for themselves.
Dan swam out and he saw the dolphins in the water, he came back to shore and told us that it was absolutely amazing! He said there were between 50 and 100 dolphins in the water. We decided to all swim out and see them.
The kids were a little nervous but they really wanted to see them. The dolphins were about 150 or 200 yards offshore so it was a long swim. It was a bit scary because the water was very deep. After a long swim we were able to see the dolphins, the dolphins were resting down far down under the water. They'd come up to breath every few minutes. It was an amazing site, honestly it was something I never expected to see in my life. I kept having to remind myself that this was really happening!
We did keep our distance from the dolphins and we didn't try to engage them or touch them (we weren't close enough to touch them). We didn't pursue them or chase them when they moved. Spinner Dolphins come into sandy bays to rest during the day and then they head out to hunt at night. We did our best to give them their space and not interfere with their normal habits.
Pretty amazing!
Such beautiful animals!
On the island there are companies you can book with who promise to take snorkelers out and find the pods of dolphins so that they can swim with them. We saw some of those boats today. Again, before booking something like this I would ask you to really do your research. There is a definite concern that too much interaction is not good for the dolphins.
I have to say that it was amazing seeing dolphins in their natural habitat, it is something that I won't ever forget and I don't thing my children will either.
After our amazing morning we headed back to the condo for lunch. We'd orginally planned to go out for lunch but we decided it was just easier to eat at the condo. We had lunch and rested for an hour or so.
Around 2:00 we headed decided to head north to Kua Bay.
We saw this guy as we were driving on the road to the beach
When we arrived at Kua Bay the surf was definitely pounding. The kids had fun playing in the waves with Dan. Connor did some boogie boarding but he didn't like how big the waves were, he really doesn't like getting tossed around out there. The kids ended up playing on the beach while Dan enjoyed boogie boarding on the big waves.
Kua Bay is such a beautiful place to spend an afternoon
Connor heading out to catch a few waves
Success!
Today was our last full day of vacation and it sure was an amazing day! We have had such an incredible trip! Luckily the trip isn't over quite yet, tomorrow our flight doesn't leave until 9:00 pm so we will be able to enjoy one more day at the beach.
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