Five Years Ago Today ❤

Today will actually contain two posts, this is because it was a very busy day with a whole lot of fun packed in. 🙂

As we headed out, I saw this and thought does this give new meaning to the term house boat?

It was an early windy morning in Ma’alaea and we are going snorkeling at Molokini Crater and off the coast of Lana’i with the Pacific Whale Foundation.

As we leave Mala’aea I can see both West Maui and South Maui growing smaller.

Kaho’olawe was established in the 1830’s as a penal colony by Kamehamahea I, after the “Great Mahele” ranchers allowed sheep and goats to consume all the vegetation; an effort was made to bring back the vegetation until the attack on Pearl Harbor, after which it was designated for target practice by the government. It was not until 1990 that it was returned to Hawai’i, after such long-term contamination it was declared unsafe and uninhabitable; at this time preservationists are working diligently to remove anything that has not exploded, re-vegetate and rejuvenate the land.

We have arrived at Molokini Crater, this popular dive and snorkel spot is a crescent-shaped partially submerged volcanic crater.

♪♫Up on the shore they work all day,
Out in the sun they slave away,
While we devotin’,
Full time to floatin’,
Under the Sea♪♫

La Perouse Bay is visible as we leave Molokini.

Sweetheart Rock, legend has is that a Princess from Maui was captured by a Warrior from Lana’i, she was so beautiful he did not want other men to see her so he hid her in a sea cave close to the rock. One day a storm came, although he rushed back to the cave, she drowned. Brokenhearted he climbed the rock, buried her and leapt to his death. (This is a legend, so please don’t try to climb the rock!)

This rock formation marks a well-known dive spot off Lana’i, our tour guide said if you are in the “know” you would recognize the rock; I wonder if she means First Cathedral? 😉

This is a large resort off the coast of Lana’i and the area we snorkel in.

It’s funny how the pali don’t really look that high from far away but when you get up close you realize they are monstrous.

Look some friends (Spinner Dolphins) came out to escort us back to Maui.




West Maui Mountains


Our Captain must have been Ishmael, his crew thought he was crazy when he turned off the engines because he saw whale-sign in the water. I’m glad he did because if not I would not have gotten this very cool shot of a baby whale breaching.