As we boarded the plane for Maui, I was so excited that we were going to Hawaii in February – not only for the lushious sunshine and warm water, but also for the Hawaiian Humpback whales, whom were already there basking in the shallow warm waters off the islands.  Around early October, the Hawaiian Humpback whales start migrating 3000 miles from the fridgid, food-rich, waters of Alaska to Hawaii so that they can give birth, mate, and raise their young.  By mid to late November, the islands waters are teaming over 1500 large, beautiful mammals of the sea, also known as Na Kohola in Hawaiian.  From December through March, you can see them from the shore or you can see them up close from one of the dozen daily whale watching trips.   My first sighting was actually from our plane as we made our final approach to the Kahilui Airport over Ma’alea Bay.  Peering through the plane’s window, I was treated to a show of three whales splashing in the waters below; I knew I was in for a treat.

Prior to leaving for our trip, I researched several whale watching outfits on the internet and in the “Maui Revealed” guide book (see previous post).   The outfit that stood out was the Pacific Whale Foundation (www.pacificwhale.org).  Not only did they have reasonable prices and several daily trips to choose from, they sponsered extensive research on the whales and were active advocates for protecting the whales and their habitat.  Funds collected from the boat trips, events, memberships, and of course, their gift shops, not only support the staff, but also fund the research, education, and preservation.  So, with creditcard in hand, I signed us up for two trips – a Sunrise Whalewatch and the Whale Photo Safari.

The Sunrise Whalewatch trip left bright and early out of the Lahaina Harbor.  A 5:45 AM check in and 6:30 AM departure, meant leaving Kihei at around 5 AM (yikes, it was a little early to be getting up on vacation, but oh it was soooo worth it).  When we arrived in Lahaina, we parked a couple of blocks away and walked to the harbor, via Banyon Tree Park.  Banyon Tree Park, for thoses who have not been, is an amazing banyon tree that was planted in April 1873 and now, almost 130 years later, spans a full city block.  In the wee hours of the morning, the tree is alive with hundreds of birds that chatter away without a care in the world.  Such a treat. 

Once on board the boat, we headed out of the harbor as the sun rose over Haleakala. 

With calm seas, it was easy to spot the whales spouts in the distance.  At first there were a few sightings here and there, with mother whales and calves spouting, but then, as the sun got higher on the horizon, the fun began. 

Just off the bow of our boat, three young males gathered and started a competition of breaching and pec slapping to determine who was top whale-dude in the water.  Good times.

The second trip was the Whale Photo Safari.  The trip was 4 1/2 hours and had about 20 people.   The photo safari featured Annie Macie, the foundation’s lead photographer and researcher, and Doug Hoffman, a world-renowned wildlife photographer (www.douglasjhoffman.com).  As the boat left the harbor, Annie and Doug gave a brief talk on the proper settings for our cameras, how to capture the best images, and then typical whale behaviour and what we should anticipate.   Once again, we left at 6:30 AM from the Lahaina habor and spent the morning off of the island of Lana’i.  At first the whale were quiet with a few breaches here and there.  Around midway through the trip, however, they started waking up and putting on a show.  While we did not see the classic full-body breach, we did see pec slaps, peduncle slaps, spyhopping, and tale slapping.  Pretty amazing.  By the end of the trip, everyone was pretty excited about the images that they captured.  

In addition to the whales, we did encounter three types of dolphins that are common to Hawaii:  the  Hawaiian Spinner, the Pan Tropical Spotted, and the Pacific Bottlenose.  All three species were very active in and around our boat and provided great photo-ops.  Another plus for the day.

As we arrived back in Portland, I was so glad that we made the effort to get up early and enjoy the two whalewatching trips.  There is nothing in this world like watching the full body of a whale fly out of the water in a moments notice.  Simply amazing.

Just a half-hour before sunset, I headed to the beach, camera in-hand, waiting for that magical moment when a Humpback Whale would breach in the setting sun.  As I sat and waited in TOTAL anticipation, I started wondering if this would be the sunset that the Green Flash would happen.   Jules Vernes described the Green Flash as, ”a green which no artist could ever obtain on his palette, a green of which neither the varied tints of vegetation nor the shades of the most limpid sea could ever produce the like! If there is a green in Paradise, it cannot be but of this shade, which most surely is the true green of Hope”… Oh, would it be my GREEN FLASH….So, patiently, with camera in hand, I waited….the sun started dipping below the horizon – so full – like melting ice in a Mai-Tai… Then, all of the sudden, as the last fraction of the sun hit the horizon, the Green Flash happened.  So subtle, so amazing….the green appeared in the center of the sun, the rushed outwards to the edges, the dissapeared as quickly as it appeared….

Just returned from 10 days in Maui and I must say – WOW – “Maui Time” is amazing:  So relaxing, So calming, so NOT RUSHED!!   Last October, we decided to find an escape from the upcoming long, gray days that blanket Portland during the winter months.  Although, I must admit that our winters are relatively mild compared to the rest of the country to the east, the cold does seep deep into the bones and the thought of warmth and sunshine definitely perks up the spirit.   So, within an hour of saying yes to Maui, we had our plane tickets, lodging and rental car arranged.  Now the hard part:  “The Wait”.  Our wait was between October and February, during which we bought “Maui Revealed – The Ultimate Guide Book” (aka “The Blue Book”) 5th edition, by  Andrew Doughty and we started planning our adventures on the island.  We found “The Blue Book” to be a great resource and that the suggestions and commentaries were up to date and very relevant.  

One of our longer adventures on the island was to drive to Hana and back in one day.  We knew it was a long-and-windy road and that it would take several hours to drive one way – actually it was about 8 hours (one way) to drive the 50 miles from Kihei and 1 1/2 hours to return.  So to beat the traffic on the Hana Highway, we woke up around 5:30 AM and got on the road by 6:30 AM.  After a stop for coffee, we arrived at Paia and made it to Mile Post 1 by 7:30 AM.  As we drove along, my “navigator” kept track of the mileposts and “The Blue Book” – which comes with a big warning:  Unless you are planning to stay in Hana over night – we suggest that you pick and choose which side trip you’ll want to do that day, and the rest will need to wait for another trip, another date.  Needless to say, if we had done them all, we would still be driving to Hana.  The road to Hana is paved and in great condition.  The majority of the road, however, is one lane with many bridges, so, there is a lot of slowing and yielding to oncoming traffic.  Plus, there are lots of little side trips along the way that make the long drive worth it….

Our first side trip was to Honomanu Bay on a small dirt road.  Road conditions were good and our small rental made it back to the highway with no problems.  When we arrived at the bay, there was only one other car, so the beach was virtually ours.  Our biggest surprise while standing and looking out into bay was seeing the large pod of Spinner Dolphins.  At first they were just swimming around and feeding, then all of the sudden, one would start flying out of the water, doing flips and acrobatics… Pretty amazing…

Our next side trip was in Ke’anae and to enjoy some hot, right-out-of-the-oven, Auntie Sandy’ s Banana Bread – best on the island….Yummmm…  When we arrived, there was one other couple finishing their warm banana bread at a small covered table.  Then, just as we were finishing our bread, a large van rolled up with about 20 tourists…needless to say, our timing was spot-on. 

Further down the road, we drove into the community of Nahiku…The bridge was out, so we parked and walked down to the ocean… half way across the bridge my friend broke through one of the timbers and landed square on the deck.  Luckily, she didn’t fall all the way through to the river below.  The walk and the mis-step was worth it…. the amazing azure blue water crashing against the black lava was spectacular. 

Our long road-trip was rewarded with a stop at Nahiku Market, just 6 miles from Hana.  The market is known for its Island Style Fish Taco and fresh coconut candy.  Ooohhhh, so good.  The coconut candy was fresh shaved coconut baked in an oven until golden brown.  Amazing…

Once in Hana, we headed to the Pier to take a small rest before the drive home.  There we found Tutu’s Snack Bar and got ourselves a well deserved Ice Cream…. Yummmm…. One mistake on our road trip was that our swimming suits were back at our place in Kihei. 

By 3 PM, we started heading back to Kihei and luckily, the traffic was light so we made very good time on our return.  While driving the last stretch of the highway just east of Paia, I noticed that the waves were really big and the sun was starting to set.  So, we pulled off the highway and into a parking lot above Ho’okipa Beach.  Turned out there was a 30-foot break and that only a couple of surfers were brave enough to catch the waves.  So amazing to watch…

Arriving back into Kihei, we collaspsed in our little cottage, had a mai-tai and left-overs, then headed off for bed.  It was a long day of driving, but OH SO WORTH IT….

For many years, my adventures have been either solo or with a couple of friends.  The trips were very spontaneous, very little or no planning, and very spur of the moment.  Detailed travel plans consisted of the end destination and the possible arrival date;  how we got there, what we saw, where we stayed were definitely left to the “Travel Gods”.  Read more »

The Travel Bug afflicted me at a very early age; some would say, “in utero”; some would say, “genetic makeup”. Read more »

They say a journey starts with the first step, and so, my blog starts with my first words.   The goals for my blog are simple….to share my experiences, my thoughts, my encounters that I have had while travelling.   Read more »