Maui Monday
Monday in Maui was the Monday of my year –without a doubt. Gary and I got up extremely early (5 am) to catch up with a snorkeling trip called Blue Water Rafting. It was the best snorkeling tour I’ve had on the Island. Instead of being in a slow, large, and boring boat, you are in a rigid hull inflatable that is small and nimble. Pair that with a couple of fun-loving tour guides, and you have the start of a great adventure.
After loading up, we headed to our first snorkeling destination, which can only be reached by boat. On the way, the drivers did their best to make sure we had some fun. They cranked the boat up to full blast and jumped across the waves. They also took time to do a few donuts on the water. The experience was almost like a mini-roller coaster in the ocean — fun! We also spotted a few bottlenose dolphins on the way there. A neat treat for many on the trip.
We snorkeled in the first location for a while, had breakfast, and then departed for our next adventure, sea caves and a lava tour. The captain drove us to a part of the Island that only few people get to see (~35K per year), even many locals never venture to that area. Here, we found large waves (which were a blast to jump over in the boat) and some interesting lava formations. They drove us around and provided some interesting information about the formations, but to be honest, the best part was when they drove the boat inside the lava caves. The waves would crash in around us and blow out foam. It was really cool.
After the lava adventure, we went to Molokini (a small crater off the coast of Maui that is a popular snorkeling and diving destination). They allowed us to snorkel on both sides of the crater (which most tours won’t let you do). The outside of the crater is a sheer drop, and it’s about 300 feet deep. We got some great views there and saw lots of fish. Then we pulled around to snorkel the inside of the crater, which also offers some great views of marine life and coral. Finally, we drove to an area where many of the sea turtles hang out and dropped anchor to snorkel and to have lunch.
It was an awesome trip, but I can’t share pictures yet since they are all on my waterproof camera (which isn’t digital). I’ll try to share some when I get them developed later.
