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| Water (and, even more, water creatures) are the big draw on Maui; Photo: Becca Stevens |
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| Our flight to Kona was on a very nice, new plane; Left photo: Scott Stevens |
The segment from Kona to Maui was on Hawai’ian Airlines through a code-share arrangement. Soooooo, when we got to the airport we made a discovery. Apparently, if you book through American and the first segment of the trip is on American, you get all of your American privileges (in my case, upgraded seats and two free checked bags). But, even if you book through American, if your first flight is on a different airline, you don’t.
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| Hawai'ian's iconic snack: POG |
Had I known this, I would have booked the Hawai’ian Airlines flight on the same itinerary as either the outbound or the return flight. Lesson learned. Expensive lesson learned. By the way, after we repacked lots of things, they never weighed our carry-on!
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| Still we made it; this is Molokini, which we could see as we flew over |
Now, I was sweating it because we had had problems with our lodging and our flight and we were headed to Maui for a full week in a rather pricy condo that I had booked through VRBO. And, I have had issues with VRBO before.
After lunch (Caty and I had salad at Fork and Salad – probably our best meal on the whole trip), we checked in early and the condo was ready. It turned out to be the first unit in a huge complex and our assigned parking spaces were a bit tricky to get in and out of because they were right by the gate, But, besides that, the condo was wonderful!
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| Our home for a week; Photos: VRBO |
It had three bedrooms (as advertised), two baths, a very well-equipped kitchen, a large-enough living/dining area, a nice little patio ...
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| Condo layout: VRBO |
... and all the beachware you could ever imagine (Coolers! Chairs! Umbrellas! Towels! Heck, there might have even been SCUBA tanks in the closet!). Plus, it had the best washer and dryer I have ever used anywhere. And, since we snorkeled and went to the beach and the “kids” went SCUBA-diving, we used the washer and dryer a lot.
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| Kameole Sands grounds; Photo: VRBO |
Located in the huge Kameole Sands development on the main road in Kihei, the condo was conveniently located near lots of our planned activities and just across the street from a nice beach.
Whew! At least we had great accommodations.
When we first arrived at the condo, I walked the grounds and was immediately relieved to see a large flock of what I thought was Common Waxbills.
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| I was so excited to see these birds! |
I grabbed my camera and took lots of great pictures. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized that they weren’t Common Waxbills, they were Orange-cheeked Waxbills, which were listed as rare in my Merlin app, but didn’t seem particularly rare here.
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| This bird has a brighter face than the Common Waxbill |
So, still no great Common Waxbill photos (boo!), but (even better) nice shots of a new bird (yay!).
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| The yellow cheeks mean this is a juvenile |
The grounds, which are beautiful, also hosted flocks of Java Sparrows (too far away for photos), Zebra Doves ...
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This tiny Dove is common on both islands |
... Spotted Doves, Common Mynas ...
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| Both of these birds are also common |
... and an occasional Warbling White-eye ...
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| A much shyer bird, this one was in thick foliage right outside my door |
I walked by the pool, but never even went swimming there.
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| It was lovely; I should have gone; Photo: VRBO |
I just wish we had had better weather. This was my third trip to Maui where high wind played havoc with our plans.
Diving from a Boat
Caty, Becca and Aaron had booked two diving trips, each with two dives.
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| The divers; Upper right photo: Scott Stevens; Other photos: Becca Stevens |
The first trip, with B&B SCUBA, was a pre-dawn departure from Kihei that was supposed to go to Molokini and one other spot. Scott and I had snagged two slots to snorkel while everyone else dove.
Well, it was so windy that most dive boats didn’t even go out. Ours did, but we were not able to go to Molokini (Caty still hasn’t been able to go to Molokini because of weather despite several tries).
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| It was Caty's first real dive (and her first ocean dive); Photo: Becca Stevens |
Instead, we went just down the coast from Kihei called Five Caves or Five Graves (or both – a bit confusing).
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| We had to stay close to shore rather than venturing out |
It is also called Turtle Town!!!
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| The "Turtle Town" name has obvious reasons; Photo: Becca Stevens |
It was pretty rough, making getting on and off the boat tricky. The three divers had a reasonably good dive and Caty was actually thankful that she got to deal with a difficult entry and exit on her first dive after getting certified.
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| The boat below and above; Photos: Becca Stevens |
Becca did say that the roughness in the water actually made her queasy.
Scott and I went snorkeling during the first dive, but didn’t even bother when they took off for the second. It was just too murky and rough.
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| As I was snorkeling, I could barely see them |
We didn’t see much of anything and I banged the hell out of my shin trying to climb the ladder back into the boat. Not at all worth the money we spent to tag along.
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| Scott returning to the boat; Photo: Becca Stevens |
We hoped that maybe we'd see some Whales while the divers were diving. But, not so much!
Becca videotaped both of the dives.
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| Becca's Go-Pro does great underwater; most of the photos are pulled from her videos |
Even though the water was stirred up and it wasn’t sunny enough for good light on the reefs, they did see quite a bit, including Eels …
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Scary! Photos: Becca Stevens |
Fish …
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| A nice variety; Photos: Becca Stevens |
Sea Stars …
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This was an impressive one: Photo: Becca Stevens |
Urchins …
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A living one and a skeleton; Photos: Becca Stevens |
And several Green Sea Turtles …
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Aaron gives the sign for Turtle as a Turtle rises for a breath; Photos: Becca Stevens |
… including one that ran into Becca …
It's always a good day when you have a close encounter with a Green Sea Turtle.
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Green Sea Turtle; Photos: Becca Stevens |
The second dive they scheduled was a shore dive two days later at Black Rock Beach and Mala Pier (AKA Mala Wharf AKA Mala Boat Ramp) near Lahaina with Maui Diving.
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| Both spots are known to be great for diving |
Did they call us before we drove all the way to Lahaina? No! Instead, they informed us of the cancelation when we arrived.
Maui Diving gave everyone booked an option of rebooking later.
As they discussed options, the instructor laid it on very thick (very!) that they probably wouldn’t go out the next day because they were still expecting high winds.
Caty wanted to book the next day, but Becca and Aaron decided to wait because, as I said, the instructor was very insistent that they probably wouldn’t go and because I had scheduled a Whale watch for all of us the next day.
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| The next day was Caty's last chance |
I should have spoken up that I would gladly reschedule or cancel the Whale watch, but sometimes these things get away from you. Turns out the next day was lovely so they probably could have gone.
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| It was probably a good day to dive |
Becca and Aaron did go the day after that, but Caty couldn’t because she was flying home the next day (you can’t fly for at least 24 hours after diving). That was pretty heartbreaking. Especially since the Whale watch was a dud (more on that later) and Aaron wasn’t able to play golf with Scott as planned.
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| Aaron pointing out some coral at Black Rock; Photos: Becca Stevens |
Near the Sheraton Resort in Kaanapali, Black Rock is a popular swimming, snorkeling and diving spot.
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| You can see the Sheraton behind Aaron; Photo: Becca Stevens |
Known for its reef and rock wall, it features abundant fish and a fairly large Green Sea Turtle population.
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| The overcast and murky water interfered with fish photograpy; Photos: Becca Stevens |
Scott and I snorkeled there a few years ago, but I was freaked out by the current. Apparently, this same current makes it good for a great drift diving.
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| Becca's video showed a pretty strong current |
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| Becca selfie (with Shark) at Mala Pier |
The next dive was the one Becca was really looking forward to: Mala Pier. Built in 1922, Mala Pier served for 30 years as a shipping facility for Maui pineapple and other crops. In 1992, Hurricane Iniki's 30-foot surf surge completely destroyed the already decrepit pier, leaving pilings; scattered along the ocean floor.
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| Aaron swimming by old pier supports; Photo: Becca Stevens |
Over time, it has become a healthy (if somewhat industrial-looking) artificial reef ...
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| It's an interesting landscape; Photos: Becca Stevens |
... that is home to a vast array of marine life ...
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| A great assortment of fish; Photo: Becca Stevens |
It is especially known for White-tipped Sharks, which was Becca's motivation for wanting to dive there ...
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| A resting White-tipped Shark; Left Photo: Becca Stevens; Right Photo: Maui Diving |
... that girl loves her Sharks ...
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| Showing off the sign for Shark; Left Photo: Becca Stevens; Right Photo: Maui Diving |
It is also home to a cleaning station frequented by large numbers of Green Sea Turtles as well as an occasional Ray.
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| Divers frequently see about 25 Turtles in one dive; Photo: Maui Diving |
The Turtles and Rays go there to have smaller fish remove parasites.
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| Cleaning station; Photos: Maui Diving |
Becca and Aaron didn't see Rays, but they sure had a great Turtle Show.
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| Swimming by; Photo: Maui Diving |
This time, close encounters, but no bumping.The Maui Diving instructor was kind enough to use Becca's Go-Pro to capture photos of Becca and Aaron with the Turtles (and to get some primo Turtle shots).
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| Portrait with a Turtle; Photo: Maui Diving |
Becca and Aaron said the dives were good, but a bit difficult because they had to lug their tanks in and out in surf through a minefield of rocks and urchins (especially at Mala). Plus, the previous days' wind had stirred up the water, making it murky (which was not helped by the cloud cover).
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| But, overall, OKAY; Photo: Becca Stevens |
Watching the video makes me want to rethink my decision not to explore diving as a hobby.
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| Aaron finding more sealife (he's really good at it); Photo: Becca Stevens |
Snorkeling
Since Scott and I don’t dive (and because diving is expensive and has the flight restrictions), we really wanted some good snorkeling.
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| Me snorkeling at Olowalu; Photo: Becca Stevens |
In the past, all of my successful trips have been via boats (for some hefty fees). Every time I have tried to snorkel from shore on Maui, I have had extreme difficulty navigating the surf to get in and out of the water. It’s very scary when there are rocks and coral to be slammed into.
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| This stuff is sharp; Photo: Becca Stevens |
This time, we tried two walk-in spots and were satisfied with both.
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| Caty was my snorkel buddy |
The first, ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu Natural Area Reserve, was the best by far. I had actually been there before, but just to walk down to the beach, not to snorkel.
The Reserve, which includes a coastal lava field and surrounding waters on the southwest coast, protects the most recent lava flow on Maui, nearshore coral reefs and “anchialine” ponds (brackish pools not directly connected to the ocean).
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| Protected waters |
Much of the Reserve is barren, rough and jagged ʻaʻa lava with some smooth pahoehoe lava fed by the Kalua O Lapa cinder cone. Radiocarbon aging for Kalua O Lapa lava indicate an eruption between 1419 and 1621. Radiocarbon dating of the older Kanahena lava flows in the area leave its age unresolved, but estimated between 1024 and 1183 AD.
There is a nice paved parking lot (rare for this part of Maui) that costs only $5.00 for the entire day (Hawai'ians park for free). Although it is known for filling up, we found a space rather quickly.
Because it’s a lava flow, walking to the beach is a bit tricky: shoes with decent soles are a must.
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| You have to navigate rocks; Photo: Scott Stevens |
The beach itself is also pretty rocky and entering the water is tough on feet. I found it easier to just don my fins and side-step my way in rather than trying to put my fins on in the water. But, the bay is protected, so it has gentle surf. And just past the surf line, you’re in the reefs.
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| Volcanic beaches are tough on the feet |
It was lovely and had there been any sunshine it probably would have been spectacular. There are at least 33 species of coral ...
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| A nice view of coral; Photo: Becca Stevens |
53 species of subtidal invertebrates ...
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| Aaron even found an Octopus; Photo: Becca Stevens |
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| Can you see it? |
... and 75 species of fish (17 endemic) ...
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| Becca captured lots and lots of fish |
Five marine species with protected status frequent the reserve: Hawai’ian Monk Seals (still haven’t seen one); Hawksbill Turtles (haven’t seen one of these either); Green Sea Turtle (have seen lots) ...
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| Aaron was very good at finding them; Photos: Becca Stevens |
... Spinner Dolphins ...
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| From previous trips; we didn't see any this time |
... and Humpback Whales (the marine portion of the Reserve is within the Hawai’ian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary) ...
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| This pose is what gives the Humpback its name |
There were lots of areas where coral was close to the surface and I am still building up confidence to swim near coral.
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| It's both the coral and the sharp things that live on the coral |
But, we saw lots of fish …
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| A nice selection |
Including some pretty interesting ones ...
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| Cornetfish, Trumpetfish and another Cornetfish; Top and bottom photo: Becca Stevens |
Becca and Aaron ventured further out and saw so much more than Caty and I did that I am still kicking myself. I just need to be braver.
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| The schools were denser farther out; Photos: Becca Stevens |
But, we still had fun, including a very close encounter with a Green Sea Turtle. Caty heard from other snorkelers there was one nearby. She looked in my direction to tell me and when she turned around, it was inches from her face.
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| This isn't cropped (much) |
It didn’t run into us like the one that hit Becca when they were diving. But, it was about as close to Caty as you can get without direct contact.
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| I guess we scared it as much as it scared us; it went and hid |
ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu was a great find – and, with easy and cheap parking, a lot more affordable than a snorkel trip on a boat.
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| Becca liked it; Photo; Aaron McDougal |
Since we have our own masks, snorkels and fins, a lot of the cost of a boat-based snorkel trip is wasted.
As I mentioned, it was overcast, so the reefs weren’t as brilliant as they can be with filtered sunlight.
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| Still not bad; Photo: Becca Stevens |
Becca and Aaron went back to ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu on their last day when it was sunnier and the video is much prettier.
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| Seems like they saw more fish, too; Photos: Becca Stevens |
I am surprised Scott and I didn’t try it on previous trips, but I think paved parking is relatively new.
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| This is a must-do; Photo: Becca Stevens |
We tried another spot that was OK, but not as good as ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu: Olowalu.
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| Caty (and me in the background) exploring Olowalu; Photo: Becca Stevens |
Actually, Caty and I had snorkeled the same area from a boat (obviously further from shore) back in 2019, so we knew about the area.
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| Snorkeling in 2019 |
We didn’t know that you could walk right in – on sand!
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| The ideal: calm surf, smooth sand |
This was, by far, the easiest snorkeling access we have found. The reefs are very close to the surface, so it takes some courage (aided by the wide sand “lanes” that crisscross the area).
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| Very shallow; Photo: Becca Stevens |
We didn’t see as much, but, once again, it was a bit murky from the previous days’ winds and it was overcast.
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| The coral isn't as bright here, either |
Also, once again Becca and Aaron ventured further out. This time, they came back in and led us to clearer water.
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| Navigating the channels; Photos: Becca Stevens |
But, as we were leaving for the day, we did have a great sighting ...
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| White-speckled Seahare in super shallow water |
I think on a sunny calm day this could be a truly great spot.
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| Well, it was already a great spot; Photo: Becca Stevens |
Where ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu is close to and south of Kihei, where we were staying, Olowalu is on the west closer to Lahaina. Parking at Olowalu is on the roadside and, on a busy day, would be quite tricky.
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| Two good options |
Olowalu has some sad history. In 1879, British Captain Simon Metcalfe set out on a trading mission with two ships: the main ship, the Eleanora, and the Fair American, a schooner under command of his son, Thomas Metcalfe. After the Fair American was captured by the Spanish, Simon continued on to Hawai’i, arriving on the Big Island in 1790.
When the local chief boarded the ship to welcome them, something offended Simon, who had the chief flogged. The Eleanora then sailed north to Maui to trade and resupply.
When a small boat was stolen and the night watchman was killed, Simon captured a few Hawai’ians who told him the boat had been taken by people from the village of Olowalu.
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| Battle of the Red-Mouthed Gun by Herb Kāne |
He sailed to Olowalu and found that boat had been broken up for its nails, which were treasured because Hawai’ians didn’t have metal smelting technology. Simon invited the villagers to meet the ship, indicating he wanted to trade with them. Instead, he opened fire, killing about 100 Hawai’ians and wounding many others.
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| Kamehameha Aboard Fair American by Herb Kāne |
The lone survivor was Isaac Davis, who was rescued by King Kamehameha I and employed as a military advisor during subsequent battles and negotiations with later European visitors. Simon eventually left the islands without realizing that he had indirectly caused his own son's death.
Historically, Hawai’ians farmed Olowalu, until Europeans arrived and created sugarcane plantations.
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| Olowalu Sugar Mill |
The hills above Olowalu used to be lush with sandalwood and other hardwoods, which were eventually cleared for trade with Europeans who valued the fragrant sandalwood. Now, Olowalu is trying to reforest with sandalwood.
The community is sparsely inhabited today, but there are some plans for a major development, which is controversial because it is adjacent to one of Hawai’i's healthiest and most unusual coral reef systems.
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| Mustard Hill Coral |
The sheltered reef features large coral heads that are estimated to be hundreds of years old, as well as a rare Manta Ray cleaning station and Blacktip Reef Shark nursery. Of course, we saw neither Mantas nor Sharks.
Last time I was in Maui, my underwater camera came loose from the extension rod and sank. So, I bought another one for this trip. I don’t know if it was the weather, the camera or me, but I am pretty disappointed in what I got on my snorkel outings. Nothing was sharp. The photos I isolated from Becca’s Go-Pro video were better.
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| Left, mine; Right, pulled from Becca's video |
It seems lately that I am not happy with the clarity of anything I shoot. It is not a cheap camera, so I am hoping the problem was me – perhaps I zoomed too much. I’ll have to test it again before I give up.
Surfing
Surfing, of course, is synonymous with Hawai'i.
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| They start them out young |
No, I don’t surf. Shoot, I can barely get up after sitting on the floor! But, Aaron does.
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| Aaron rides the waves |
Becca bought him a surfing lesson while we were in Maui, thinking Scott would like to photograph him surfing. When Scott declined, I stepped in (heck, I probably would have shot it even if Scott had).
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| A fun assignment |
The day he surfed turned out to be nice – sunny with only light wind. The waves were gentle – a good thing for a surfing lesson. I was very impressed with Aaron’s surfing.
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| I doubt that I could even get this far |
He was obviously concentrating (indeed, the instructor told him to stop watching his feet), but he was much better than many of the other folks taking lessons.
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| Surf dance |
In fact, it didn’t appear that he was getting a lot of instruction as he caught wave after wave.
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| Rare interaction with the instructor |
At one point, Aaron did a little jump and changed his orientation on the board. That just happened to be the only time we decided to video instead of taking photos. How cool was that?
And, while I was watching Aaron, a Wandering Tattler wandered by.
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| A Hawai'ian shorebird with a cool name |
Find out more about our stay in Maui in my next post.
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| Maui sunset; Photos: Scott Stevens |
Trip date: November 19-December 1, 2022
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