Hawai'i: Back to Maui (Again!) Part 2

A beautiful vista taken from a comfy bench

This trip was over the Thanksgiving holiday and, early on, I decided to NOT try to cook a Thanksgiving dinner while in Maui.

We barely got to our stockings; 2019

We had tried to do Christmas dinner in the U.S. Virgin Islands a few years ago and it just didn’t work out because there were so many other things to do. We didn't really have the time (or didn't want to waste the time) to shop and cook. Vacation time is just too valuable. Plus, you never know what kind of kitchen supplies you will have. 

So, I came across what looked like a fabulous idea: Thanksgiving dinner on a Whale watching boat with the Pacific Whale Foundation.

I thought dinner on a boat would be nice; Photo: Pacific Whale Foundation

I booked it without thinking that it would be full dark for most of the cruise (oh, well, maybe it would be a nice sunset). But, that ended up not mattering because of the (once again) high winds.

The cruise was canceled and our money refunded. But, since they already had all that food, so they told us to come by and pick up dinner.

For free! That was nice of them; Photos: Scott Stevens

Since they do valuable research and Whale preservation, I made a nice donation to the Pacific Whale Foundation.

So, we ended up having re-heated Thanksgiving dinner at the condo. 

Not what we planned, but fine; Photo: Scott Stevens

It was pretty good, except for the highly anticipated pumpkin haupia (coconut custard) pie. It was soggy and tasteless. And, I had such high hopes!

So, another weather causality.

Whale Watching

So, why do I go to Maui? To see Humpback Whales. There is no better place. And, I have blogged about it a lot.

Maui, 2014

I know that February 14 is the peak of Whale season (when the most Whales are simultaneously in Maui Bay), but everything you read says that Whale season is from November (some even say October) to April. 

DO NOT BE FOOLED. October is NOT Whale season. November is NOT Whale season. Whales don’t really start arriving in numbers until late December. But, I didn’t know that. 

I did become suspicious when I starting booking Whale watching trips and found that most don’t start until December 1 (the day AFTER we were scheduled to leave). But, there were some trips.

An interesting panoramic of a single boat; Photo Scott Stevens

I booked one (the one that screwed up Caty’s chance to go on a second dive) and was excited to be able to offer Aaron his first Whale.

Hoping for something good; Photos: Scott Stevens

I have been out on lots of Whale watches with the Pacific Whale Foundation, usually out of Maalaea Harbor, which is close to Kihei. This time of year, however, the few Whale watches offered (and Dolphin trips) were all out of Lahaina. 

Lahaina; Photo: Scott Stevens

I was a bit surprised by the layout of this boat, which had tables right up to the bow. Comfy for a dinner cruise, but tricky if multiple people want to see a Whale.

This boat was hard to move around on; Photo: Scott Stevens

It was a gorgeous day and a lovely boat ride, but a lousy Whale watch. 

A nice day

Technically, we did see one, but it was very, very far away. And, we heard one fairly close on the hydrophone (Becca recorded it; listen below). It just never showed up. 

The sighting was so poor that the Whale Foundation gave us rain checks. That didn’t help the group because there was no time to fit in another Whale watch, especially when the odds were so poor.

But, after everyone else had left (Caty left on Tuesday, Becca and Aaron on Wednesday and we left on Thursday), Scott and I went out again because we had lots of time to kill before our late evening flight. And, it was a gorgeous day ...

A pretty sky

... perhaps the best of the trip ...

The ferry from Lahaina to Lana'i

This time, we actually saw somewhere between eight and twelve Whales.

Here are three

It was primarily males following a female and creating what is called a “competition pod,” vying for her attention. 

Traveling in tandem

They were active, but most of the activity was underwater.

The most exciting action of the trip; Photo: Scott Stevens

At one point several came very close to our boat.

This one surprised even the captain

If you had never seen a Whale, this would have been a treat. But, after all the breaching and fluking and fin-and tail-slapping we’ve seen, it was pretty disappointing. 

Still, better than no Whales (and I still have three rainchecks)

A Distant Volcano

While we were on the Big Island November 19-23, we saw lava at Kīlauea and hoped that Mauna Loa, which had been threatening, would erupt. Four days after we flew to Maui, the damn thing erupted! 

I so wanted to see this! Photo: People.com

Seriously, four days after we left? Four days after we drove right by it? 

We had just been right there; Photo: Northeastern University

And, it was a doozy of an eruption, with lava shooting 200 feet in the air and flowing to within 1.8 miles of Saddle Road.

Aerial photo: MacAir Technologies for AP

The first eruption since 1984, it began in Mokuʻāweoweo, the summit, around 11:30 p.m. After several hours, new fissures opened some distance away from the summit along the Northeast Rift Zone. Soon after, the summit fissures stopped erupting. 

By December 2 (the day we got home), the eruption was limited to fissure 3 along the Northwest Rift Zone. Fissure 3, the only active fissure, was producing between 50 and 100 cubic yards of lava per second, flowing down slope and out of the park to the north toward Saddle Road.

Brief, but spectacular; Photo: Science Friday

On December 13, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory determined that "Mauna Loa is no longer erupting," adding, "Lava supply to the fissure 3 vent on the Northeast Rift Zone ceased on Dec. 10 and sulfur dioxide emissions have decreased to near pre-eruption background levels." At the same time, Kīlauea’s lava stopped flowing, as well. On January 5, Kīlauea started erupting again with much more lava than when we visited.

So, here’s the biggest regret of a trip filled with minor regrets: I should have changed our departure and returned to the Big island to see the eruption. But, the thought of messing with the airline, the fear that all lodging and cars would already be gone and the cost deterred me. I should have gone.

This could have been us; Photo: Sky News

Still, I guess we were fortunate to see Kīlauea lava! 

Not as dramatic, but still awesome

Makena Cove and Nearby Beaches

The rest of the time on the island was sightseeing. The first evening, after settling into the condo, we took a drive out to what Scott calls "the secret beach," which is a little confusing because there is another beach that actually has that name.

 

Sunset from Makena Cove (that's Molokini out there)

After years of not knowing the real name, I looked it up and found out that it is called Makena Cove. Hidden by a fence and with only a few close-by parking spaces, the beach is reached by a tricky climb down some rocks around a twisty tree (well, tricky if you are old or have on the wrong shoes -- and, let's face it, in Hawai'i, you almost always have on the wrong shoes.)

A beautiful beach

It's a beautiful spot known for special occasions. The night we stopped, there was both a wedding and a young couple taking photos of their new baby.

"Destination" wedding

We also stopped at Big Beach and Makena Beach. At Big Beach, we saw a very, very distant Whale blow and enjoyed the nice weather and gentle sound of surf.

One of many Northern Cardinals we saw on Big Beach

Ho'okipa

You can't go to Maui and not go to Ho'okipa. Well, actually you can because I don't think Becca and Aaron ever made it there. But, I went twice: once with Caty and once with Scott.

What's the attraction? Well, first, it's a gorgeous shoreline ...

Surf hitting the rocks

... with a wide beach ...

A very popular beach, too

Second, it generally has some pretty impressive surf and some very impressive surfers. 

Shooting the curl

The surfers tend to be a very eclectic group, as well: Hawai'ians, Haoles, men, women and, often, young kids. You can watch some surfers here.

The day Caty and I went, there were lots of women surfing

In addition, if you lucky, there are Green Sea Turtles sleeping on the beach. The best time to see them is early morning or late afternoon, but they aren't guaranteed. 

Being a Turtle looks exhausting

And, sometimes, they are there mid-day.

We often see them swimming in and/or swimming out

When Caty and I went, there were six ...

They blend with the rocks; many people don't notice them

When Scott and I went, there were at least 40, probably more ...

A pretty good crowd

... including probably the smallest Green Sea Turtle I have ever seen ...

That's a little guy in the front

Haleakalā and Kula

I took two trips to the Summit District of Haleakalā National Park (once with Caty and once with Scott). Both times, we stopped in Kula for lunch at the Kula Lodge. It was delicious both times, but much better the day I went with Caty because we got to sit outside in the beautiful gardens …

Probably the prettiest gardens I have seen in Hawai'i

… where we saw gorgeous flowers …

Something pretty everywhere you look

... interesting tropical plants ...

These look like corncobs to me

... and a couple of iconic Hawai’ian birds …

This Warbling White-eye put on a show

I have written about Haleakalā before, so I won’t cover many details. When Caty and I went, we didn’t make it too far because of heavy, heavy fog. We went to Hosmer Grove and drove as far as we could looking for birds and were rewarded with several, including some more decent shots at ‘A’apanes!

This trip, at least, gave me some nice pictures of this beautiful bright red bird

We also saw some ‘I’iwis, although I never managed a good shot …

A brilliant bird with an interesting beak; Photo: Caty Stevens

… a couple of photogenic Maui ‘Amakihis …

It actually sat still for me!

… and seven melanistic Ring-necked Pheasants (plus one regular one) …

This time, I got some really good pictures (I don't know why it has no tail)

The last time I was in Maui, I saw one dark Pheasant that, at the time I excitedly thought was a Kalij Pheasant. 

At the time, I didn't know Ring-necked Pheasants could be dark

When I got home and looked closer, I realized that it was not a Kalij, so I submitted it with my checklist to eBird as a melanistic Ring-necked Pheasant. 

Melanistic Ring-necked compared to Kalij

This is the male Ring-necked we saw

A few months later, I got an email from a Cornell ornithologist (Cornell is the nation’s premier ornithology school and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the brains behind eBird) telling me that it was a Green Pheasant. 

That was a new subspecies for me, but not a new bird because the Green was a subset of the Ring-necked.

Then, a few months ago, I got another email from the same ornithologist saying that he had been wrong and I was right; it was, indeed, a melanistic Ring-necked Pheasant.

You can see the similarity; Left photo of a Green Pheasant: eBird

That was sad because he discovered his error while eBird was re-classifying birds, including making the Green pheasant a separate species. Give and take!

It’s a good thing Caty saw Nēnē on the Big island, because we couldn’t find any on the foggy hillsides. We did encounter some feral pigs (another species that has wreaked havoc on the landscape). 

When they saw us, they disappeared into a ravine

But, despite searching, we saw no Pueos (Hawai’ian Short-eared Owls). I had seen several in 2019, but didn’t get a photo.

When Scott and I went back a few days later, we also stopped at Hosmer Grove ...

These trees harbor lots of birds; Photos: Scott Stevens

... where I saw more ‘Apapanes …

A stellar shot!

… and ‘Amakihis …

This one was in the picnic area

… Plus, a Northern Cardinal … 

This one was on the road

I am still missing some other Maui birds that I searched for, but failed to see.

We also saw a couple of Goats ...

This was a pretty impressive male

And, then, as we headed to the (slightly less foggy than my first trip) summit, we saw a Pueo hunting along the road. It was far ahead, but we followed it until we saw it land. It was still far, but I got some pictures!!!

It was exciting to see it land

They aren’t great, but they are better than what I had …

Pretty good for less than ideal photo conditions

We tried to get closer, but it was tucked away in an inaccessible area.

At least it sat still for awhile

This time, we did make it to the summit which, despite overcast, was as beautiful as ever …

The colors are amazing

And as usual, the rocky area around the summit was "decorated" with Haleakalā silverswords, which grow only here ...

A delicate plant in a tough environment; Right photo: Scott Stevens

... and it had a parking lot full of Chukars, an imported gamebird that apparently loves high elevation ...

They seem to like parking lots, too

I had hoped that we would be able to see Mauna Loa from the summit. Had it been clear, we would have. But, we couldn’t see much except clouds. 

Some of those clouds may be volcanic smoke

Another regret is that we didn’t go back up to the Haleakalā summit right before our flight home. Later we learned that it cleared and you could see the lava spewing from the mountain.

North Coast

On the last day there, Scott and I explored the north coast  a bit, stopping at multiple overlooks to savor views of coves ...

A beautiful snorkeling spot protected from the wind and waves

... cliffs ...

The north coast is quite rugged

 ... and beaches ...

This looked calm, but signs said the current was dangerous

... very pretty beaches ...

Heaven! Photo: Scott Stevens

Plus, we ate at the Fish Market in Lahaina (we always eat there when we go to Maui). 

The restaurant is tiny, but my, oh, my, the huge fish sandwich is delicious; Left Photo: Scott Stevens

Most people who go to Maui drive to Hana. We didn't this time because we had been recently and because elevation changes on the route rule it out for anyone who has been SCUBA diving in the past day. Becca and Aaron were going to go, but their delayed dive ruled it out (they couldn't go to Haleakalā, either).

Looking down from Haleakalā

A Few More Things

The extended family

While on Maui, we celebrated Scott’s upcoming 70th birthday (part of the reason for the trip). 

His cousin, Jules, and her husband, Patrick, even made him a nice sign. 

We also visited their booth at the Wailea Village Farmers Market, where they sell puka necklaces that Pat makes and exotic candies, dried fruits and teas that Jules makes.

Scott bought a very large necklace

We also had a nice dinner in Wailea at Gannon’s. We had hoped for a slightly better view, but it was lovely and the food was good.

Enjoying a nice dinner on a lovely night; Photo: Scott Stevens

And, finally, as we flew out of Maui at midnight, I was able to see Mauna Loa erupting 100 miles away. I had my cell phone ready for photos, assuming it would work better in the dark than my regular camera, which was packed away. It just didn’t want to focus (I think the scratched airplane window was the culprit), so what I captured was pretty poor. 

That is 100 miles away

But, it was exciting to see. And, then my deep regret for now going back really set in. Below is a very brief video from the plane ...

The Final Word

I had hoped for a magical trip to the Islands with my family. What I got was pleasant, with some nice views ...

What a beautiful place!

... great experiences ...

Fun and wonder

... time with family ... 

It's alway fun when Becca and Caty get together; Photo: Scott Stevens

Plus, six new birds! 

Woo hoo!

But, I didn’t get to see as much of the Big Island (and its exotic birds) as I wanted. I didn’t get to see huge lava flows. I didn’t get to see the plethora of Whales I have become accustomed to in Maui. And, I was too much of a chicken snorkeling to see as much as I could. 

I may need a do-over!

Good night, Hawai'i; Photo: Scott Stevens

Trip date: November 19-December 1, 2022