Maui Day 3 Part 3

Maui Day 3 – Saturday Part III

So after the zip line, Jennie and I came back to the hotel. It was 10:30! We had done so much that we felt energized, so we went down to the beach to swim around and lay on the beach. We found a nice abandoned umbrella with two chairs and plopped down in the sun. We alternately read and just kind of dozed. Eventually I wanted to get some snorkeling equipment, so I got up and asked around till I found some in the Whaler’s Village, which is only about 50 feet up the path. I met a nice lady named Wendy, who gave me a great deal for a week’s worth of using the snorkeling equipment, and we talked about boat rides. Well, it turned out they had a boat ride that night that was mostly empty, so would we like to go on it? Sure! So I came back and surprised Jennie with the boat ride dinner we were going to go on. We continued to lay out for a while until we were informed by a very nice lady that the umbrella and chairs we were sitting under cost $25.00 a day to rent. We moved, and had the pleasure to sit next to a pair of young guys and a young girl. One young guy, sandy blond hair, and good looking, with a big shark tattoo on his stomach, was probably the single biggest walking cliché I have ever heard in my life. I was ready to leave 20 minutes before I actually left, because listening to him was such an experience. It’s hard to describe, but if there was a cliché thing to say, he SAID IT. The most unoriginal person I have ever had the interest of overhearing. If I had written a story with him in it, the editor would have 100% rejected it on the claim that no one talks that way, no one could possibly be that cliché.

So at 4:00 we met Kevin (one of the crew)

of the Teralini 2

and took off our shoes (throwing them in a tub with everyone else) and marched single file onto the boat.

The Captain

gave us a quick lecture about safety, and the drinks and food started flowing. They warned us that it was April, and most of the whales were heading north back to Alaska and they hadn’t seen a whale all day.

Jennie and I took a picture together:

And Jennie took pictures

Until…

We saw WHALES! Lots of them. This a photo Jennie got:

And

At one point we met a little calf and his mother, and the calf breached about 50 times. Leapt right up into the air and crashed down:

But that wasn’t everything! We then saw DOLPHINS!

After all that, I have to say, I was moved. Truly. The whales were amazing, and the dolphins, plus the flying Mahi Mahi, that I was just moved. I felt something important. Life out there was just cool. I was open to the universe, and God was visible and accessible.

We finished with this fantastic sunset photo by Jennie, that just summed up the beauty and magic of Maui.

And then we were back on the beach, another awesome photo by Jennie:

So what a day day three was! Of course day 4 would be a big day of relaxation and shopping, but we needed it! Day 5 we are back out on the boat! More whales, and this time we’ll show you TURTLES!!!

And finally, here is a little video I caught of the Whales!