Seems like everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Eka adventures has no office at the pier, so we wander around the dock looking for a traditional Hawaiian canoe. We manage to hook up with the two other couples on the tour and we work together to figure out where we are supposed to be. Our ship is a beautifully crafted outrigger that has been delayed due to weather. The captain weaves sailor's yarns about the unpredictability of weather and how rough the water is tonight and reasons for why he uses a motor vs wind power on the craft. It is hard for me to understand whether he is trying to let us down gently before he cancels the trip, or if he is giving us reason not to get our hopes up for a less than stellar experience. Eventually we are made to realize that he will run the trip, within the confines of the bay and that we will be delayed because the boat that had our gear was also held up by weather, but not until I am already starting to worry about the cold and what will happen if I need to pee.
The bad news is that we can already see the Sea Quest folks emptying the patrons of their party boats into the same place we are headed to the tune of Pharrell Williams "Happy". The good news is we also hear some delighted squeals that signal that the Rays are out tonight.
Danielle joins us as the Manta Ray expert and once under way, things go smoothly. She supplies us with wet suit jackets and masks and snorkles and instructs us on how to plop into the water and arrange ourselves around a surfboard to grab handles with arms extended and feet supported by styrofoam noodles. We lie face down with faces in the water and orient to the bright lights that ignite plankton for the Manta Rays to feed on. The water is murky, as is my mood until the first creature swims by. All distractions disappear when I see how their black backs look purple/blue in the light. A stealth swimmer passes below us low in the water. A large female enters the side of my visual field and comes up to our board, executing a flip just in time to avoid grazing my belly. Her mouth is shaped like two big pinchers and I can see down her throat. Her belly fades in the distance, revealing two strips of gills along the sides. They are like 12 feet of otherworldly prehistoric birds in the water. Pass after pass we see these intelligent creatures perform acrobatics below us. They can sense our heart beats and our electromagnetic signals. Danielle points out markings that identify the different Rays. It is cold and although I am shivering violently I am reluctant for this unique experience to end.
Weather is the main culprit here, and still we gained an exciting peek into the world of these exotic creatures. I can imagine that on a balmy day with no delays, this experience would be even better. My only complaint with the company is that the captain's less than excellent communication made for unnecessary pre-trip confusion. First world problems, as they say, and overall, I highly recommend this adventure over the bigger outfits that no doubt would have held my hand but at the cost of a more intimate experience.