What a treat to go on this day trip on a beautiful catamaran snorkeling in search of sea critters. Initially I thought the price tag might be a tad high but not so when you see all that's included. We completely felt that they earned every penny.
We attended the morning trip hoping to catch more fish and sea creatures active. That meant a 5AM wake up for us. We were picked up 3 buildings away from our rental in front of Ilikai Hotel flag poles. Free transport by bus to the marina where we met the crew and boat. Hot chocolate and tea were waiting for us on the docks.
Out we went and within 20 minutes we saw our first whales! They will take you close to them during whale season Nov through April. We saw many and watched as 2 different whales breached but this happened so fast each time all I got to see was the huge splash!
We had plenty of time with the whales, then off to our 2 snorkeling sites. The first, while more shallow was no less spectacular. It was sad to appreciate the effects of environmental changes on the coral. There were some relatively healthy coral reefs at the first site- and we saw an amazing little Manta ray about 5-6 ft in wing span. He was like a lawn mower with his mouth wide open going back and forth filtering the rich plankton that was floating within the water. He really was not mindful of my husband and I as we watched with amazement as he went through his tasks of turning those microscopic organisms into a delicious (for him) treat!
We saw a turtle at the bottom doing his thing and of course the normal inhabitants including Moorish Idols and the various trigger fish including the state fish of Hawaii.
After the water activities we were treated to a hot meal including teriyaki fish, pulled pork fruit, salad and both alcoholic ( up to 3 for the trip) and non alcoholic beverages. The special was a winner- coconut rum, vodka and pineapple juice. Refreshing and not too heavy.
We got back just before 1PM. We did not have any sail time, as we chose to spend the time traipsing after whales and what not, but the boat was roomy and comfortable. All in all a great day with experiences that we won’t forget.
Thanks Ko Olina, Todd H, Mike B, Tomomi and Doug!