Dangers and Good Times

Galapagos sharks are bold and have behaved aggressively towards humans, and are thus regarded as dangerous.

Warnings are things that are best heeded especially when you have a bad back and are in your 40's. Back in my younger days, I enjoyed getting the ultimate high by doing dangerous things for fun. That all changed the day I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. I have slowed down somewhat....so I thought.

Seeing sharks in an aquarium is cool. Having the chance to see them up close is a lifelong dream. How many nights have I watched National Geographic specials with divers in cages studying sharks and thought...wouldn't that be cool?

So here I was up at 4 a.m. on Friday and boarding a bus for the ride to the north shore of Oahu with mask and snorkel in hand and carrying a beach towel.

We left Waikiki at 6:30 a.m. and got to the harbor at about 8:25 a.m.-a few minutes behind schedule because The Bus driver had to make a rest stop at a gas station and then decided to do a little shopping. She dropped us off and pointed towards the harbor and said, "Go that way."

Nervous that we missed our check in, we hurried to the harbor looking for some kind of office. Nothing. We kept walking and saw a small boat pull into a slip and lo and behold it was North Shore Shark Adventures pulling in after its first customer run of the day.

As the people came off boat I asked them what they thought and all said it had been great. They all looked very wet and cold. We also found out that the ocean was warm. That was a concern because it had been raining off and on all morning.

Anyway we waited for some other people to arrive and then were off on our adventure heading to a spot three miles out in the ocean to meet the sharks and the cage. The ocean wasn't rough but it wasn't glass either so the boat was tossing around a little bit. Finally we reached the cage and the captain pulled the boat up next to it.

 As we sat anxiously awaiting our chance to get in the water, the captain explained that we would be seeing Galapagos Reef sharks. He also said there would be no chumming in the water as the sharks were used to the area fisherman throwing bait into the water and they fed off of that. So, he explained that a boat's motor would attract them.

As we peered over the edge of the boat, we could barely make out dark shapes  nearing the boat and we all got excited.

The captain divided us up into four groups and asked who wajted to go in first...there was silence. Then some people volunteered, put on their masks and snorkels and climbed into the cage. For those who purchased a souvenir video, crew members threw a colorful float i the wtar to attract the sharks for the underwater camera.

As a second group entered the water, I prepared my snorkel and mask. A few minutes later, one man came out of the water saying he had been stung on the arm by a jelly fish. The captain sprayed Jelly Fish juice on him.

 Then it was my turn to enter the water. I stepped over the side of the boat.Took a big step down and was in the cage. The waves started pushing me forward into te side of the cage so I grabbed the side and started to inch my way around the edge. It was when I got on the opposite wall that I noticed the stinging sensation on the top of my right foot. I waited for a minute deciding whether or not to get out. I chose to stay in and a few minutes later Autumn got in. We dove down and watched as the sharks swan only a few feet from the cage and at times came within inches of the bars. Autumn got out and I soon found myself alone. I spent several minutes by myself watching them watch me. It was fabulous. I was even able to get a couple of pictures.

When I finally got out of the cage, I was sore from banging around against the sides but it was worth it. I told the captain about being stung and he sprayed it with Jelly Fish juice. I sat wondering if I would be able to wear my shoe over the area that ahd been stung. By the time we got back to the dock, I had made my decision and wore my shoes back to the hotel.

The red marks from the jelly fish.

We got back to the hotel, showered and got ready for our last event on the island. After an hour of rest, we headed to another hotel for our pickup bus that would take us to a luau.

As it was rush hour, our ride lasted about an hour and got off and were greeted with leis and Mai Tai's. A great way to start the night.

As the night began, we found our chairs at the table and then wandered around looking at all the arts and crafts. We attended an island fishing ceremony called a Hukilau, watched someone climb a Coconut tree and tried our hands at making leis.

Another fruity drink and we found ourselves practicing the art of throwing spears. Hmm.. not much luck on my part..Good thing I don't have to defend my family. I'm a writer...

Then it was dinner and show with traditional Hawaiian music. We ate and clapped and met some great people.

And before we knew it, the night and our trip was over. We returned to the hotel to pack and sleep. We were up at 3 a.m. to catch a 4:15 a.m. shuttle for an ealry morning flight home.

Aloha

Over and Under the Sea

Wednesday brought rain and a slow down to our Island activities.We went swimming at the hotel. We decided to have lunch at a nearby MacDonald's which featured not only hot apple pies but Taro pies as well. Oh yeah. And with the meal deal order, you get a cup of pineapple.

We were scheduled to take a sunset cocktail cruise but instead ended up hanging out at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The hotel is great with an outdoor area that features flamingos, penguins, a couple of pools and stores to shop for gifts. We then headed back to our hotel via The Bus and called it a night.

Thursday brought another cloudy day but the rain was intermittent so we once again boarded The Bus and headed for the Hilton for our next adventure. The Atlantis Submarine.

When we arrived, we were taken by boat for about a 10-minute ride to where the subs are docked. The captain told us all to look out the windows as the sub surfaced. We then waited as a group of people disembarked before were allowed to board.

We stepped out onto the wet deck holding for dear life as the sub moved up and down with the ocean's motion. we then slowly made our way to the round hatch and climbed down a ladder into the belly of the submarine.

 After a safety warning the diving horn went off and we began our dive to 110 feet. As we went down the water stayed blue but seemed to become murkier. We passed some artificial reefs that were teaming with fish. we saw sharks, sea turtles and small fish.

 At one point our captain pointed out that we had hit the 110 foot mark and told us to look for another reef that had been blown around during a hurricane.

And the fish. They seemed to come from nowhere at times making us jump as they shot past our view port. Although we were far underwater, you could still make out their colors.

when we arrived back to our starting point, we once again boarded the boat to head for shore. On the way we saw surfers, snorkelers and swimmers. We got back on land and then hung out at the beach for a couple of hours before embarking on our next adventure.

As you can probably already tell, the title of this blog hints at being under the sea as well as being over it. Well, as I said in the above paragraph, we had some time to kill at the beach before boarding a large catamaran for a sunset cocktail cruise. That is the above part and it was very relaxing.

We walked out to the boat via the Hilton pier and just before boarding, we took our shoes off. We climbed in and found places to sit as the captain gave us a few safety tips and told us the most important thing about the voyage...where the food and cocktails would be served.

The engine of the boat started and we were then underway watching as Waikiki slipped away as we got further out to sea. to our right, we could see storm clouds over Diamondhead.

After a few minutes, the sail was raised and all was quiet aboard the boat. We cruised with just the sounds of the wind in the rigging and the waves slapping the sides of the boat. We started on our cocktails and really started having a great time talking with fellow cruisers on the boat. Some were from California.

After eating some food, the sun began to set and we all headed to the stern to watch. even the captain got into the act as he sat steering the boat.

Once the sun finally set, we headed back to the dock and headed for the hotel.

Sea Life Up Close and Personal

One thing we have found here is that everyone is so helpful. From the employees at the hotel to local bus drivers, either they are good at tolerating tourists or they genuinely care about their fellow humans. Either way, it has made for are really nice island experience.

Tuesday found us once again preparing to board The Bus  for our ride to Sea Life Park. Before going, I made several phone calls in an effort to find out how we would make the trip. We settled on The Bus. It costs $2.50 per person one way and isn't really a bad way to travel as we get to see the island close up.

 Upon leaving the hotel, I stopped at the desk to ask directions to the closest bus stop that would serve our needs. Soon we were on our way walking towards the beach on Kuhio Avenue and reaching our destination after about three blocks. A few minutes later, The Bus arrived and we spent about an hour heading to our destination with spectacular views of beaches and the ocean.

 We were dropped off right at the entrance to the park and immediately purchased our tickets and entered a large aquarium that as shaped like a circle and as you went around and down, you were able to see the fish that lived at all the levels. Sharks, rays, and other tropical fish swam by and some, like the puffer, even faced the humans who were peering at it.

One of the neat things about the park, as we would learn during our visit is that most of the animal displays are interactive for park guests.It was really fun because I don't remember ever having been able to get so close to animals before.

For example, we encountered a turtle pond full of turtles that were waiting anxiously to be fed by park attendees. Most of them craned their heads far out of the water in the hope of a snack. If dolphins are your thing then many park goers get to swim with them and interact with them as well. Great stuff.

 The main attractions at the park are the sea lions and dolphins. We watched one sea lion show where the sea lions danced to music and painted pictures.

 The dolphin show offered up lots of jumping and splashing to the joy of young and old alike. It even offered up a Wolfin, the result of a dolphin mating with a whale. The interesting part is that it did look like a bottle nosed dolphin but its snout was curved like a whale. Neat stuff.

Wolphin

The afternoon was warm, about 75 degrees and the penguins spent it hiding under rock outcroppings. The sea lion played all day in their pool and could be heard barking all over the park, especially when It came time for guests to get the chance to feed them. I can tell you, it was incredible. Although there was fencing, the sea lions at times were within about three feet from us.

 Before we knew it, our time at the park was over and we once again headed for a bus stop and sat waiting. It was there that I noticed the older woman with the back pack. I struck up a conversation with her and found out she as from Germany and was spending a month backpacking around the island. How cool. I think that sometimes we all wish we could do stuff like that.

I said goodbye and Autumn and I boarded the bus and headed back to Waikiki.

We made one stop at Costco so that Autumn could get a bathing suit and then finally made it back to the hotel.