Ono you did not!

There are two locations to the south of Kona that are great for swimming, coral, and wildlife. They are Kealakekua Bay and Honaunau. We used to drive to these places, but at some point a few years ago we decided it would be more fun to take a boat there. Ryan’s Dad is a local Captain and revered fisherman, and he hooked us up with a local outfit. We’ve been sailing with Bite Me fishing charters ever since. Most people charter with them to go fishing. We just want them to take us swimming. One of our favorite crew members is Momi, and we were delighted to see her again this morning as we arrived at the dock. 

We steamed into Kealakekua at the same time dozens of other tour boats did, and much of the north side of the bay was filled with noodlers - people from tour boats big and small who are given a foam noodle and maybe a mask to float around. We politely swam around them, but were relieved when we exited that end of the bay. Momi, who was swimming along with us, found an octopus and we all passed him around for a while before she put him back in his den. Momi also took on one of Heather’s goPros and took photos all during our swim. How great to get photos from more than one angle at a time.

Thank you Momi for getting this and some other awesome pics!

Momi brought over an octopus for everyone to see.

The octopus from both sides of Heather’s camera, and as Hopper’s wing man, then safely back in it’s den.

More swimming along the majestic cliffs of Kealakekua, estimated to be over 75 McGuckins high (he’s 6’4”!)

In the time I’ve spent in Hawaii over the years, I’ve noticed that Hawaiians take special care of the elderly and young children. I’ve learned this by witnessing interactions in grocery stores, in traffic, and even in the lineup while surfing. We have some older guests on our trip this week, and one of them, Charlie, 85, needs a little extra attention. Our Hawaiian guides Ryan and Kekau have been so wonderful with him, and we are grateful to have them both. 

Toward the end of our swim, I was thinking about how he hadn’t swum in water over 20’ deep all week, so I asked Captain Rory to place our boat a few hundred yards in the middle of the bay, so we could all have a taste of deep water swimming. While doing that, I could hear dolphins. 

We climbed aboard for lunch, and were soon surrounded by a playful pod of Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins. They showed off for us a bit, leaping and spinning, as we ate Clare and Dan’s delicious sandwiches. After lunch we jumped back in to check out a massive bait ball. 

Spinner’s showing off for us over lunch!

Millions of jacks swirled around in a shape shifting school.

Thank you to Momi for getting this awesome video footage of the bait ball! She can free dive much deeper with a camera than I can!

Next we steamed over to Honaunau, which from land is a serious place, but in the water it’s colorful and fun. The coral here is healthy and vibrant. More dolphins that we could hear communicating with each other in squeals, pops, and clicks. 

We rocked a little side to side as we headed north, back to the harbor, trolling with four fishing lines. Clare had given us strict instructions to text her if we caught a big fish, as it would affect their meal planning. About a mile from the harbor, Heather texted her that we were unsuccessful. I reminded Heather that we were about to enter some of the best fishing grounds in all of Hawaii. A minute later, one of the reels started zinging loudly as it let out a lot of line. A fish! Momi leapt down from the bridge and took control of things, shouting for someone to get on the reel. I was closest to it, so I hopped in the fighting chair and started to reel it in, whatever “it” was. I was instructed to keep the pole pointed in the direction of the line, and just as I didn’t think I could reel it in any more, we could see the fish just behind the boat. Momi pulled the line in by hand, and Ryan gaffed the fish and hauled it on deck. An Ono! Otherwise known as Wahoo, a great fish to eat. I had the dubious honor of clubbing it over the head for a swift and merciful end. There was a decent amount of blood involved. Back on the dock, a guy skillfully fileted the 35 pound fish, which we shared with the crew. Ryan took some home, too. 

Hopper and the big Ono. It will feed many.

Back at the Hale, it was a very quiet evening. Heather and I got to spend some time with Charlie after everyone went to bed. He spoke openly of his diagnosis of the early stages of dementia, and the foundation he created to help other people with it. He has a lot of medical knowledge, as he was a vascular surgeon. We also talked a lot about technology and the elderly, and the difficulties he and his peers have navigating in this new world. He says he feels at his best in the water these days. Charlie is dear to us and I am so glad to be a part of something that makes him feel like the strong, intelligent guy he is.

Charlie leaps into his happy place. We feel it too, Charlie, and we love you for joining us!

We might put the brakes on this party a little bit tomorrow, with a fun splash in the morning and a LOT of hydration. An afternoon massage won’t hurt either.

Hopper