So, the day I had selected turned out to be less than sunny, and not surprising since this has been the wettest winter on Maui in 2 decades. Our photographer, JC, was really skeptical due to the lighting. Well, PollyAnna here…oh the lighting, whales, fish, coral, sunken ship and flora and fauna is going to be beyond awesome!!! Yep! I love it when Im right. Oh, I couldnt forget to mention the crew as well…the best!
As previously mentioned, we have had one of the wettest winter in years, and just recently re-entering the activities business, I wanted to find activities that are fun to experience when our friend, Mr Sun isnt shining his brilliant face. At Tom Barefoots Tours we actually have a plethora of activities to suggest, and I happened to pick one of the top things to do on Maui when its cloudy/rainy outside.
We gathered at Lahaina Harbor waiting to board our water taxi to take us to the Atlantis Submarine. We boarded and the cheerful and humorous crew greeted us with an informative briefing and history of Atlantis Submarine. Did you know they operate 13 submarines around the world and Maui was the first in the state of Hawaii. These submarines are state of the art and were eco-friendly before that word was even a trend! They are all battery operated which does not put out any pollutants into the sea.
We reached our sub after a geography lesson of the surrounding islands, and stopping for a few whale sightings. It was my first time on a live submarine taking me 130 feet below the waters surface. Scared? No. Exhilarated? yes, just by the thought of descending that far down with no breathing apparatus, well of course our vehicle! No need to get wet or cold in our perfectly balanced capsule! What an adventure!
Down we went…no worries about equalizing ears due to pressurization in the cabin, but if you had the need, it was just like being in an airplane. From the first descending second, watching the light come through the waters surface, then watching the waters darkening due to our depth, all was crystal clear, just as our first mate stated, the water is perfectly clear as gin! Nice power of suggestion for when you get off your submarine ride, 21 and over only!
We explored two reefs, the north and south, both teeming with thousands of brilliantly colored fish swimming in the direction from where the current came. That was one of the many things I learned! Numerous types of coral…finger, slate and brain are the most prominently embedded in my memory. Sleeping reef shark…never saw a shark sleeping…I think its more comforting that way, but heck, we were in a submarine!
Then we landed at the mother load…the sunken ship, Carthaginian, which was sunk in 2005 to develop an artificial reef which is amazing how much has grown in such a short period of time. It takes about 1 year for an inch of coral to grow. It is also flourishing with an abundance of reef fish and other marine life.
Forty-five minutes…really???That quick? I felt like we were only down there five minutes because every time you turned there was something captivating to look at. Every seat is a window seat, and everybody gets the same view not matter what side you are seated because the skillful and mindful captain rotates the vessel so everybody gets to take in the same views.
In summarizing, PollyAnna here again. Mr. JC, our photographer, was able to capture the fish, so wildly painted by mother nature, with the bright lights from Atlantis. So, dont worry if its sunny or cloudy, the light from Atlantis brightens beneath the sea not only with her exterior lights but from the hospitality of her crew!
A Hui Hou!