Today was a Kona wind day with rather heavy variable winds. We set sail towards the channel and searched for some whales which we found quickly. A mother and a calf breached near our boat before we anchored and lowered the snorkel step to search through the wreckage of the ancient Mala pier that was destroyed during hurricane Aniki in 1992. The coral life here was fantastic and it was truly an exhibit of how enough coral can grow on human debris to support an eco system in a matter of a decade. I was able to get close to a school of butterfly fish that had extremely long tails at the top which one of my friends told me was an indicator of a healthy reef. There were some amazing coral formations and various swim throughs that I was able to inspect. When I was swimming through a coral formation I was able to spotlight a small white tip reef shark with my dive light I brought with me that was sleeping on the sandy bottom in a cave that was created from the wreckage of the pier. After the snorkeling we enjoyed a hearty lunch of Mahi Mahi, a sweet BBQ Chicken and Rice Pilaf. After lunch we sailed into the channel and sipped cocktails until we came across a pod of whales. A mother and a calf came very close to our boat and we were able to get some good shots of the tail above the water. Today when I was driving out to the departure point in Kaanapali I was worried that the weather would effect the trip but the crew of the Gemini proved that not matter what the weather throws out there is always a silver lining when you’re in the paradise of Maui!
