Hanauma Bay

On Thursday, I took another day off of work, rented a car, and we went to play in the water again. We have had pretty good weather, until this morning. It is gray and overcast and started drizzling as we headed out to go to Hanauma Bay. The plan was to go there, and then head over to the North Shore to Waiamea Bay to play in the sand.

We stopped at Snorkel Bob's and got some snorkel gear and then drove over to Hanauma Bay. The rain really started just as we got there. We gathered our gear and went in, watched the obligatory film about conservation and then hiked down to the bay and everyone got ready to go snorkel.

Dave and Rebecca didn't last long, but the rest of us had a good time and I even managed to get some photos of critters I have not seen before.

Saddle Wrasse, Convict Tang & Orangebar Surgeonfish

Bluestripe Snapper

Lagoon Triggerfish

This is the "true" humuhumu-nukunuku-ā-pua‘a. The Wedgetail Triggerfish is also known as humuhumu-nukunuku-ā-pua‘a, but this is the first one of these I have seen! While I was taking this photo, along came a Peppered Moray Eel and a Bluefin Trevally that were "symbiotic hunting" together. I followed along and got this video of them!

Ember Parrotfish "supermale"

Ember Parrotfish "immature male or female"

Sailfin Tang

Saddleback Butterflyfish

Barred Filefish

After we got done snorkeling (got cold) we played on the beach for a little while since the rain had stopped and then hiked back up the hill to the car and had lunch in the park.




While all the rest slept, I drove from Hanauma Bay over to the North Shore to Waiamea Bay.

We stopped in the rain and I don't think any of us were really planning on getting back in the water. The beach was nearly deserted, and after watching the swells for a little while and getting our feet wet, we got caught by a bigger one and got a little more wet. That was all it took, I could tell Natalie wanted to go in, so I took off my shirt (soaked already by rain), my glasses and watch, and dove into the next wave.

Dave and Natalie and I played for quite a while in the surf and had a blast body surfing and washing in and out with the waves. Mom even came in briefly. That was about the most fun of anything I have done. I just wish we had had a camera with us and taken some photos, but it was too rainy.
We went back to Hale‘iwa and got a shave ice at Matsumoto's - supposed to be the best on the island. Pretty good, too.

The afternoon rush hour traffic going back into Honolulu - 10 mph! No need for transit here, let's just sell more cars and buy more buses - unbelievable!

We were planning to get dinner at On Dong and have it at the apartment, but they were closed when Rebecca and I went back to get the food. That was a huge disappointment, but we had pizza instead and packed for going home tomorrow.

Even though we were in overcast, rainy weather all day, we all got fairly burned! Good thing it was the last day.