There was a sea turtle diving in the deep clear water off the bow of the Fair Wind II when we arrived. Cheryl got us tickets. Years ago in a different life, she worked the boat out of Kona, and this was her anniversary present to us.
They fed us breakfast on the deck as the boat sliced thru the deep blue waters of the ocean. A fair wind filled the sail
although truth be told, we were not really sailing, which was a good thing, because the motor quickly got us to Kealakekua Bay.
This is where Captain Cook, upon his second landing in the bay, the Makahiki festival of Lono over, met his demise.
On our way to anchor, we passed close to the bejungled shore where a monument stands signifying the spot, the surging surf perhaps remembering.
The water was clear beyond belief. We donned our snorkels and fins and masks and slowly swam in circles above the coral and rocks and fish. It felt more like flying or like that feeling of exhilaration I used to get when as a boy I would swim across the diving well after jumping off the high dive, although of course the deep blue of the ocean and the aquamarine of the water near shore were beyond compare.
We were dwarfed by the place. By the surging surf pounding on the black lava cliffs as we entered the bay, by the the clear waters that were far deeper than either the fair and industrious Trudy or I dared to dive.
(Look closely for the swimmers in that picture taken from the upper deck of the Fair Wind II. They give a scale of the place.)
As morning drew to a close, they grilled hamburgers on the upper deck. Kids slid off of slides into the crystal green water. Trudy and I, sufficiently snorkeled-out after several long swims, grabbed two hamburgers and snarfed them down and then grabbed two inner tubes and paddled around the inner bay enjoying the sun, enjoying the water, enjoying our tenth anniversary.
Thank you, Cheryl. We had a wonderful time.