We LOVE to catch fish, and so do the passengers! We caught a 30 pound ONO (Wahoo) on the Maui Magic on Thursday, just on the outside rim of Molokini Crater. She took out a ton of line, but the angler (one of our passengers) did a great job keeping up with her. He got on the reel from the moment she hooked up and kept on going all the way through. What a trooper!
It was a beautiful day snorkeling in Molokini and then we were off the Coral Gardens for our 2nd snorkel destination. For one of our little passengers, her ultimate goal for her Maui vacation was to swim with turtles. She found four while she was out and about at Coral Gardens, and couldn’t take the smile off of her face for the rest of the trip. I love that! It all adds up to another beautiful day on the Maui Magic!
We are now at the “tail” end of whale season, and what a season it has been?!? The numbers increase every year, making 2009/2010 the best year yet. It’s was a tremendous season, like whale soup out in Maalaea Bay! We still get a glimpse of the late bloomers, but it’s more like right place right time to see them. We’ve been hit by a cold front over the past week, making it a little breezy out there. Not that it stops the newborn whales from getting their exercise for the trip North! They are collectively on their way back up to Alaska to their feeding waters. It’s always a bit sad to see them go, but I suppose we can give them a break. After all, how would you like not eating for over a month? Have no fear, just a few summer months and then they will be back in full force. They are absolutely magnificent creatures, and Maui is so lucky to have them as guests for over 5 months of the year!
I got a call in the office the other day, from a very nice woman who was completely exasperated. As soon as I answered the phone, “Maui Classic Charters, this is Katie”, she asked me, “there are so many activities to chose from, just tell me what to do Katie!”. I went through the options we have for our snorkel trips on the Four Winds II and the Maui Magic, but then finished by telling her that I thought her family would love the Maui Magic and that they should go out with me on the day I work, so I could take care of them! Relieved and anxious she signed up and mentioned that one of the other moms coming with the group was not so sure about snorkeling and would need a little encouragement. I told not to worry, I was her girl, she’ll be in there loving it in no time! The morning of the trip it was like we’d been friends for ever! The two little girls of the family, Caroline and Jessica, were two of the sweetest kids I’d ever met. They are cousins and best friends, and after the first 5 minutes of the trip, my little cheerleaders! Their laughs, cheers, and giggles were contagious as the saw whales breaching, dolphins swimming under the boat and turtles bouncing around the the surface of the water. At our snorkel destination, as promised, I had the hesitant Mom in the water at Molokini Crater after about 5 minutes. She had an absolute blast and was one of the first ones in the water at the 2nd snorkel destination, Turtle Arches. The girls were a very different story, they were fish from the get go. In first, screaming with excitement through their snorkels, and then sliding maniacs at the 2nd stop. They even had me going down the slide and doing jumps off the bow! (Have I mentioned that I love my job!) By the end of the day we were practically family with hugs goodbye and promises of the soon return….I truly hope so!
We were out cruising down the southern coast on the Maui Magic, just another beautiful day in Maui, and a pod of Spinner Dolphin joined us right in front of Big Beach. The Spinner is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which they spin as they leap through the air, hence the name “Spinner”!
The Spinner Dolphin is usually dark gray, with a creamy-white patch on the belly. Their beaks are distinctively long and thin, with a dark tip and their fins are lengthy for dolphins of this size. Adults vary in length from 51–93 in and weigh from 51–170 lbs. Females reach maturity at four to seven years and males require seven to ten years. They are quite social both with each other and the boats. In fact you can often find them taking a ride on the boats’ bow-waves.
Dolphins echolocate and communicate using click-whistles and pulsed sounds which you can sometimes hear when they are right next to the boat. Echolocation allows the dolphins to track objects in darker water and to see further than their eyes will allow. Spinners can actually identify themselves with sounds they make by trailing bubbles from their blowholes and sounds called signature whistles. You will also see Spinner dolphins communicate by slapping the water with various body parts.
On the Maui Magic we see dolphins multiple times a week. Most times the will be swimming along our bow or doing acrobatics just a few feet away. It’s quite a treat!
As we bring in the year 2010, the Hawaiin Islands also bring in the Humpback Whales, and boy are they bringing in a show! Their seems to be more whales then previous years already and they are all about ”showning their stuff”. The other day on the Maui Magic, we had 2 juvenile whales breaching like crazy. It was as if they were doing their morning excersises and wanted us to join in! After about 10 minutes we finally just had to leave to make sure we got our passengers some snorkeling time. While snorkeling in Molokini, or any snorkel spot for that matter, if you dive down even a few feet you can hear the whales singing and making their noises. The passengers that go for the SNUBA option really get a treat as they are serenaded throughout their entire dive! The new year has also graced us with some amazing weather. Sunny skies and 80 degree temps spoil us everyday….sorry you poor midwesterners! Get out of the snow drifts and get out here to Maui!
Our wonderful Hawaiian Humpback Whales have returned to Maalaea Bay, and all the folks enjoying our snorkel trips are now enjoying some whale watching as well. Both of our excursions, the Maui Magic, and the Four Winds II, keep their trips pretty much the same throughout the whale season. The difference is that we get to see the whales while en-route. It may take us a tad bit longer to to our destinations, (Molokini, La Perouse, Turtle Town, Turtle Arches, etc.), but it’s well worth it to see the whales in action. The whales visit us from Alaska during the winter months to give birth and mate. In no time at all, we’ll have baby whales breaching and tail slapping to get their strength up for the big trip back up north! For the real whale action you want to be here somewhere between mid-January to mid-March, but even now we are getting some pretty spectacular shows! There is nothing quite like seeing a 45 ton animal leap out of the water…I love whale season!
I love swimming with sharks! That is the nice sharks that don’t like people for food, like the White TIp Reef Shark. I was working on the Maui Magic the other day and it was my turn to jump in and tie up the boat at Molokini Crater. With the visibility well over 100 ft, there are a lot of cool things to check out on the bottom. Even in 80+ feet of water were our mooring sits. So I tie up the bow line and grab on so that Captain Buzz can drag me back to the stern mooring, and sure enough, right below me was a beautiful White Tip Reef Shark. It was following us back, probably curious as to what was going on 80 feet above him. Jason tossed me the stern line and I turned to swim back to the pin and he was still there, just cruising with me. After making sure we were secure I started to follow him around and sure enough there were a couple more hanging out under some big boulders. They were absolutely AMAZING. I truly never thought that I love snorkeling with sharks…well the harmless ones anyway!
One of the common questions we get is about Maui’s slow season….is there one? As a matter of fact, we are in it! Our passengers are enjoying both low numbers on the boats and less boats in Molokini Crater! Other slower parts of the year include September, early May (everyone is waiting for summer vacation) and early December (after Thanksgiving and before Christmas). These three times of year are a really great time to visit Maui. Hotels and airlines are usually throwing out some great deals, and all of the activities are available on pretty much any day you choose! Temperatures stay about the same through the whole year and the snorkeling is fantastic year around, so off season is the perfect time to relax in paradise!
This past week or so we have been absolutely spoiled by the weather here in Maui! Molokini Crater has been flat as a lake, giving us the opportunity to make it out there both on our morning and afternoon snorkel trips on the Four Winds II. The Maui Magic has made it out past La Perouse and all the way down to what we call our “Secret Spot” numerous times, which is amazing since we only get out there between 30-40 times a year! Snorkeling and/or doing Snuba at Molokini Crater when it is so flat and so clear, is one of the best experiences you can have out here in Maui! The visibility reaches well over 150ft and with the sun out, making the entire crater just come to life! It’s truly magnificent! We have had the pleasure of a large amount of repeat customers both on the Four Winds and on the Maui Magic this May. (I’ve especially noticed on the Maui Magic.) People are catching on that May is a fantastic time to visit Maui due to lower numbers on the boats and great weather! The only downfall is that the whales are all gone…we’ll sure miss them over the next few months!
One of the wonderful aspects of what we do, is seeing people step out of the comfort zone and end up having the absolute time of their life! On the Maui Magic last week, I had an amazing woman join us for a “boat ride”. After explaining to her that this was a snorkel trip, (jokingly of course) she told me she really wasn’t the swimming type and she hadn’t even bothered to bring a swimsuit. I told here that it didn’t matter, I would help her out in the water clothes and all! She chuckled and made her way towards breakfast. We stopped at Turtle Arches for our first snorkel destination where most of the passengers were able to swim with a couple of Manta Rays and lots of Turtles. After my “boat rider” heard this, she got a little excited and said that next year, for her 78th birthday, she would join me on the Magic again, and we would snorkel together! At Molokini Crater, I gave it one more shot and egged her on a bit to see if I could change her mind. She, of course said next time, but she was already looking forward to it. With only 5 minutes left in the trip she came bursting through to the back deck yelling for me, saying she was going down the slide! Before we knew it she was in the water fully clothed and laughing hysterically. I jumped in with a mask to give her a chance to check out the fish and wildlife for a few minutes and then we had to go. As she climbed on board with a smile stretching all across her face, she screamed THANK YOU…THAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR TRIP IN MAUI! I received about 15 hugs throughout the 30 minute trip back to Maalaea Harbor. She claimed I was her inspiration and that she would never forget me! I won’t forget you either my dear, and I will see you next year!