We are safely tied up in Nawiliwili harbor on the southeast side of Kaua'i. What a glorious backdrop: huge, almost vertical green mountains stand guard along the south end of the harbor. Squalls are common, the trade winds are pretty lively right now, and we are definitely glad the side of the concrete dock has a row of tires for Shenanigans to lay up against.
Though I was not sailing along with the guys, I still had a phenomenal marine experience that I want to share. I will let Jon fill you in on their jump to Kaua'i from O'ahu, plus their experiences in Honolulu.
For the last couple days, while waiting for George and Jon to sail from the big island to Kaua'i, I was adopted by a local family in Kona: the Chings. Never before have I met a family so willing to give and give, but never take.
The father of the household, Lorin, is heavy into the world of outrigger canoe paddling. He invited me out for a paddle in his two-man canoe out of Keauhou. I thought it sounded like a lot of fun, so out we went, then up the coast toward a former beach we snorkeled, Kehalu'u. The swells weren't too gnarly, so I agreed to try surfing for the first time.
The canoe is so lightweight and streamlined, we zoomed past the other people out there on boards. Instead of fighting for waves, we took just about every good one. It was unreal to be riding a warm, perfectly translucent wave, and still be able to clearly see all the coral and colorful fish down below us. People on the black sand beach cheered us on. I'm glad we managed to keep from flipping!
After a while the swells started to die down, so we started to paddle back to the harbor. On the way, we were approached by a kid on a one-man canoe. He asked if we knew "what is that?" as he pointed out toward the open ocean. We didn't see what he was talking about. He said "It's like a ball with flippers. It's splashing around out there, kinda weird."
The kid looked a little scared, and didn't want to go back out. I suggested that maybe a turtle was tangled in fishing gear? Lorin said we should check it out. So off we went.
There was definitely a big ball with fins. First we saw a broad, barrel-shaped black back surfacing with a slight dorsal fin, and fins that came out about 5 feet on either side. What the heck? Two big sharks feeding on something?
We paddled closer and finally got a clear view. Two massive manta rays, at least 9 feet from wingtip to wingtip, were feeding on the plankton on the surface. Huge mouths agape, they peacefully glided along while "flying" through the clear water. I have never seen anything so serene or beautiful within arms reach.
We cruised alongside the rays almost the entire way to the harbor. At one point, the largest manta did a nosedive, then sharply upturned and jumped clear of the surface, about 10 feet from the canoe. How quickly a 20 foot canoe can feel tiny! Afterwards, the ray rolled on its side to look up at us, as if to say "how did you like that?"
Eventually they left us, as we approached the harbor. I will never forget this experience, and one of the greatest days of my life. I wish I could put into words how thankful I am to have met my Hawaiian family and share in a sliver of their lives. The random acts of kindness and friendship that the big island extended our way (everything from offering rides into town, a local fisherman gifting 10 pounds of delicious wahoo (ono) for no reason, or even a family friend stealthily paying our hefty restaurant bill from under us "just because") makes the idea of going home next to impossible.
Sunshine, good food and a warm sandy beach make happy people. Happy people share the love. It's as simple as that.
Maybe we'll permanently become one of those happy, love sharing people? Hmmmmm...
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