Wednesday: Octopi, Tangerines, Ono, and a Sister Remembered.
Melinda caught this nice photo of one of the hens and her baby chicks.
Early wakeup here, assisted by our handy rooster. Boy, am I glad we have him this week. Why sleep through 4am when you can get up before the sunrise and get some work done? Thank you, feathered friend.
It’s boat day here in Hawaii! All of our other trips are boat based, so this land-based trip needed a day out on the sea. We’ve been chartering with Bite Me Fishing for several years, and have grown fond of Captain Momi. She’s a quintessential waterwoman who can drive any boat then dive to the bottom of the sea and come back with dinner. Her deckhand for this trip is Kayin, a really nice guy who is the Hawaiian version of Jack Reacher.
Not long after we steamed out of Honokohau Harbor, Kayin set up 5 trolling rigs and within 15 minutes we caught two Ono, also known as Wahoo. Debbie, Kyle, and Miriam all took part in reeling them in. Each was about 35-40 pounds, and will feed the boat crew, our swim guides and their families, as well as our guests for several days.
Our first stop was Kealakekua Bay, where we were greeted by a very large pod of Spinner Dolphins, leaping from the water and making pretty big splashes for being the second smallest dolphins on earth. We jumped in and swam through some noodlers and over brilliant coral and lots of fish. We followed the 2,000 foot cliffs along the bay. It’s just a magnificent and sacred feeling place.
After lunch we plunged in for our second swim at a lovely gray sand bay called Ho’okena where a cute little turtle gave us a tour. Here the bottom is littered with beautiful boulders where lots of creatures can hide. Momi puts her water prowess to work by spotting He’e (octopus) from the surface, as far as 40 feet down. She brought up one that was too small for eating, but gave our guests a chance to experience what their incredible suckers feel like up close. Heather even got a few pics with her big rig camera and the baby suctioned to the dome. Kekau found a larger one, but let it swim free as he’ll dine on Ono tonight.
Our third (!) swim brought us to Ki’ilai Bay at Honaunau National Historic Park, where we swam amongst some big, healthy coral heads. Together they look like a field of scoops of ice cream.
Debbie had brought her sister’s ashes with her, and we had a nice little ceremony on the bow in remembrance. Her ashes made a lovely shape in the water, and the (biodegradable) box was also thrown in, and we all shed a tear as it floated away. I feel so honored that Debbie trusted us with this personal moment.
Kayin deftly filleted our catch and threw the remnants back to the sea. All of this work he did with respect for the ocean, the fish and the blessings of the day. Ryan and Hopper exchanged Dad jokes on the ride home. One final group photo including Kayin and Momi before hitting the road.
The trip back to the marina was smooth, as the sea had turned glassy. Back at the Hale, I made some cocktails with local rum and tangerines from Clare’s backyard. Dan served up a scratch-made curry, and followed it up with green tea ice cream and local strawberries. Uncle. Early to bed with all of us.
Hopper
Thank you to Melinda and Miriam who got these lovely photographs at sunset tonight! I missed it because I was editing all the pics from this incredible day! - HP