Maui Snorkeling with Turtles from a Lahaina Vacation Rental Home
Posted by Gary Kramer on Wed, Jun 01, 2011 @ 01:12 PM
Hiro and I were sitting on the lanai of the Lahaina Oceanfront Estate, enjoying a beverage as we watched the sun set. Ah, just another beautiful day in Lahaina! Before the sun set, Hiro pointed out a vacant buoy amongst the many sailboats moored in the distance. “Would you help me in taking the kayak out there so I can dive?" he asked me.
Hiro had recently returned from the Big Island, where he took a course on “Free Diving”. Free Diving involves learning how to dive several feet down (30 plus feet) and learning to stay under water for several minutes. As it would be somewhat careless to do this alone, he enlisted me to partner with him just in case anything should happen.
Since I haven’t been in on the water for quite some time not to mention being in the water, how could I resist? 
How is it that I live right on the shores of the Pacific Ocean and haven’t taken advantage of the deep blue and warm water for months? Simply too much work and not enough time - not anymore!
As soon as we pushed off from the front yard of the Oceanfront Estate Lahaina vacation rental, I was reminded of what I’ve been missing: The clear dark blue water; incredible sea life; beautiful coral formations – all right in my front yard!
We paddled out to the vacant buoy and Hiro began preparing for his deep decent. I simply sat in the kayak and enjoyed the surrounding sites of Mala Ramp to the south, the West Maui Mountains to the east, the Kaanapali Resort just to the north and the shimmering reflection of the warm Maui sun in the west.
It was so fascinating for me to watch him descend towards the bottom in the crystal clear water. He was down for almost two minutes and made a quick ascent to the surface. Several minutes later he descended again. However, this time he remained submerged for what seemed considerably longer... He was directly under the kayak and it was difficult to see him, making me somewhat uncomfortable.
Finally, I saw movement – a somewhat rapid ascent from the bottom!The problem is – it wasn’t Hiro, it was an enormous sea turtle coming to the surface and before I could grasp what was happening, this magnificent creature rose to the surface not two feet from my arm! He appeared to be curious as he stayed there for several seconds only to submerge and then re-appear again staring me face to face.
At long last, Hiro came to the surface and was quick to report of his “turtle encounter” down at the bottom nearly 35 ft down. Apparently while down beneath the surface, “Curious George” the turtle
was intrigued with Hiro as well. Hiro told me that he was actually a little frightened as the turtle approached him but quickly realized this gentle giant was merely saying hello.
Enough excitement for one afternoon! So, we paddled back to the Oceanfront Estate. Hiro and I both agreed that we have our own version of “Turtle Town” right in our Lahaiana front yard. Share your own vacation adventures in the comments section below. Or, subscribe to our Maui Accommodations blog.
My friend Steve, at GypsyGuide, was kind enough to loan me an waterproof underwater camera to use for the day. Steve rents these underwater cameras on a daily basis to our Maui and Lahaina visitors. Clearly, the camera is superb as one can tell by the photos in this article! Please visit The Gypsy Guide Maui (www.gypsyguide.com/maui) or visit him at his kiosk on Lahainaluna Road. He will certainly take care of you. Thank you Steve!
Enjoy these fun Maui activities when you book a Maui vacation rental property like the Lahaina Oceanfront Estate or one of our other Maui vacation rental homes. Our conceriage are ready to help you with Maui activities, too.