hanauma bay

I was at hanauma bay ... BEAUTIFUL!

I have always loved nature, but being in the water was a different kind of connection with it. if you can imagine, in a spiritual sense, it was such an amazing feeling to get so close with this whole other underwater world God created.

this bay is a preserve, so the fish there know they are protected from us silly humans. they swim wherever they want; all around you without flinching to your movements.

being underwater, away from the noises of "our world," is so peaceful.

the fish, obviously, don't make noise, so you just hear the waves and the current as it pushes you around. if you stay in one spot to observe, you will sway back and forth with the waves, the same way the fish do.

you also hear your own breathing in your snorkel. once you're calm in the water and breathing normally, that too becomes peaceful, and that makes for a much more enjoyable dive.

however, it does sound a little Darth Vader-ish, but the fish don't seem to mind.

TONS of fish, thriving coral, eels, surprisingly no turtles today...but I saw the biggest rainbow parrot fish ever, just like this one ------------>

truly amazing!!

we splurged and bought an underwater camera, but of course, we left it in the car. the bay is down a steep hill, the valley of a once volcano eruption, and no one wanted to go back and get it. it was so steep, they have trolleys to take people up and down - $1 each way even! anyway, personal, real life photos to come on our next trip.

we have started buying our sunblock at Costco, hahaha, but seriously! we use it every single day just about. we used it today for snorkeling ... but I'm not very good at reapplying. so often when you're in the sun, you don't know you're getting burned, at least not in beautiful, perfect Hawaii!! luckily the boys has on their rashguards, but not mommy ... and since I was face down most the day, my back is not feeling too good. I'm about the same color as a lobster, and, it was difficult to sleep last night. :(

I have to say, it was still worth it.