Ocean

Two trips to the ocean this week. I love this ocean (the Pacific). Wed. after the hurricane passed I went to the pier to do my water jogging. No cruise ship, no snorkel boat, no tourist/party boats (they were still up in the marina hiding) and the bay was calm and clear. So clear that it was, as I call it, Tidy Bowl blue all the way out to the 1/2 mile bouy. I was introduced to new marine life. A vonna? urchin in the sand near shore was making his way back out to sea. They tell me those are the only unchins that sting if you step on them. On our way out the bright yellow tangs where swimming with us and you could see bottom all the way. On our way back one of Hawaii's sea turtles was swimming right near us. As he came up for air and faced us it looked like he nodded his head and said 'hello' just before he swam off. This a.m. I took off with the Keauhou paddlers on a double hulled outrigger canoe and paddled out a couple miles into some small swells. I only say this because I have been paddling for about a month now and it's always been very smooth, sometimes almost glasslike, as is common for the summer. So these baby swells are only a touch of things to come. Members say that in the winter we will be surfing the waves with the outrigger. Quite a thrill I think I will need to build up to as the fall months come. But our reward today was the dolphins swimming right with us while we paddled. Also need to mention a third ocean wonder of the week. Ron & I walked up to the rocks near the Sheraton a few nights ago to see the manta rays. Ron was a little sceptical until a couple swam in to say hi. In fact one came in right up to the rocks, tipped it's wing up and delighted everyone .