Coral Reef Snorkel Adventures

Manta Rays Galore

Captain Ron Gittins — Tue, 03 May 2011 21:18:12 +0000

The last few weeks have been specular for Manta Ray guests. We had a few days where there were no Manta’s but things turned around.
The currents must have changed because there is so much plankton in the water these days. Our Manta’s have been congregating at the site
in high numbers. The high teens and even a few nights of 20 & 21. This time of year is usually when we get our records set. A few years ago
the record was 27 and that was surpassed last year with 36 on one night. Maybe this spring we will beat that record. Even if we don’t, the high
numbers are great. Check out our video on the Manta page to get an idea of what it’s like.

Dolphins at play

Captain Ron Gittins — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:08:22 +0000

This last month has been very interesting for our guests. Each time they’ve come back on the boat, they express how friendly the dolphins have been. Our swim-guide Bethann was so thrilled at how loving and interacting the dolphins were one day that she got very emotional. It’s amazing even for us, who swim everyday with dolphins that we still have a strong impact of feelings when exposed to these beautiful creatures. For the last couple of weeks we have found the dolphins in Makako Bay by the airport. They have been there or almost there by 9 am and swimming in circles from close to shore to out in the deep water. Our snorkelers have had so much time in the water that by 10:30 they are tired and need a break. This gives us time to motor on up to some of the most beautiful secluded beaches and coral reefs that we have here. Almost daily we had at one reef several Manta Rays that are feeding and being cleaned. This has been wonderful for some who fear doing the night time Manta Ray snorkel. They get both of the highly desirable ocean activities on one charter with us. Since we’ve come out of the Winter weather the ocean has been much calmer and the color of the water has been so gorgeous with colors from steel blue to turquoise. As a Captain, I never want to miss a day of work because of the beautiful things we see each day. This couple are from Tacoma and only get one week a year off from their family restaurant business and were so thrilled to have swam with dolphins.

Special Thanks from Guest

Captain Ron Gittins — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:45:23 +0000

Ron…
Just wanted to give you and Bethanne a big “Mahalo” for the great charter on the morning Feb 26. The Shrimp cocktail and fruit were fantastic and the brownies are still beginning talked about. Our friends are amazed when we will tell them about being next to breaching whales and right in the middle of large schools of dolphins. Thanks for deploying the hydrophone so we could listen to the whale songs in real time. I have never seen a Manta ray before…they are huge and beautiful. Your snorkeling gear was first rate and the reef was the best that I have dived on in 20 years.
Our pictures of the whales and dolphins did not turn out very well… lots of sky, blurred whale tails, and ocean glare. Guess we were just too busying watching to pay attention to the camera.
Would you send us a couple of your good pictures of the whales and the dolphins so we can complete our album.
I know you are busy…but would appreciate a short note just to let us know you are okay. We consider you a special friend.
Roger & Susie Olson
Ken & Roberta Sommerfeld

Tsunami effects on Coast

Captain Ron Gittins — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:34:51 +0000

We had lots of damage to the coastline on our side of the Island, Resorts closed for repairs. Beaches washed away, Keauhou Bay severely damaged. Reefs changed and sand patches have been moved around. It’s amazing to see how things changed with just a few waves. I heard that some turtles were washed up over the rocks and needed help getting turned upright and helped back into the sea.
Our dolphins seemed unaffected by the Tsunami though. They were in large pods after the Tsunami and very interactive with the snorkelers. But, our Humpback whales I believe were effected. After the Tsunami past, our whales seem to disappear suddenly. We have only seen a few since then.

The Manta’s seem to be normal also, they have been at the night snorkel spot as well as at the reef during the daytime. Yesterday we had 5 Manta’s there.

Dolphin train

Captain Ron Gittins — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 07:41:31 +0000

Today was not like any other day. We started out with fairly choppy water. When we found the dolphins today, they were traveling south from Makalawena beach. There was over a mile and half of dolphins swimming along the coast. But I spotted a whale spout a little further north so I went to check it out. There was a Mother and calf in very shallow water. She seemed to be holding the calf on her rousturm or head as it was resting. They swam off shore and just past our boat. We all got a great view. We left them and joined the dolphin train and had several on the bow for their morning ride. One of my guests was taking pictures on the bow of the dolphins and dropped her camera overboard. What a shock for her, all of her Hawaii pictures were on that camera. So, I stopped and guessed where it went into the water and sent Bethann after it. She looked and looked, so I pointed where I thought it might be and sure enough, she spotted it. It was too deep for her but the woman’s husband, ( who was an acrobat for Circ de soleil) was able to retrieve it. He save her day. After that we had a great swim with the dolphins in the bay and than went and snorkeled with Manta Rays and did whale watching. What a beautiful day for all.<

Humpback Whale song

Captain Ron Gittins — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:16:38 +0000

All winter long the male Humpback Whale sings a love song to attract a prospective mate. Listen to this song, it’s one that I haven’t heard before.

Click here to listen to Whale song

Mother & calf

Rare shot of Manta Ray

Captain Ron Gittins — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:46:29 +0000

A few weeks ago I had the rare opportunity to see a Manta breach out of the water. My guest Dena Austin was in the right place at the right time. What a great shot she took of this beautiful Manta.

Photo by Dena Austin

4 year old swims with Dolphins

Captain Ron Gittins — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:06:47 +0000

This Sunday we had a nice family with children 8,7 & 4. who wanted to top off their Hawaiian vacation with a swim with the dolphins. Sarah had dreamed of being with wild dolphins for many years. When we first came into some Manta Rays at the cleaning station, Jackson jumped in looked under and saw them, he immediately swam back to the boat. I asked why he came back, He just said that their huge! I guess when you see a Manta Ray that’s larger than you, it’s unnerving. But, after he saw how gentle they were he lost his fear. His younger brother Matty, waited until we got in with the dolphins. Kelly Lynn assisted him and Sarah so they both got a really good and close experience with the dolphins. He was so calm while in the water and after he got back on the boat. He was so happy to have swam with wild dolphins.

Humpback Whales double breach

Captain Ron Gittins — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:33:00 +0000

Our dolphin swims are really fantastic these days. Yesterday we had maybe 500 dolphins in a line about 1 mile long. They took almost half an hour to swm past my snorkelers. We were up north by a secluded beach with beautiful turquoise water. After that we sat watching a mother and calf. I wondered where the escort was because it was not seen at all. Finally, it came to the surface close to the mother and calf. Than the calf started breaching and all of a sudden, both mother and escort breached at the same time. We were thrilled to see this, but almost immediately all three breach together. In all my years I had never see this double breach. It is itched into the memories of all on board. As well as my camera. We still have lots of whales and lots of dolphins. Each trip is full of action.

Whale Tails everywhere

Captain Ron Gittins — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:17:28 +0000

On our Dolphin snorkel trip this time of year, we have the rare opportunity of Whale watching. It is so marvelous to watch these huge Behemoths come up out of nowhere and display their amazing behaviors. Today after we snorkeled with dolphins, we went to the Humpback Marine Sanctuary and had whales breaching and doing their tail slaps fairly close to us. As we sat in the boat listening to the whale songs, we had a mother, calf and escort come up close to the boat. As they moved away, the escort displayed lots of tail slapping and slashing or off to the side. I take this as a signal that they don’t want us close to them. So we just stayed put as they swam away. There were lots of spouts and breaches all around us. The Whales seem to be friendlier this time of year. But, it’s so short of a time they are here.