(Another few of the all-time best minutes of my life.)Īgain, I know snorkeling with sea creatures isn't for everyone. On my way I met a rainbow of reef creatures, stunning corals, schools of fish, and even a gentle sea turtle whom I swam along with for 15 minutes. Every chance I got, I'd grab a snorkel and fins (both are free for guests) and unwind with a bit of ocean therapy, exploring the reefs and rocky coves along the shoreline. Once everything was fresh and clean, Doell gifted me a jar of Mauna Hea honey that had been harvested a few weeks before-another delicious parting gift from Earth's greatest pollinators.īeing the quintessential Cancerian water sign that I am, I spent most of my down time in the crystal-clear surf at both Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort. Losing these busy bugs could put our food chain at risk, wiping out fruit and vegetable ecosystems that humans and animals rely on. So many bees, with such regimented roles in their own, micro-society, which seems small but has a huge impact on the natural world. Both wild and domestic honey bees pollinate 80 percent of all flowering plants worldwide, which includes $15 billion worth of American crops each year. Once they chilled out a bit, I was able to take a good look into the center of the hive, which was fascinating. I had never been this close to so many bees before, and it was wild to see their behaviors change from alarmed and defensive (they want to protect their queen from intruders, after all) to soothed and relaxed with just a few puffs of smoke. I was handed a smoker to "soothe" the worker bees so Doell could safely scrape off chunks of propolis and ensure the hives were in tip-top shape for our buzzy lil' friends. We were there to clean the hives, which can get gunky from propolis, a waxy substance used to line their nests, and check for honey, which, unfortunately, was not quite ready to be harvested.ĭoell (left) and the author (right) perform a wellness check on the bees. "That's Obama Ray."ĭoell explained each hive was home to hundreds (if not thousands) of bees, including one very important queen whom the worker bees will protect at all cost. Some were smaller, two to three feet in width, while others were huge One impressive big guy was five-feet wide, wing to wing."That's Jolene Ray," James said as he pointed below. Beneath us were eight to 10 angel-like manta rays feasting on zooplankton and putting on the greatest show I have ever seen. Photo: Manta Ray AdvocatesĪs I ducked my head into the water, any jet-lag or fatigue that was weighing me down instantly disappeared. A few minutes later, we had arrived to the spot (just 20–25 feet offshore, not far at all) where we were invited to hang on to said pool noodle and float on our bellies with our faces in the water to enjoy the show below.Ī reef manta ray swims past. Once suited up, we waddled out (flippers on, to avoid them floating away in the surf) into the waves with our guide, James, who was carried a pool noodle and a flashlight for each of us. Exhausted, my swim-mates and I made our way down to beach to meet Marina, who greeted us with a snorkel, mask, life jacket, and flippers. I had literally just landed four hours before and was completely jet-lagged after a long day of traveling. I dived with these friendly rays the first night I arrived at Mauna Kea. And they are incredible to be in the water with. They're totally gentle-they don't have teeth or barbs, so they can't harm you in any way. Each evening, the rays swoop and spin while they filter tasty, microscopic aquatic organisms into their ginormous bucket mouths. This is the time when the rays come into the bay to feed on zooplankton, which are illuminated by lights divers hold. Yes, moonlight-all of the swims are held at night after the sun goes down.
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