Molokai Snorkeling

 My baby Juliet was so nervous about this boat ride. Last year, we went to Chicago. On the way home from The Shedd, I asked her if she wanted to take a water taxi. She started crying that she is afraid of boats, and has been terrified ever since.  She refused to take the boat to the mainland in Cozumel. She was brave, though, and got on the boat. About half way though, she said, "You know what? This is actually fun!" I was so proud! 

 Here we are approaching Molokai. It's called a crater, but it's actually a bit of lava from Haleakala. Because of the winds, it formed in a semi circle. It's a great spot for snorkeling. It has great visibility. I have to say, though, C and I both agreed that Cozumel has much better snorkeling. We all wanted to see an octopus, so we booked the earliest cruise (which research told me gave us the best chance). We didn't see one, though. We saw coral, fish (including puffer fishes), and turtles, though. C and Leah saw an eel. 

 Leah loves boats. She picked out these sunglasses on the island, and I thought they made her look so much older than she is. My baby girl! 

 The crew talked these three into renting wet suits. I didn't because I always think they look so uncomfortable. 

 I was very proud of Juliet. It was a little scary to jump into the water from the boat. The boat was bobbing and the ocean looked dark. There was a line behind us, so I kind of just had to throw her off and jump in right after. Both kids wore a life jacket and also had a pool noodle. Juliet actually really liked swimming around. She put on googles once to look into the ocean. She said she didn't like thinking that there were things that were alive under her, though, so she never wanted to do it again. Leah loved snorkeling and wanted to explore everywhere she could. She got scolded a few times for swimming off too fast in front of us. Leah especially liked the guided tours the crew did. After being scolded for swimming off to far in front of us, she looked completely exasperated and said, "How else was I supposed to hear what Madison was saying? I needed to hear the presentation. You just needed to swim faster." Stinker. 

 On the boat, spinner dolphins joined our boat. They like to swim in front of boats for some reason. They did it in Kauai, too. Our boat was from the Pacific Whale Foundation, which is a big conservation group. Once they saw the dolphins, they turned off the engine because they said it wasn't natural behavior for them to interact with boats in that way. The dolphins didn't mind, though, and stuck around for a long time. My favorite were the mamas and babies. 

 Maui felt so built up. It was weird to see it on the way back. It looked like a deserted island.  

 The boat had a big scavenger hunt for kids on the way back. That was pretty cool. Chris and I got to have a few beers while they were gone. We drank Maui Brewing Company beers all week. This boat had a guava one that we could never find anywhere else. It was the best beer ever. The kids both loved the ride and the workers. It was a hit!