WEDNESDAY: Captain Zodiac dolphin watch and snorkeling

We didn't take this picture.  It is from the Captain Zodiac website.

Wednesday was at Kona beach, and we went on an inflatable boat with big outboard engines called a Zodiac.  We sat on the edge of the boat as it zoomed 40 miles per hour through the water.  We saw dolphins, whales and a shark.  The pilot whales were interesting, they swam close to the boat and stuck their heads up out of the water to see what we were up to.

We zoomed for about a half hour, went to a small inlet and did some snorkeling.  Julie was having trouble with her mask and how to use the snorkel at first, then she got the hang of it and was like a little fishy.  We saw countless varieties of brightly colored tropical fish and a striped eel.  The water was warm and clear, and it was amazing!

In the meantime, the wind had started blowing and the water was very choppy with four or five foot waves.  Julie and I sat at the bow of the boat and got a really rough, wet ride, and I saw a side of Julie I've never encountered before:  I was hanging on for dear life wondering when I would go over the side, but Julie was howling with delight ('best day ever!').  My wife likes life lived on the edge.  Better never get her near a base jumping cliff.

Both Julie and I think the snorkeling trip was the highlight of the cruise. Sorry-not a lot of pics because we had to put the camera away when things got wet.

300 Horsepower of Sheer Terror

Hawaiin Dolphin