Molokini Crater Snorkel and Sail Trip
November 10, 2017

6 a.m.
Rise and shine Honey Badger!
Deputy Honey and I are Yin and Yang. I m definitely a morning person, and I'm pretty sure my morning chirpiness was driving her insane...but she's going to have to get used to it...because she is stuck with me! (Insert creepy voice: Don't ever leave me cauz I will find youuuuuuu) It's time to set sail to the Molokini Crater! We packed up our gear, make a few cups of Kona coffee and away we went!!

The Molokini Crater is a crescent shaped volcanic crater, and is one of only three of its type in the entire world. This volcanic caldera was formed over 150,000 years ago. Since the crater is made of solid rock, there is no soil to produce sediment into the water and the visibility is insane! Up to 150 ft in some places. It has been my desire to snorkel or dive here for many years and I was so excited to be able to do this with Honey. Molokini is located about an hour sail off the port in Ma'alaea and we were ready for this adventure to begin!

Trying to find parking was a bit interesting and in the midst of all of the confusion I backed into a pole and dented the bumper of our Jeep! Yikes! It didn't seem too bad so I decided not to lose my cool and just kept a positive mental attitude.
I mean, we are in Maui, about to board a beautiful catamaran and set sail...who cares about a little "love" dent!

We decided to book with Paragon Adventures, and we were very happy that we did! The boat was gorgeous, the crew friendly and knowledgeable, and even though the boat seemed a bit crowded, they all made us feel special and really personalized the experience for us. I would highly recommend them if you ever find yourself in Maui! https://www.sailmaui.com/
As we boarded, the waves were lightly splashing against the boat, creating a misty sea spray that invigorated my senses. Let's do this Molokini thang!
Captain Ray was incredible. I explained to him that I was an avid diver and that I wanted to know the best place to go once we arrived. He told us the best spots and said that they are only for the most advanced swimmers as the currents could be extremely strong.

We decided to risk it and WOW!!! We were rewarded with a completely jaw dropping experience. The fish and sea life were abundant and because it was quite a swim, we were the only ones that chose to take that route. The crater extended downward creating a coral wall that had a drop of over 300 feet. It was truly breathtaking and such a calming and special feeling to be alone with only Honey and the sea around me. True happiness! We even saw an octopus! We were the last ones to get back on the boat as neither one of us were ready to call it a day. We were having such a blast exploring this vast and beautiful underwater garden and simply we not ready to say goodbye!

Lunch was served on the boat on the sail back to Maui and as many beers as we wanted. Too bad neither one of us were drinking! Lot's of lemonade and coffee for me! Clad with smiles on our faces and the sea on our skin, we headed back to the port. What perfect afternoon!

ALOHA- The Savvy Nomad