Aloha State: Hawaii February 2025 (page 4 of 6)

Totally agree, Christelle 😉

Anyway, once you’ve granted all those wishes, you just need to come up with new ones 🙂

Day 7: The K.O. day

Ta...Tan Ta...Tan Tatatataaaaaannnnnn

What, you didn’t recognize the music??? The one that lulled my whole childhood and because of which my sister stubbornly refused to dip a toe in the water for a month in Greece when it was over 40°C 😎

Jaws!

One of Oahu’s highlight activities is going to tease the sharks. You’ve got two choices: with a cage or without. According to my research, cage diving is more of a *Shark Attack* vibe because they come closer and more aggressively. We decided—despite some initial apprehension—to go swimming with them. We picked a local company that accepts a maximum of 8 snorkelers. The fact that they allow kids from age 8 put us a bit more at ease. And the reviews on T........or were so excellent, and since we’re clearly a little crazy, we said GO!

We took the first slot, hoping to spot whales on the way (they’re more visible in the early morning) and because the ocean is usually calmer. The crew consists of the captain (who stays on the boat) and two divers (one for photos/videos and the other for safety). The photos and videos were included in the price, which let us be more present.

Our crew (missing Babe, the sister, who’s taking the photos and videos)



The boat heads out to open sea since the dive takes place in the middle of the ocean, in a specific zone. The little story goes that the grandfather used to retrieve fishing traps in this spot, so the sharks are used to hanging around (though at the end of the dive, I still spotted some fish bits in the water—probably to keep them around the whole time).

Bingo, a magnificent whale back!



We arrive at the spot, and the boat starts making big circles in the water to say, "Hey, we’re here!" And so are they—and now it’s time to get in the water...

And now you’re probably wondering if Christelle survived (since I still have my fingers to write this travel journal 😏). The answer is yes!

The shark is really curious and comes super close. We only saw two (which was enough for a first time), but sometimes there can be *a lot* of them. They’re Galapagos sharks—the ones usually seen in greater numbers in the area—but tiger sharks can also show up (between June and October).

A few photos to capture the moment:





Getting in the water is stressful, but afterward, it’s an experience you *have* to try. It’s actually really calming, almost zen. The shark, just below the surface, is stunning with its golden/silvery color under the sunlight. It undulates, and it’s almost mesmerizing to see the power and agility of the animal. And that water color—this deep blue.

The color in real life is close to what you see in the first two photos (I pulled the next ones from a video and did some screen captures with color adjustments because they were too bright).









I’m waiting, I’m waiting!



What a moment! We thought we’d already hit peak luck on this trip. Well, we were wrong 😛

Here we are, Christelle and I, quietly daydreaming with our Galapagos shark, keeping a close eye on it (you’ve got to watch these creatures and never turn your back while swimming at full speed if you’re scared, according to the instructions).

But above the surface, things are getting pretty wild! Our dive safety guy is shouting. We try to understand what he’s yelling and make out, "Did you see it, did you see it, did everyone see it???"

See what? Christelle’s face says she didn’t see anything either 😏

We dip our heads back underwater. Nothing to the right, nothing to the left. It’s happening below us.

What unbearable suspense...



Under our shark, a large dark mass is approaching, like a bubble rising to the surface.



A humpback whale is surfacing right in front of us. I nearly choke on my snorkel!









At that moment, I can tell you we completely forgot about the shark 😏 I don’t even know what happened to it. I hope our dive safety guy had our backs because we sure didn’t!





I’m kicking frantically, trying to follow her because it’s just too amazing, but our dive safety guy pulls me back by the foot because I’m too close.

I pop my head out of the water and find myself with Christelle at the surface. We see several spouts and realize there are actually multiple whales!!!

We only saw one. I don’t know if it’s because we were so absorbed by the one right under our noses or if the camera, with its wide angle, caught something we couldn’t see with our own eyes.

I have incredible videos of this moment. Below, I’ve included a very high-contrast screenshot. You can clearly see in the background a mom with her calf.



Just for this moment, the long trip was worth it.

Wow! What luck with that whale! That must be an incredible experience you’ll remember for a long time (it’s even better when it’s unexpected, I think) 😲

I mentioned in the intro that the humpback whale is my favorite animal. I have a poster of a whale and its calf right in front of my computer at the office. My dream became reality.

What’s extraordinary is that I experienced this moment completely spontaneously. On the way back to the port, I was so stressed that Babe hadn’t been able to capture this moment. And I felt for the next group of divers we saw boarding the boat—poor things.

Because according to the company, it was the first time they’d seen them like that. They’re usually afraid of boats and don’t approach them.

They were just as excited as we were 😎 But none of the other snorkelers (all American) reacted. Unbelievable!!!

This moment impacted the rest of the trip—it was hard to move on after that. And yet, the day still brought its share of beautiful things.

First, tacos with homemade guacamole at Surf n' Salsa. Delicious and cheap (in Haleiwa).





Then a little nap at the hostel because we were emotionally and physically drained.

Wow! That whale was such a lucky sight! It must be an amazing experience you’ll remember for a long time (it’s even better when it’s unexpected, I think) 🤩

Totally, Muriel!

There were actually 3 of them. In the videos, you can hear them singing too

An amazing moment with the whales! 😮

For this kind of sharks, though, I’ll pass... (I’ve seen some in Thailand and Belize, but they were much smaller!)

Well, you know, Agnès, in the end, I think I was more afraid of coming face-to-face with them while swimming or snorkeling alone rather than in the context of a supervised outing.

The diver who ensured safety goes into the water first and assesses the situation. He went in without any special equipment. The two sharks came up from the depths pretty quickly, and he asked the captain for the harpoon gun.

After that, he keeps an eye on you and gets you back on the boat if needed (which wasn’t our case). I’d read that some tourists had to go back on board several times because there was a tuna school that was getting the sharks too excited)

Okay, continuing with day 7 and the fish since sharks and whales seem to leave you guys cold.

After a well-deserved nap, we headed to Sharks Cove, the snorkeling paradise according to the info we gathered before the trip.

So excited—today, access is allowed (well, not really, there’s still the yellow tape, but tons of people are there).



Quick tip: water shoes are a must because you access the water and take the plunge among the rocks.

Before putting your head underwater, it doesn’t look like much. Not very deep and quite a few people (in high season, it must be packed). You’ve got to weave through the rocks the whole time.

But underwater, it’s amazing! Apparently, you can also see turtles here. For us, it was just fish.

Some long ones



Some big ones



Some colorful ones



Some funny ones



A humuhumunukunukuapua'a (center of the photo)



And schools of fish everywhere (there are so many that the camera really struggles to focus)







We stayed so long that we ended up behind schedule because we’d planned a little trail for sunset nearby.

The Ehukai pillbox trail is a short hike of about 2 km that climbs steeply in places, but there are ropes for the toughest sections.



It leads to pillboxes (bunkers) with a clear, elevated view.



The view is really nice, and the bunker is open.







No luck for us—there were a bunch of young people there, including one who went on and on about his plan to get rich during the sunset... Poetry lovers, this wasn’t the night for it.



We ended up descending in the dark, but we’re getting used to it by now 😉

What's the deal with beaches being allowed or not?

We saw yellow caution tape marked "caution" several times, especially at Sharks Cove, meant to restrict access to the site. I think with the winter season and the waves, they want to minimize accidents as much as possible.

The water was very calm that day at Sharks Cove (the next day would be another story)

Sometimes there’s even an extra red flag

We saw yellow caution tape marked "caution" several times, especially at Sharks Cove, supposedly to restrict access to the site. I think with the winter season and the waves, they want to minimize accidents as much as possible.

We saw that in Australia too. Basically, they must assume that if they ban something and something happens to you, it’s your responsibility...

Anyway, given the waves in the last photo, it makes sense 🤪

About the sharks, I was actually unfazed because I’d seen that in South Africa too, and I don’t really agree with it—baiting these animals with a piece of barbecue for the tourist’s adrenaline rush isn’t my thing. But I respect everyone’s choices. That said, the option you chose seems more respectful to the animal and allowed you to fulfill one of your dreams—getting up close with cetaceans...

Anyway, don’t panic, I’m in a good position to realize that right now, VF is suffering from spring narcolepsy...

That’s right, Bruno, the May long weekends are a great chance to unplug! Actually, I’m on a train back from Creuse—a dream spot for those who love "off the beaten path" 😄.

But I’m blown away by that unexpected whale encounter, Pascale!! That’s what you call "getting your money’s worth" because I imagine it costs an arm and a leg, but you really hit the jackpot there 😍

I can confirm it was a great experience—swimming with the sharks was amazing and respectful to the animals. And the best part? The sharks respected *us* too 😉

I can’t say for sure if it was the crew who threw the two pieces of fish: I didn’t see a cooler on the boat, they really emphasize the ecological aspect of the experience, and I didn’t see them do it. Plus, it was right at the end.

But yeah, I saw the pieces and drew what might’ve been a hasty conclusion.

Like all activities in the US, it’s not cheap. We paid 92 € per person (after hunting for deals). But it’s a 2-hour activity. To get to the site in the open ocean, there’s over 20 minutes of boat ride each way (plus 3 staff for supervision/navigation).

I’ll post a full cost breakdown at the end.

Welcome back home! !

Day 8: Big waves and heading to Honolulu

The end of the trip is fast approaching. This morning is all about the giant waves on Oahu’s North Shore (in winter). That’s pretty much why we came to this island in the first place!

We head to Waimea Bay Beach, just a stone’s throw from our hostel. It’s a legendary surf spot for those in the know (this is where the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational takes place every year—we missed it by a hair!)



It’s still early, and we’re enjoying the beautiful light. There are already quite a few people here to take in the show. Honestly, when you see the size of those waves in the distance (or even up close), you really have to be a die-hard...



Most of the surfers here are in their forties, not exactly young. The biggest waves are pretty far from the shore, and just getting out to them is a battle.



In front of us, a less experienced surfer gives it a shot too.

Surfers patiently wait for "the" wave. Some are really patient because very few end up going for it. 😉

It's "Point Break" in Haleiwa!

I’ll throw in two gorgeous photos of Christelle taken at Waimea Bay as a bonus.



I read that sometimes the waves can reach heights of over 8 meters. In the next photo, I wouldn’t want to be in that surfer’s shoes—🤪