UnCruise-ing in Hawaii

 I've made it back out to the islands, leading trips aboard the small, 34 passenger expedition ship Safari Explorer. We came in to the season with a lot still to be put in place, thanks to Covid. Restrictions for bigger cruise ships were also effecting us, although no one who knows our program would consider us in the same class as large cruise ships. We had to shuffle a few things around and come up with a few contingencies but are on the final hours of our first weeklong trip here in Hawaii. 

  We started off on the island of Molokai. Contingencies started early with the DOT and DLNR not allowing us to use their docks. So my guide, Wilson, and I flew to Molokai on a small 12 seater and checked into the one hotel on the island, the Hotel Molokai. In typical UnCruise flexibility we did the first two days of the trip based out of the hotel. Not only did the guests do the typical activities, including a very unique cultural immersion in Halawa Valley, waterfall swimming hike, and a private pa'ina (often mis-labelled a luau), but we also got in a short hike to the aptly named phallic rock and a chance to gaze down from the top of the massive sea cliffs overlooking the old leper colony of Kalaupapa. 

 Then, as a work-around to not being able to conduct cruise ship activities at the dock, we hired a local dive boat to ferry our folks out to the Safari Explorer bright and early on Monday morning. Everyone was quite please to finally get moved in to their cabins, and I was quite pleased to get back to my bunk. We spent the next three days snorkeling, kayaking, whale watching, and skiff touring around Lana'i and Maui. It is still quite early in the whale season here, but we had great luck, spotting 5 different whales.

  On our last night in Maui we secured all loose items on the boat and headed to the Big Island, crossing the infamous Alenuihaha Channel in the process. The guests got pretty lucky this week as the crossing was one of our best. The weather was so cooperative that we even towed our two small boats behind us. More great adventures awaited in the Big Island. We met up with fast zodiacs from Captain Zodiacs, who whisked us away to snorkel Kealakekua Bay. It is perhaps the best snorkeling in the islands. My big sightings were a 5ft white tip reef shark and a tiger snake moray. 

  On the last day we shuttled ashore to a couple of vans owned by Hawaii Forest and Trail. They have access to trails way up on Hualalai Volcanoe, behind closed gates, across private land, that is covered in native Ohia Lehua and Koa Trees. Not to mention incredible lava formations including a massive lava tube that we climbed through. The 6000ft elevation put us smack in the middle of the cloud forest. The native plants and lack of mosquitos meant that the forest was alive with the sounds of native birds like the amakihi and apapane. I've never been to a pristine Hawaiian forest quite like it. I'm very excited to add this adventure to our Hawaii trip. 

  All in all these 30 guests got a heck of a trip. It took a lot of meetings, flexibility, and contingency planning but we did it. Hopefully now the ground work has been laid, the dock situation will return to normal, and having the Safari Explorer in Hawaii all winter will become the new normal...again.