1/31–Turtles on the beach

We spent most of the day today at the condo, reading and hanging out. It was a gorgeous day with a nice cool wind that kept us comfy out on the Lanai while we were beefing up our tans. 

Around 4, we ventured out to the Pa’ia Fish Market for their happy hour special – beer and a taco for $6.  Can’t beat it.  The beer was good (although not the coconut Hiwa that I prefer) and the fish taco was excellent.  That’s the deal for an early snack.  Only until 5pm – so it was our early appetizer today.

After we snacked, we headed out to Ho’okipa beach, where all the surfers and kite surfers go for the surf. But tonight we’re going around sunset to see the Hawaiian Green Sea turtles.  They come up on shore around sunset to rest before heading back out to sea.

It takes about 45 minutes to get there – and the traffic around Pa’ia is terrible.  Ugh.  Would never want to stay out here – there are people everywhere and lined up down the block from some flatbread place.  We’re quite happy in Kihei.  Thanks.

We finally make our way through the stop and go in town and get to the beach easily.  And wow! There are the turtles!  They are bifg, similar in size to Loggerhead turtles—4-5 feet long and between 300 and 400 pounds.  It’s a slow evening, only about 18 laying there – people have said they’ve counted upward of 60 – but we’re happy just seeing these guys.  How cool is this?

Some of them are easy to see, but some you really need to look for, because they look like rocks.  It takes a while, but we find them all. Sort of like a Where’s Waldo puzzle.

We stay for a while just watching them all.  One guy is too close to the water, and he keeps getting washed up and down the beach. And another decides he (she) wants to go back, so he/she starts the long arduous crawl down the beach until a wave finally takes him/her back into the sea.  Neat.

Then the sunset over the mountains, a completely different vantage point than we have, was spectacular. 

Back at the condo, we cook up our tri-tip steak strips and have a good protein dinner.  It’s a lovely night, once again, and we just hang out on the Lanai and inside with the doors wide open, letting the fresh breeze cool us off as we blog (LOL), watch the volleyball games across the street and generally just chill – Hawaiian style. Shaka dude.