Shark’s Cove

Since I started working, my free time has become very limited.   This adventure was done a bit before I started working.  I haven’t gone snorkeling since! Looking at these photos definitely make me miss it even more.  Some of my best adventures have been snorkeling with Joe. Snorkeling is one of my favorite activities.  I prefer not to snorkel alone because I get extremely paranoid. I swear something is lurking right behind my shoulder!

Joe always manages to catch some great shots of the honu and me. We were snorkeling at shark’s cove. Still no reef shark this time! We saw plenty of beautiful fishes and this honu I named Finn didn’t mind our company.

An awesome shot of Joe coming from down below. He’s a diver! It’s incredible how deep he can swim.  He always does an amazing job taking pictures of me so I figure I would return the favor!

This was right after the turtle decided he didn’t want our company anymore. I love seeing turtles! Although when paddle boarding, it’s never fun seeing their head pop out of the water. No matter the size, you always wonder if it’s a shark that’s popping up for a meal.

I hope to snorkel, stand up paddle board and mountain bike this weekend. It’s a lot of the list but I want to accomplish it! I miss the ocean so much! 

The Trinidad’s Vacation

My sister has arrived and my car arrived shortly after.  Joe and I went to go visit her and while waiting for her, we decided t go down to Lanakai. It’s one of my favorite beaches just because it’s has fine sand and the bluest water on the island.

Earlier that day, the Trinidad family went hiking.   That’s my sister Christine, my brother-in-law Mike and my adorable niece Ariel!   They are here with their cross-fit family. They’ll be staying here for a week!

Here’s my little buttercup and me.  We decided to go to the Aquarium to spend some quality time together. Being around kids is always interesting. They are either in amazing great spirits or they are exhausted and grumpy.  None the less I valued the time I had with my family! After all I won’t see them until December!

The aquarium in honolulu is small and hot but from Ariel’s point of view, she was amazed. I never saw a kid bounced around all over the place! that fast! No wonder they say that the moment you turn your eyes away from your child, they could easily disappear. I have so much to learn as a future mom!

The Trinidad’s made their way to the North Shore. They went to Ted’s Bakery, Macky’s North Shore Sharks Adventure, Matsumoto, Lani’s and Haleiwa Joe’s! It was a well packed day but I’m so glad they saw where I lived and my playground.  I wish they were here longer but I am truly greatful they were here to visit me. Love you guys! See you in December. XO

Work Life With Joe

My boyfriend has the coolest job in the world.  I usually bike to Haleiwa to visit the shops and Joe. If the weather is good, by good I mean calm waters,  I’ll join a tour about once a month. Of all my trips on the boat, I have always been sick. My first time doing the tour, I was a paid guest so I sat in the front hearing the welcome speech. Now that I’m VIP I get to sit in the back and watch us ride away into the sea. We only go a few miles off shore which is insane to think about because it just reminds me every time I’m in the water that sharks are everywhere.

On the tour I like to pretend like I know what I’m talking about so when tourist ask questions, I get to jump in and share my knowledge on these Galapagos sharks! They are such beautiful creatures.  These sharks favor reef environments so they are mostly found by oceanic islands.  I have yet to see one extremely aggressive (knock on wood)  however they are known to be extremely aggressive.  They are sharks after all!  I’m still debating on whether or not if I want to try it without the cage. We shall see. That would be a great post.

Picture of me going in the cage!

I am not great at holding my  breathe for very long. I’m not even a smoker and I suck! After many visits in the cage, I’m getting better. Joe taught me to tuck my feet below the bars to get a good hold. It allows me to capture better pictures and get to enjoy the sharks more. I love this!!!

Not the best picture because of the bubbles but check out his eyes! It’s very catlike.  I remember the moment I got in the water, I caught their eye and it gave me  the chills. Too bad sharks can’t smile, they would have a better reputation if they did! Every trip I’ve gone on, there has been about 10-18 sharks. It only takes one to kill you and here I am with a dozen of those bad boys.

I haven’t seen any other sharks yet besides the galapagos sharks but I’m excited to be on the boat a lot more this summer! I have been told that tiger sharks come once in a while and during whale seasons, you may get lucky and see those too! I hope to get lucky the rest of the year. I’ll be sure to post anything new about the tours! 

My favorite tour guide Joe!

Next Blog: California Girls Visits Hawaii

Snorkeling Adventures

This is one of my favorite water activity.

I live across the street from the beautiful blue ocean. Everyday I look out into that blue water and think how lucky I am to live in such an amazing place with such a wonderful man.  One of my favorite things to do on the island is snorkeling. There are still many places I haven’t snorkeled yet but I’m hooked! I originally used snorkeling to supplement my cardio. Running can get so boring. Also running in Hawaii is unbelievably exhausting. The amount of sweat you get after a few minutes of running isn’t a pretty sight. Joe got me a snorkel set with fins and I started going when he wasn’t around. However I do get extremely paranoid swimming alone. I asked Joe “Honey, what do I do if I’m snorkeling and I run into a reef shark?” He tells me “appear large babe and swim at it.” I looked at him and laughed and said “right”. Now I know the answer is correct however the thought of swimming closer to it and appearing big sounds ridiculous! However I’m sure to remember that.

Every day after work, Joe and I head to the beach. If the water is great, which it usually is, we will go snorkeling. Joe will dive for shells while I attempt at it. What’s amazing is that he can hold his breathe for so long and to think he used to be a smoker too! I definitely plan to continue my water adventures. I hope to learn to surf this summer! Don’t worry, I’ll blog about the efforts.

A sample of Joe and my shell collection. We are saving it for our mini coral reef fish tank!

I love my life. I thank Joe everyday for allowing me this time to just play. I’m still getting use to island life but I can definitely tell you it’s not hard to fall into this lifestyle.

Next Blog: Jen Learns to Cook!!!