Kona

Arrived at Kona early, breakfasted and relaxed until time to catch the tender to shore for the 12:15 departure of the Historical Tour which we had booked on a large catamaran.  Before we left the ship, Reg spotted a mother Humpback Whale that had just given birth in the warm, shallow waters of Kona Bay, 200 feet from our vantage point on the ship.  We watched in awe as the mother taught the calf to rise to the surface to breathe and how to broach as the duo made their way to deeper water.  Spectacular.  The tender to port was surrounded by a group of Spinner dolphins who frolicked gleefully around the us.  We boarded the  catamaran and headed off down the coast to Cook’s Monument, passing several historical Hawaiian sites on the way, and not a few whales.

Once there, Captain Cook’s Monument having been duly admired (it's really only meant to be seen from the sea), we turned about for the trip back, in the face of thirty knot winds and 6 foot rollers that had come a looooong way to torment us.  The one-hour trip downwind took two hours going back, with not a few Mal-de-Mer cases and a lot of spray.

Mama Humpback jumping for joy

Broaching in the bay

Just after breathing

I almost caught her that time

Baby copying Mama's leap

Shiny new baby jumping

Bye-bye

Dolphins escorting our tender

They always seem to be having so much fun!

Cliff near Cook's monument at site of his last battle

First sighting of Cook Monument

Captain Cook's lonely Monument

Only visible from sea