Electric Beach

Today Mike took me snorkelling. We went first to Hanauma Bay, but the jellyfish were out so we tried somewhere else.

On the other side of the island, on the Waianae Coast we went to a place called Electric Beach. It is a little beach just across the highway from a big electricity plant. The plant uses water to cool its system. The heated water is released into the ocean, creating warm currents. Fish and turtles and other sea life come to play in the warm water and the currents. And locals and come to snorkel and scuba dive.

I've been snorkelling once before at Hanauma Bay with my father. And that was amazing. It blew me away. And today was so much more!

There was a school of fish like the ones above, just hanging out. I somehow thought if you swam among a school of fish they would flit by you as quick as anything. But no, they hang out, just out of reach.

These images are not mine, but this is some of what I saw.

And there was more. So much more.

I saw my first, second and third sea turtle today, playing in the warm currents. I even spotted a purple octopus, hiding in a hole. Mike went and played with it for a bit, trying to get it to come out of the hole. It looked big. Maybe as much as 4 feet in diameter had it stretched out for us!

Then there was beautiful coral and sea urchins too. My favourite sea urchins were the slate pencil sea urchins in the picture. I know I have seen underwater photography on TV before, but that just doesn't do it justice. It's so amazing to have it all right there with you, in front of you, under you as you float overhead.

Then there was beautiful coral and sea urchins too. My favourite sea urchins were the slate pencil sea urchins in the picture. I know I have seen underwater photography on TV before, but that just doesn't do it justice. It's so amazing to have it all right there with you, in front of you, under you as you float overhead.

I foresee more snorkelling my near future, before I leave beautiful Hawaii.