More about that later.
As we drove out of Hilo, we headed between two mountains on the way to Kona. Mauna Loa was to our south. It last erupted in 1984, but didn't cause much damage. Larger eruptions in 1926 and 1950 destroyed villages and changed the landscape of the island incredibly. In fact, much of modern day Hilo is built on top of those eruptions.
The eruptions you've likely seen in the news lately are from Mauna Kilauea. Several fissures have opened up in Kilauea, and we were able to catch a couple pretty up close last night.
But, the mountain I really wanted to see, which is near and dear to me, was Mauna Kea! Standing at just over 13,803 feet tall, it has not erupted in the last 2,000+ years, but come on people....it has my name! In fact, in Hawaiian, they say Mauna Kea like "kay-uh." However, I figure if we change mauna to mount then maybe we change "kay-uh" to "key-uh" too! Haha!
In all seriousness, Mauna Kea is world famous for the observatories that reside on its summit. Universities and astronomy scholars from around the globe host observatories on top and post personnel that stay at a little village near the summit to study the night sky. It is said that the night sky is as clear there as anywhere else in the world. Adding the highest point on any island in the world to the 93% cloud-free evenings makes it a star gazers dream location. We didn't have time to stay for the night's show as we already had other reservations, but we watched a few videos and visited the gift shop. OH! Guess what?! For the first time in my entire life, they have stuff at the gift shop with my name on it. Actually, my name was the only thing in the shop this time. Haha! I may have gone a bit crazy with my purchases, but it was a once in a life time thing for sure and a big cross off my bucket list.
After the stop at the world's only "Kea" gift shop, we headed a bit north to check out a beach that is consistently rated the #1 beach in the US. Hapuna Beach was filled with the first white sand we've seen on this trip so far, and it lived up to the hype. It was soft as can be with a gentle slope but still had those big waves that were super fun to play in too. We only spent about two hours there (the fair-skinned Deppes can't last too long in the blazing hot sun), but it was a lot of fun! The ombre hues of the ocean here in contrast with the blue sky, white sand, and black volcanic rock in the distance were amazing. It was like looking at a bunch of jewels. I love that sea foam green to turquoise to deep blue transition of color. I could have stared at it all day! But, we had a condo to check in and a reservation for a crazy night swim ahead, so we had to keep on moving.
After checking into our last condo for the trip (it's right on the ocean...in fact I can hear the waves hitting the big rocks outside our unit as I type tonight!) and getting a lay of the surrounding area, we suited up and headed out for our best of the Big Island adventures....a night swim with giant manta rays! We found a company called Sea Adventures that took us right from this little bay out to the ocean at sunset. After the 10 minute ride, the crew put out lighted floats for us to hang on to during the hour in the water. After listening to instructions and hearing a bit more about these gentle giants, we jumped into the water and waited. The special lights our crew attached to the floats attracted plankton which in turn attract the manta rays. We used pool noodles under our ankles and our hands holding tightly to the floats to keep us all just about parallel with the top of the water. The wait was more than worth it as these huge 8 to 10 foot creatures glided all around us. Each one has unique, identifying marks on the white underside, and over 200 have been cataloged in the bay where we snorkeled tonight so the crew was yelling out their names as they swam past. These huge rays swam right up to us, looking like they might swallow us whole! Drew said he knew every time one was coming because he'd hear me scream. Haha! I didn't get many pictures or any video at all as my phone was acting up again under water. So I took a couple shots and then just tried to soak in the scene and enjoy. It was so worth it! Captain Tony and his "mermaid and mermen" crew did a great job. We loved this adventure and will remember it forever!!!!
After standing on "my" mountain today and swimming with giant manta rays tonight, I doubt I'll forget this day in Hawaii as long as I live! Such special memories and moments for us all.
Tomorrow we head to one last snorkel spot before a traditional luau dinner to send us off on our last night in Hawaii. It's been such a special vacation, and it's hard to believe it's coming to an end soon. With all our adventures today and the ocean crashing outside my window, I'm sure to sleep well tonight. Goodnight!
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