Tuesday and Wednesday were devoted to diving the Kona Coast and it lived up to its world class reputation! The dive operation of choice, Kona Honu Divers, was first rate with knowledgeable dive guides and great organizational skills. Our first day out included two dive sites – Dragon Eels Cove and Golden Arches (no, not an underwater MacDonalds).
However the best part of the trip actually took place during the decompression rest period between dives. The captain spotted a pod of Pilot Whales basking on the ocean surface (the correct term is “logging” which accurately describes the behavior of a whale lying motionless, resting at the surface of the water, tail drooping downwards with part of the head, the dorsal fin, or parts of the back exposed). The water was glassy calm that day and I think they were catching some rays and enjoying a chance to breathe in air without having to work at it! There were a couple dozen of the whales just hanging on the surface, so we eased the boat close by and slipped into the water with snorkels.
In deep ocean water like this, some 1500-2000 feet deep, the color of the water as viewed through a dive mask is a gorgeous intense electric blue, clear and completely empty except for the pilot whales cruising slowly past – an absolutely unique experience enhanced this particular day by the fact that the ocean’s surface was calm as a swimming pool.
However it turns out that a known phenomenon of Pilot Whale pods is that they are frequently accompanied by Oceanic White Tip sharks, one of the more dangerous species rated up there with Great White and Tiger sharks. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before we spotted a pair of them in the water! For divers, it is a pretty rare opportunity to swim with Oceanic White Tips, as they are ocean-going and not usually found closer in towards the reefs. You have to be diving in 1500 feet of water with Pilot Whales for the opportunity. However a shipwreck or airplane crash at sea will also attract them!
After the whale/shark adrenalin rush, the scheduled dives could have been considered anticlimactic. However we enjoyed them as well, especially as I spotted several species of marine life that were firsts for me including dragon eels, frog fish, and scorpion leaf fish – also octopus, nudibranches, and large schools of blue striped golden snapper hiding beneath the arches (hence the name Golden Arches).