Hawaii trip - Ohau Day 4

Saturday August 18th, 2007

Today we were off on the road around 8:20 am headed toward the North Shore of Oahu. We drove on the H1 and up the Likelike Highway up through the same mountain we went thorough yesterday but a different highway. We then travelled up the east coast towards the north shore. We stopped at a macadamia nut store and saw what a macadamia nut tree looks like.

Later along the pathway on the edge of the north shore and the east coast there is a small area where they fish shrimps so we stopped at a little shrimp stand called Romy's. We stopped there for an early lunch and I had these shrimp wrapped in egg rolls. They were so good.
We continued onto Heilwa on the north shore. This was we were to get the shark tour, Shark Encounters. We got their at noon and the boat wasnt to leave until 1 pm so we ended up talking with a couple from Ohio for a while. We finally got out and found out that one of the guys who were running the boat is originally from British Columbia and went to Univeristy of Alberta for school.

The waves were very choppy and Jamie seemed to be okay getting out to the cage (they leave it in the water since the tours are all back to back). The sharks were ready and waiting when we got there. I think they must get used to getting feed near the cage so they just hang around there. We saw Galapogos Island sharks and also one Tiger Shark. At first we stayed on the boat while another group got to swim in the cage. We watched the tour guides through in the week old fish into the water. THe tied some of it onto a rope so they can draw in the shark so we can see them better. THe one tour guide actually got him up to show us his head. He actually got his fingers cut while doing it. He said the shark didn't bite he just moved his finger on the tiger sharks teeth. They are very sharp. They said that the tiger shark does have a bad repetation but apparently are quite dosile.

We then went into the cage. We were there 30 minutes and I was afraid at first I would get tired in the cage with all the waves but there were bars that you put your feet and then your knees underneath. We had a spot that there was plexiglass right there. It was more safe to me for some reason and we were able to see the sharks well. It was only a 1 1/2 ft tall plexi-glass but the rest of it was bars and open to the sharks. Your feet are close the edge of the bars and it felt like they could have been chomped off if the sharks wanted to. So we were only out there an hour and 1/2 hour of driving in the boat.

One girl got sick on the boat after she got out of the cage. I felt nauseas for a while but Jamie had a little bit of a problem and more so afterwards. He started to feel sick on the boat but it didn't go away. We went to the beach for a bit to relax but it was hot so we went back into the car. He slept for about 40 minutes. We then went to go for dinner at Jamison's by the Sea (as Terry suggested). He ordered but when it got there he didn't eat it. He had brought his sea bands and also some gravel so he took some then. We packed up the dinner and parked by the beach. I wet out exploring while he slept in the car again. At first I sat by this little boy and his family. His father and him had caught a fish and they put him in a bucket. I was so missing the kids at that moment.

A little later I decided to walk down the beach. I later ran into another family down the beach. I started talking with the grandmother and she was telling me about the sea turtles that were in the water everywhere. They were feeding off the bottom of the rocks in that area and you kept seeing their heads periodcally and some you would see their backs and their bums in the air. I had the the camera so I got some shots but they weren't very good as it was the wide angle lens. A little bit later someone pointed out that there was one on the beach. I wasn't sure why he was there but he seemed to be alive. I was only about 7 feet from him on a breakwall nearby. After a while the sun was about to go down so I went and got Jamie out of the car and came back to show him the turtle (with my zoom lens of course). We watched for a bit and then a lady came by and said that his eye was damaged and he wasn't doing very well. It was sad for him but at the same time was neat that I was able to see the sea turtle up close.

We watched the sunset on the north shore and then headed back to the Bed and Breakfast through the interior of the island. We didn't get to stop at anything though as it was now dark. We passed the Dole Plantation but it was closed at that point. The interior of the island was hilly but mostly grassy with the odd tree. It's funny to see that you drive 2 hours across the island and the vast difference you see in the landscape.

We got back to the Bed and Breakfast at around 8:20 or so. We were exhausted after being out for 12 hours and headed to bed right away.