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Maui Ocean RaftingMolokini Crater & Kanaio Coast
General Information | |
| GENERAL INFORMATION TOUR DESCRIPTIONS The Kanaio/ Molokini tour is one of our most popular adventures because it combines the opportunity to explore a rarely seen and uninhabited part of Maui, The Volcanic Kanaio Coast. Offering a variety of remote exotic snorkeling sites including both spinner dolphin and green sea turtle habitats and the famous Molokini Marine Preserve. The Kanaio Sea Caves... Passengers can expect a rare treat as they tour along Maui's Gold Coastpast Wailea and Makena to a remote and inaccessible coastline with spectacular views of the slopes of Mt. Haleakala. About 200 years ago at Kanaio, molten lava exploded from a side vent and poured into the ocean forming incredible lava arches, grottos and sea caves. The experience of entering a sea cave by raft or passing through a massive lava arch should not be missed! (conditions permitting) Photographers will delight with the array of unique formations that await at every turn. Dolphins Dead Ahead!... Following Kanaio, you will cruise to the protected waters of La Perouse Bay, frequently encountering a school of spinner dolphins , including babies, along the way or in the bay it's self. Named for their acrobatics, these playful mammals will frolic in the wave produced by our boat sometimes only an arm's length from the bow! Most of the time we will find these dolphins resting and playing in an area where we can enter the water and snorkel with them! This experience has been described as spiritual and is a visual and auditory experience that one never forgets. A continental breakfast is served around this time and a remote snorkeling site may be offered (time and conditions permitting) such as the La Perouse Pinnacle which is teaming with fish. Molokini Crater... After departing La Perouse Bay, you'll head for Molokini, a short 20 minute ride from the bay. There we will generally offer up to three unique sites including the inside rim, the outer reef and the back side of the crater. By this time of the day conditions at Molokini are generally calm and most of the bigger boats have departed or are departing leaving plenty of room for uncrowded snorkeling. Drift snorkeling the outer reef... is one of the many highlights of ths tour. Imagine snorkeling one of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world drifting gently along with the current as your boat follows near by for your safety. Glide past a variety of butterfly fish, wrasses,black and pink tailed durgeons all posing against a backdrop of beautiful coral only 3 feet below ... truly a photographers dream! Back Side... Optional site... Time and conditions permitting, another drift snorkle may be offered on the back side of Molokini, a favored dive site for advanced scuba divers. The depth here is about 300ft. but the lighting and the view of the vertical wall of rock, coral and fish is phenominal. This site may also be offered as an alternative to the inside under certain sea conditions. Turtlely Cool! ... Departing Molokini, we make one more stop in Makena where we serve a delicious buffet lunch and snorkel with sea turtles and spotted eagle rays near pristine lava fingers. these turtles, although endangered and protected, are accustomed to seeing snorklers and do not mind being photographed as they surface for air just a few feet away. The variety of scenery and wildlife encountered both above the surface and below truly make this tour one of the most comprehensive snorkeling adventures available on Maui. The Kanaio Coast Tour offers an opportunity to explore a rarely seen part of Maui, The Volcanic Kanaio Coast and a variety of remote exotic snorkeling sites, includng both spinner dolphin and green sea turtle habitats. The Kanaio Sea Caves... Passengers can expect a rare treat as they tour along Maui's Gold Coast past Wailea and Makena to a remote and inaccessible coastline with spectacular views of the slopes of Mt. Haleakala. About 200 years ago at Kanaio, molten lava exploded from a side vent and poured into the ocean forming incredible lava arches, grottos and sea caves. The experience of entering a sea cave by raft or passing through a massive lava arch should not be missed! (conditions permitting) Photographers will delight with the array of unique formations that await at every turn. Dolphins Dead Ahead!... Following Kanaio, you will cruise to the protected waters of La Perouse Bay, frequently encountering a school of spinner dolphins , including babies, along the way or in the bay it's self. Named for their acrobatics, these playful mammals will frolic in the wave produced by our boat sometimes only an arm's length from the bow! Most of the time we will find these dolphins resting and playing in an area where we can enter the water and snorkel with them! This experience has been described as spiritual and is a visual and auditory experience that one never forgets. One of several remote snorkeling sites may be offered (time and conditions permitting) such as the La Perouse Pinnacle, which is teaming with fish. Each site has a unique underwater terrain and a variety of marine life. Turtally Cool! ... Departing La Perouse Bay, we make one more stop in Makena where we serve a delicious buffet lunch and snorkel with sea turtles and spotted eagle rays near pristine lava fingers. these turtles, although endangered and protected, are accustomed to seeing snorkelers and do not mind being photographed as they surface for air just a few feet away. The Molokini Express is ideal for those who wish to enjoy the crystal clear waters and abundant marine life at Molokini but prefer to limit their time on the water to 2 hours. Express transport to Molokini via our high powered rafts will take less than 15 minutes. Once briefed, fitted with top quality gear and in the water, over one hour of snorkeling time is available at prime locations away from the crowds. By arriving at the crater just after most of the other boats have just departed, we find the area to almost empty alowing us to drift snorkel large areas of the rim if we choose to. One of the most popular and spectacular drifts is over the outer reef formed by the rim of the volcano which at points is only two or three feet deep and then drops off on the outside to 200feet. Gliding over the reef gives one the "feeling of flying" as you look off the edge of the world! The backside of Molokini might remind one of "The Abyss" as the wall plunges to depths of 300 to 400 feet. If the wind picks up on the inside of the crater, this area is often the calmest water for snorkeling. Tropical fish are just about everywhere, but the shafts of light, awesome visibilty, towering cliffs and sheer drop offs are what make this site so unique. (Combination) Express Whale Watch/ Molokini Snorkel( New Tour!) The Express Whale Watch/ Molokini Snorkel is a great way to combine snorkeling at Molokini with a whale watching adventure on a fast and maneuverable rigid hulled inflatable. We almost always make it to Molokini on this one but if conditions are not favorable, a shoreline alternate may be selected. Your passage to and from Molokini will take you through waters laden with Humpback whales with a high percentage of mother/calf/escort pods. Just today a whale surfaced less than ten yards from our boat and lifted her calf out of the water on her head to show us. Awesome! About one hour is devoted to snorkeling, and 1 1/2 hours to passage and whale watching. Beverages and gear are included. THE RIDE Blue Water Rafting has been offering a variety of high adventure snorkeling and sightseeing tours since early 1985. Due to the range of sea conditions encountered and the lively nature of the ride, these tours are not recommended for people with limiting physical conditions. All tours depart from the Kihei Boat Ramp located just south of "Kamaole Beach Park III" and accross from the "Maui Kamaole" condominium at 2777 South Kihei Rd. Passengers arriving from points north should take "route 30" to the "route 310" junction, then continue on "route 310" until they reach "mile marker #9". Next turn right on "Keonekai Rd." and go down to the stop sign. Then left on "S. Kihei Rd." The entrance to the ramp is 2/10 of a mile south and is well marked with a sign. From the Wailea or Makena area take "Wailea Alanui Dr."heading north. Turn left at the stop sign onto "Okalani Dr." which will become "S. Kihei Rd." at the bottom of the hill. Continue for about 3/4 mile just past the sign for "Maui Hill". The boat ramp is marked and on the left. Tours depart rain or shine. Inclement weather conditions are usually temporary and rain gear is provided. Cancellations due to weather are extremely uncommon and all parties are instructed to appearat the boat ramp no matter what the weather seems to them. These tours are best reserved for those who are adventurous in spirit and in reasonably good physical condition. Destinations are weather permitting and alternate sites may be chosen. However, it is rare for us not to reach our destination whether it be Molokini or Kanaio. If the captain deems the conditions to be unsafe for departure, a full refund will apply. No shows are non-refundable. Our fast, stable, unsinkable, rigid hulled, inflatable boats are all powered with twin outboard motors. CLOUD IX is a 27' ALMAR RAIV and carries up to 24 passengers. KANALOA, is a 30' ALMAR RAIV carrying up to 24 pasengers. Both RAIVs are powered with twin 225 HP Mercury Optimax motors (smoke free), and are partially shaded. Our 6 passenger raft is a 19' Novurania powered with twin 60HP Evinrude motors. Parties wishing to guarantee the smaller boat may opt for a private charter. All boats have easy boarding ladders. Lunch is deli style consisting turkey and roast beef, veggies & dip, cheddar and swiss cheeses, whole wheat buns, and condiments with a delicious homemade style chocolate chip cookie. Beverages are hawaiian fruit juices and bottled water. Breakfast on the Kanaio/ Molokini consists of assorted fresh island fruit, muffins, hawaiian fruit juices, and bottled water. Kanaio Coast Tour has a fruit and beverage break between sightseeing and snorkeling. (No alcohol allowed on board). PRICES (effective January 1, 2004) Departure Times SCUBA Although we do not offer scuba diving on any of our tours, we recommend the following link for information on Maui Scuba Diving: Maui Scuba Information Cancellations: Cancellations/ Rescheduling/ Space available Non-refundable without 24 hours notice prior to departure,for any cancellation or rescheduling; No Exceptions. (48 hours or 5 days notice on Privte Charters - see private charters). Unforseen emergencies and illness inside the 24 hour period will not be refunded or rescheduled. However, we will gladly try to accommodate these on a space available basis on another day. "Space Available Certificates" are good up to 2 years and are transferable. Note: Not recommended for pregnant women, elderly or fragile people, or those with back or neck problems. Child age limit: 4 years minimum. | |
 General Information | |
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