Best of Big Island

At breakfast, we have a clear view of a cruise ship docking in front of Kona. How glad we are not to be confined to some mini-ship balcony right now, but to be able to enjoy our delicious breakfast on our dream terrace.

There is no special event planned for today, the last few days have been really exciting and eventful; today's program is simply to go snorkeling, and so we head to Honaunau Bay.

Upon arriving there, after a first snorkeling, I'm almost dozing off on our beach chairs, when suddenly Mom unexpectedly spots dolphins in the bay out of nowhere. We have never had this experience in this place before and we can barely believe our luck to be able to witness something like this twice in 24 hours.

So we quickly put on our fins, snorkel masks, and swim out to the animals. And even though outsiders might say that dolphins are just dolphins, I have to disagree: Today has really topped yesterday. The dolphins emerge just a few centimeters in front of us, swim deep below us, then sprint to the surface to prepare for a jump, and throw themselves into the waves in various different ways just a few meters away. The high-pitched dolphin voices repeatedly announce the approaching of the animals, and I simply can't tear myself away. The babies swim agilely alongside their parents and they all seem smooth and spirited in their movements (after all, they have fins as wings). I completely lose track of time and spend a good 45 minutes among the huge dolphin schools. And afterwards, we observe the unique spectacle from the shore for a while.

No photo can come close to reflecting what we experienced today, that's why I have included a link to a small underwater video. Just click and be amazed: https://vimeo.com/292037926

The afternoon is initially spent comfortably at home, because events like these also need some space for processing. Later, we take a walk with a sea view, surrounded by Hawaiian flora!

And tonight, hopefully, we'll dream about these unforgettable experiences! Mahalo (Hawaiian: Thank you) dolphins, you have made two people today the happiest vacationers in the world!