And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Indeed it is. Crystal clear down to the crater floor at about 25'. Right up until you paddle over to the right or left edge, where the dormant volcano mount tapers down into the abyss. To the west, towards Lanai (out of view to the right) it bottoms out close to 1000' depth. And just for giggles, there's UXO just over the right edge and down, from when they used to use it as a surface gunfire target, which they still do to Kaho'olawe (in the upper background). To the due south, from over on the left edge of the punchbowl, it only drops down to 10,000' feet deep. And a few miles to the right of frame is Maalaea Bay, where a good dive boat captain can drop you near sea turtles, which you may look at, but not touch. The channel above and over to the right is Humpback Whale mating territory, and a marine sanctuary for same. And if you do paddle over and peer into the blackness, you realize that however far down you can see, you're perfectly silhouetted to about twice that depth for anything below that, far beyond your vision. And as you ponder all the things down there in the blackness you cannot penetrate, you quickly paddle back to the 25' wading pool in the crater.
We were in Hawaii in February, about twenty years ago, and I went snorkeling off the beach in Maui. I had to swim out over 800 yards to get over the reef. Then when I had deep water beneath me I dove to the bottom, forty feet. Then when I equalized the pressure in my sinuses suddenly I could hear whale song. Live not a recording for the first time in my life. I'll never forget that moment.
I've dove off the backside of Molokini. Pretty fucking freaky. On the other side we took a bunch of underwater pics and in one there is the distinct shape of the nose of a shark way down in the bottom of the frame looking up.
Indeed it is. Crystal clear down to the crater floor at about 25'.
ReplyDeleteRight up until you paddle over to the right or left edge, where the dormant volcano mount tapers down into the abyss.
To the west, towards Lanai (out of view to the right) it bottoms out close to 1000' depth. And just for giggles, there's UXO just over the right edge and down, from when they used to use it as a surface gunfire target, which they still do to Kaho'olawe (in the upper background).
To the due south, from over on the left edge of the punchbowl, it only drops down to 10,000' feet deep.
And a few miles to the right of frame is Maalaea Bay, where a good dive boat captain can drop you near sea turtles, which you may look at, but not touch. The channel above and over to the right is Humpback Whale mating territory, and a marine sanctuary for same.
And if you do paddle over and peer into the blackness, you realize that however far down you can see, you're perfectly silhouetted to about twice that depth for anything below that, far beyond your vision. And as you ponder all the things down there in the blackness you cannot penetrate, you quickly paddle back to the 25' wading pool in the crater.
Ask me how I know.
Let me guess. You saw the Cinemax video narrated by David Attenborough.
Delete...and that's why they call 'em humpbacks.
DeleteNice try, bogside, but wrong.
DeleteLive and in person.
There's also a 4' reef shark that patrols inside the crater. Gives tourists a fright, but he's pretty harmless.
We were in Hawaii in February, about twenty years ago, and I went snorkeling off the beach in Maui.
ReplyDeleteI had to swim out over 800 yards to get over the reef. Then when I had deep water beneath me I dove to the bottom, forty feet.
Then when I equalized the pressure in my sinuses suddenly I could hear whale song. Live not a recording for the first time in my life.
I'll never forget that moment.
I've dove off the backside of Molokini. Pretty fucking freaky. On the other side we took a bunch of underwater pics and in one there is the distinct shape of the nose of a shark way down in the bottom of the frame looking up.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't look it, but the crater floor is about 65 ft down, not 25. That's by my depth gauge when we dove the crater in 2013
ReplyDelete25' on most of the rim side.
Delete65' from the middle to the downhill, no doubt.