Written by Hawaii Students, Abby🦑 and Nicole🐡
Shortly after arriving to Hawai’i Island, we got a warm welcome from the Manta rays on our sunset snorkel adventure. Some Mantas even brushed up against us while feeding on the plankton under the board! The next few days we are free to explore Kona Town or stay in and relax while at our hostel. After five days, we drive south to Miloli’i, known as the last fishing village of Hawai’i, and set up camp on an old lava field right next to the beach. Here we meet Auntie Linda who shows us how to weave bracelets out of Lau Hala and a moon chant.
Our Top Three Highlights of the Week:Â
🤿 Nighttime Manta Ray snorkeling was a top highlight of the week.
☕️ Going across the street from our hostel to HiCo the coffee shop with 100% Hawaiian coffee.
🌊 Harvesting sea urchins from the depths of the ocean off of Miloli’i by free diving with hooks!
🏊🏽 Snorkeling has been a staple of our week! We’ve spotted white tip reef sharks, octopuses, eels, and even an eagle ray!!
But transformation always comes with opportunities for growth: What were our main challenges this week?Â
This week has been exceptionally good for us and we have not faced many challenges. We are busy absorbing all of the knowledge that the elders of the last fishing village in Hawaii have to teach us.
Our gratitude:Â
We are most grateful for being able to camp and sleep so close to the ocean. No one will ever get over falling asleep to waves crashing together right outside of their tent. We’re also so grateful for the amazing sunsets we get to watch every night here.
