One of the things Nate wanted to do on this trip was to cage dive with sharks. Since we he would celebrate his birthday in Hawaii, it was the perfect gift. We did do it early on in our trip, so if the weather turned we would be able to reschedule it before we left.
Nate's sister booked our shark swimming in advance for us (thanks Tash) and went with North Shore Shark Adventures. I would highly recommend this company - maybe because I am convinced that I found my adventurous uncle's doppelganger - just saying Bernie - there is another one of you out there :)
They were extremely friendly, professional, and knowledgeable about sharks. We were sure to encounter galapagos sharks. I also loved the fact that they don't taunt and irritate the sharks, we were simply able to silently observe them in their natural habit, without interfering.
Natasha offered to entertain our little people on the beach while we went out on the boat - we chose the first ride our at 07:30 in the morning.
It was a little nerve wrecking driving out there by boat, but the scenery was amazing...
Look at those mountains! So breathtaking.
Everything was great - until we stopped in the middle of the ocean, and you would imagine the boat to kind of stand still for a minute - well not so much that rocking on the tiniest waves, made my stomach turn. I also made the mistake of looking over the edge to take pictures of the sharks, I mean the water is so clear you can see them swim underneath and around the boat - it was amazing.
Nate of course is an adrenaline junkie, and nothing phases him, no motion sickness, no fear of sharks, I swear he is not afraid of anything. It is so crazy!
I felt so nauseous (what a sucker I am) - thank goodness for zofran, I soon became the pharmacist on board, and I am happy to report that we all made it without throwing up, but feeling less then stellar.
It was finally our turn to get into the cage, and to be honest at this point I was so ready to get off the rocking boat that I didn't have time to be afraid or even consider the fact that this is kind of bizarre and stupid all at the same time.
It was way less scary then I thought it would be, and I felt quiet safe and secure inside the cage. I think there were about eighteen sharks swimming around, and under the cage, and it was pretty amazing.
This is what the cage looks like on the bottom.
We did have so much fun together!
It was such a need experience and a total bucket list scratch.
I won't lie, it did feel so good to get off the boat and to just walk - I felt the rocking side to side motion forever.
Nate and I walked a couple of blocks along the beach and through little streets with shops to meet up with the kids and Natasha on the beach.
The kids were having a blast on the beach, playing in the waves, and collecting some treasures.
A quick snorkel was in order as well, snorkeling in Hawaii is pretty awesome.
Lunch at the food trucks is a must. I was such a fun experience, Nate and I love fish, shrimp, and seafood - so this was awesome for us. We settled for shrimp for Giovanni's truck. It was so yummy.
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| This made me miss Europe so much, and the guy was a legitimate French man! Made me miss Europe even more :) |
Shave ice is must in Hawaii. We tried it from a few places, and this place is seriously the best. Condensed milk is a must.
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| Coconut and White Cake Shave Ice with Condensed milk. |
It was a super successful morning, but after lunch we were all so tired from getting up so early.
We all went out to dinner that night in downtown Honolulu - it was a lot of fun. The kids loved late afternoons because that is when all their cousins would come home from school, and they were able to play together.
We were even able to stay up for the firework show on Waikiki beach. They do it every Friday night, and I thought it was pretty fun. The kids were completely exhausted and delusional at this point.
This was pretty much, a happy early birthday day for Nate, and we celebrated the big 30 in style.
It was one of the best days, and I am so happy we were able to experience such beauty.
Happy Saturday!!
ps. Check back for pictures and stories from the rest of our trip. I have so many beautiful pictures to share.
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