A Tail of Two Turtles

Randy and I went to the National Park adjacent to the north side of Honokahau Harbor and walked along the beach for a little break from running errands. We generally make a weekly trip from Ocean View to Kona to stock up for our Leilani Bed & Breakfast guests. It was extremely low tide and we must have seen at least 20 green sea turtles feeding on the bottom of the reef in the shallows. We have been told since that they were all females; the males don't come in close to shore like that.

What we discovered is that they get quite territorial over their terrain of algae, and when another turtle approaches, they position themselves to bite the intruders tail, sending them off in a scurry. At first we thought it was just an isolated incident. Then the more we watched, the more tail biting occurred. Some got quite aggressive and in human terms, seemed even revengeful. Check it out next time you are in the area during a low tide. It was very amusing to watch the different personalities!

Here are the directions from the parks website: "Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park is located on the west coast of the island of Hawai'i, approximately 3 miles south of the Keahole International Airport and 3 miles north of the town of Kailua-Kona, on the ocean side of Highway 19." We approached the beach from the north side of the harbor where there is a small parking area and a walk through gate. Here are the directions for that: After you turn into the Harbor road take the first right turn and follow it until you see the Kona Sailing Club. Park in the gravel parking area and look to the right for the park gate. From here it is a 5 minute walk to the south end of the beach. Admission is free.

The whole walk along the beachfront is quite long, perhaps a mile or more. You can also see the Ai’opio Fishtrap. And the whales are just arriving offshore, so it could be a good chance to do some whale watching from shore also.

Enjoy yet another wonderful sight on this island!

Aloha,
Randy and Lynn

A New Hidden Gem on the Island

Randy and I made a day trip up to the north end of the island to see exceptionally large waves that had been reported. As it turned out, the waves seemed to have reached the island of Oahu and stopped, for the ones we saw were only a few feet. However, our adventure turned out great.

We found a small state park that we had not previously visited, Lapakahi State Park. It is the ruins of an ancient Hawaiian settlement of fishermen and farmers. It was originally settled in the 1300's. The location is exquisite, right on the waterfront with beautiful little coves. There is a two mile trail throug the grounds with a self-guiding brochure available. Most of the artifacts are original with a few restorations.

The other part of the adventure that was so great was that it was a wonderful whale watching day. All along the west coast, we could see whales. We must have spotted 40-50. We stopped at several good spots to watch and picnic.

This day trip made us realize just how easy it is for our guests at the Leilani Bed and Breakfast to experience wonderful day trips. The island is big, but not so big that you can't explore beautiful, remote places on the other end of the island in a leisurely day trip!

Keep in mind that the whale watching season in Hawaii is from Nov - March, with the best possibilities in the middle of those months.

Happy travels to all.
Lynn VanLeeuwen

Whale Watching Season Is Coming Soon! - See them off of South Point

Whale watching season is almost here. The Big Island of Hawaii gears up for the return of the humpback whales in November. These graceful mammals are always extremely entertaining to watch.

Guests at our B&B love to go just down the road to South Point and watch them swim around the peninsula. It is an even bigger thrill to be at the southern most tip of the United States and see this fantastic sight at the same time. Seeing a double breech is just magical!

This is just one of the local spots in the vicinity of the Leilani Bed & Breakfast where these sightings are possible from land.

Many tourists book themselves out on boat excursions from various spots on the island to get a closer look, but there is something to be said for viewing them undisturbed, reverently, and from such a magnificent natural perch.

We invite people to our “hidden paradise” and experience this wonder of nature. The Big Island of Hawaii and whale watching! It will take your breath away!

Much aloha,

Lynn & Randy