Heavenly Day-Christmas Eve

Today we snorkeled at Molokini, a crescent-shaped crater a few miles off of Maui.  A boat took us out there early in the morning.  It was remarkable.  The corals are in great shape and teeming with fish.  We saw tangs, pufferfish, angelfish, butterflyfish, and lots of fish I can’t name—long thin transparent blue fish, big blue fish, and schools of little fish.  I watched an eel slither through the corals, hunting or maybe just playing.  We all took on Snuba-ing as well, which is a combination of snorkeling and scuba that took us down near the bottom.  After Molokini we went over to a lava formation and snorkeled into these, seeing more coral and fishes.  (Chloe and I were freezing, so check out our wet suits.)  It turned out to be a whale and dolphin watching trip too.  Humpbacks are moving to Maui from Alaska to give birth.  Saw at least a dozen whales--spouts, flukes and one breeching!  Also ran into a school of small spinner dolphins (photo below) that came right up to the boat.  Back to the boat for lunch and some sun, then home for some Christmas shopping and a dinner of grilled fish down by the pool.