Turtle on a slow day.

Today was another slow day because I need to bribe Gavin for more hiking.  :)  (Kalalau Trail tomorrow…) We headed down to the south of Kaua’i to try snorkeling at the Po’ipu Beach Park, supposedly one of the few places it is safe to snorkel on Kaua’i in the winter.  Other places on the island are not safe this time of year due to strong currents and large waves (great for surfing, though).   When we arrived at Po’ipu, the first thing we saw was a crowd forming at one part of the beach; a sea turtle had chosen to crawl ashore and take a rest among the many beachgoers.  The lifeguards had to put signs around it and blow the whistle frequently to get people away from the turtle.

Sea turtle on the beach!

"Can't a guy get some rest without all the paparazzi??"

The snorkeling here could have been really good if it wasn’t so rough.  I saw lots of fish, but I don’t like snorkeling in shallow water with lots of waves and no fins, so I only stayed in the water for a few minutes.  I did see a strange little snake-looking fish in the water that I had never seen before. (looking it up later, I think it was a saddled snake eel)

After hanging out on Po’ipu beach for a while, we headed the almost two hours back to our house to get ready for dinner.  On the way, we took some pictures of the drive and various scenic points we had noticed but never stopped at.  We ate at the Dolphin Restaurant in Hanalei, and it was probably my favorite meal of the entire trip.  Both of us ordered teriyaki-grilled ahi tuna and it was REALLY tasty and fresh.

Cows at sunset.

A perfectly still pond.

Taro fields.  (I think...)

A view toward Hanalei Bay.

We turned in early, because I want to do the biggest hike of our trip; we’ll get up close and personal with the Na Pali coast!