If it Doesn't Look Weird, it's Not a Sunburn...

I think this is a cardinal rule for sunburns. If you don't look ridiculous, you can't possibly have a real sunburn. My ridiculous sunburn comes from the very best intentions. On the surface, you may think that I was trying to go for a vintage, turn of the century look for my snorkel wear:

But I really had saving the ocean in mind! Some of the chemicals in sunscreen can be damaging to coral reefs, so it's safer to just cover up so you don't need to put on sunscreen before you jump in. And in that respect, this bathing suit was perfect (thank you Lands End!).  I didn't get burned on my back, or the back of my legs, or back of my shoulders.... But my HANDS are burned -- I've been making Michael Jackson references all day -- I look like I'm wearing gloves. Like I said -- it's not a sunburn if it's not embarrassing! Luckily, I'm not the only one strolling around Maui with a weird burn today. ;)

Today was our snorkel trip. If you are coming to Maui, I can't recommend Trilogy enough. This isn't the first (or last!) tour we've taken with them. The crew is amazing.  We left early this morning and headed north on the Trilogy III (catamaran) to our snorkel grounds. 

I think the picture above was the only time we were dry today! We chose front seats on the catamaran  which was a great view, but we got just soaked. It was like being on Splash Mountain for 45 minutes. By the time we anchored in Honolua Bay, we were so wet, neither of us could see out of our glasses because of all the salt!  Despite being wet, the boat ride was so fun. And it is so amazing to be able to enjoy the ride and not worry about being sick from the waves. 

Honolua Bay was great snorkeling. There were lots of turtles, and we spent quite a bit of time watching one drift around the coral, finding food. The current was pretty strong here, and it was amusing to watch the turtle being sort of tossed head over heals (like me!), as the waves came in and out. Turtles are my absolute favorite. They are graceful, and sort of humorous. It's such a blessing to be able to be so close and watch them. No matter how many times I see them, it is always  a gift. 

Back on the boat, we dried off (sort of, because we forgot towels!!!), ate lunch and headed just around the corner to another snorkel spot.

 

The second snorkel spot was literally around the corner (south) and had some more turtles. These ones were younger (12-15 years old) and much smaller. The way the sun was hitting, you could see the turtle and their shadow on the sand. So beautiful! 

Back on the boat, the crew let the sails out and we sailed back towards Kaanapali. 

Snorkeling is exhausting, so we napped this afternoon, ate at our hotel, and rallied to shop this evening. We made a beeline for our favorite store, Blue Ginger.  Oh, and grabbed up some aloe. It's not a Hawaiian vacay without aloe, right? ;) 

Tomorrow, we're back on Trilogy to whale watch. We saw one humpback whale this afternoon, so we're real excited to see more tomorrow!!