Shark Diving
Rather than jump out of a plane today we booked a morning excursion out to sea. FunkyCat wanted to try shark diving in a cage. So along with Lebron and Cactoose the four of us set out early in the morning to Haleiwa’s marina to meet the staff of North Shore Shark Adventures. We met a few fellow shark divers as well. Once everyone was accounted for, we boarded the boat and head to sea.
The ride out to the shark diving spot takes around 15 minutes, but with the early morning departure, we were treated to an amazing sunrise on the water. Once we arrived at our diving point we dropped anchor and the staff started lowering the cage into the water. Once the cage was in place we were given snorkels and climbed down into the floating cage. After we were all in the cage, the crew untied the cage and let it freely float.
With the snorkels, you could dive under water as long as you wanted and see all the sharks swimming around the cage. We rotated around the different sides of the cage so we could see the different angles. After about 20 minutes the crew reeled the cage back in and helped each of us out. Because the cage is only able to fit 8 at a time, the other half of the boat got in and had their opportunity to swim with the sharks.
After the second group had finished, the staff tied the cage to a buoy and proceeded to take us back to port. It was during this ride that both Lebron and Cactoose started to feel sick. I suspect the combination of the free floating in the water and the motion of the speeding boat back to port started taking its toll on them. They progressively started to feel sicker and sicker. Once we returned to port, we drove back to our airBnb so that Cactoose and Lebron could rest. Because of the early start I caught a few zzzs as well.
McDonald’s Breakfast
Because Vino and Antetokounmpo didn’t get up early to dive with us, they took this time to head out and explore on their own. On their way back they asked if any of us wanted breakfast. I took this opportunity to give McDonald’s Hawaiian breakfast a try! It comes with sausage and rice! I really liked it and think I would prefer this over what we get back on the mainland!
Kahuku Farms
After breakfast, LeBron still wasn’t feeling great so we let him continue to rest while the rest of us drive North to Kahuku Farms. We didn’t spend too much time at the farm. It was hot and there isn’t a lot to do or see. But enough time for me to buy some jam and pick up a smoothie. On the way back to the airBnB we stopped at a fruit stand and picked up a few snacks for the house.
Banzai Sushi
Once we got back to our airBnB LeBron was feeling a lot better so we decided to head out for lunch. We headed to Banzai Sushi. We didn’t plan to order anything too substantial because it was later in the day (and the prices were a bit steep). I ordered a sashimi salad with some rice.
Dole plantation
Next up on our list was the Dole plantation. I’d been told that while the visitor area is very touristy, its still worthwhile to visit. I wasn’t all that keen about the attractions and the HUGE gift store. However, I was eagerly anticipating getting “Dole Whip” straight from the source. Pineapple ice cream is something that is pretty appealing to me, so getting myself a big helping of it was top on the list. I can safely say I was very content with it.
Relaxing Evening
After about an hour of exploring the plantation, we decided to head back to our airBnB. We had the afternoon to relax, some went to the beach, caught up on work and I put my feet up with a nice cold beverage.
There weren’t any grand plans for dinner, and since this was our last night on the North shore, everyone was free to go to and get whatever food they wanted. Lebron and I decided to go to Ted’s Bakery since we liked it so much the first time. I ordered a crab and bacon sandwich which was very good!
The evening turned into a relaxing evening watching Game of Thrones. Our transition to Waikiki would occur tomorrow.
Read this while you are already in Panama. Interesting!