Day 5: The Adventures of Jen and RaeRay...

Lanai is an island about 9 miles across the channel from Maui proper. It is actually part of Maui County, but the entire island is 97 percent owned by one man -- Larry Ellison. The only developments on it are two Four Seasons resorts and a town that supports their employees. Originally, this was owned by the Dole family, which grew pineapples to be distributed to the rest of the world.They sold it to Rupert Murdoch, who developed the resorts, and Ellison bought it in 2012.

Captain Kiwi explained all of this as he ferrried Jen and RayRay across the after, along with about 30 others. It was a whale-watching and snorkeling excursion. The day trip normally costs about $150 apiece, but RaeRay paid substantially less as part of a donation tho island children. Captain Kiwi's mate Captain Steve, took over the chores of distributing equipment and keeping the guests entertained on the nearly hour-long cruise from Lahaina to Lanai. The group stopped long the way when Captain Kiwi spotted a whale calf accompanied by its 90,000 pound mother. Everyone shifted to the boat's starboard side, and Ray snapped away with his little Nikon. He expected to have caught a shot of the 15-foot-wide tail as it slipped beneath the waves. This wouldn't be the last time on the round-trip tour that the group would spot a whale breaching the water.

Before the boat landed in a small boat harbor on Lanai, the captain warned guests that they could wander around the island, but not to use the resort's swimming pools. The sandy public beach would be their pool. He said only three companies are allowed to bring tourists to the island, and he did not want to lose his privileges. The passengers filed off the boat and down a paved road to the well-kept cove with picnic tables and rest rooms. The captain had pointed out a hiking trail up a rugged cliff to a lookout called Sweetheart's Rock that towered above a long rock formation in the sea. It was a fairly easy hike from the beach. That was RaeRay's first jaunt while Jen basked in the tropical sun. The group spent four hours on the shore and ate a boxed lunch the captains had provided. It was a tasty chicken wrap with Ranch dressing, pasta salad, a cookie and Sun Chips. Rae swam and snorkeled along the off-shore reefs beyond the sandy beach. Ray also snorkeled in the shallow waters, not quite comfortable in deep water and tripping over his fins. The awkwardness began a day before when he was on the black-sand beaches. Ray kept telling him there not to let his feet touch the bottom. He did, and his small lacerations were still stinging a day later.

The sun was nearly 12 o'clock overhead. Captain Kiwi had arrived with another group of guests. He was ready to take Jen and RaeRay back to Lahaina. But he hadn't completed their adventure. One last stop on the excursion was in a nature conservatory just outside of the boat harbor. It was a live reef basin filled with colorful tropical creatures. Rae quickly slid gracefully -- not really -- off the side of the boat into the teeming blue bowl of fish. Ray fought a battle of wits to decide whether he trusted himself breathing through a tube and treading water. He finally made up his mind that he would never forgive himself if he didn't join the other swimmers. After all, Captain Kiwi offered noodles for those lacking confidence. The group anchored in the cove for nearly an hour before heading out into the channel for more whale-watching. Bouncing across the waves, the boat captain would suddenly shut the engines when he spotted a whale breach. One time, the group saw three gigantic humpbacks moving as if synchronized. Another blow or tail would appear on this side or that of the boat, and captain would pause to watch. Captain Steve comes to Maui every year instead of spending the winter in Alaska, where he has a whale watching boat moored in Anchorage. He explained to the group that the humpback whales migrate here from Alaska every year to mate. They weigh 90,000 pounds when they arrive and lose down to about 60,000 after giving birth and feeding their calf. The creatures remain on the endangered species list, hence no one is allowed within 100 yard of them. About half past 2 p.m., the boat arrived back at Lahaina, where Rae would have to teach gymnastics and cheerleading for the next few hours. Jen and Rae went for ice cream at the Dairy Queen in Lahaina Cannery Mall until Rae's employer Sue called them saying she was ready to head back to Wailuku. This had been another all-around good day for Jen and RaeRay. They would stay home and relax this evening.