Scuba Diving Off the Big Island of Hawaii

Dr. Goodman and companion, Rachel Stein

One of the joys of living in Hawaii is being able to indulge yourself as the opportunity permits in the activities that you love. After all, “living your Hawaii Life” is our mantra at Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers, where we devote ourselves as Real Estate professionals to helping people live their dreams. My opportunity came last Monday when I was invited by one of my clients, Dr. Glenn Goodman of Wrentham, Massachusetts, to join him on a scuba dive. I cleared my appointments for the day and headed out to have some fun!

Dr. Goodman and I teamed up with Sea Paradise, an established water adventure company operating out of Keauhou Bay near the Kona Sheraton Hotel. We signed up for a two tank, two location dive from a large catamaran with all the amenities including the all important restrooms. We hadn’t even left the dock when we were welcomed by a pod of approximately four Humpback whales spouting and frolicking in the waters just off the point.

Kanaloa at Kona Condominium at Keauhou Bay

As soon as we passed by the Kanaloa at Kona Condominium at the mouth of Keauhou Bay, where Hawaii Life has a fantastic one bedroom vacation rental condo listed for sale (MLS# 241878), we were joined by another pod of about seven Humpback whales that traveled with us all the way to our first dive location inside historic Kealekekua Bay.

It turned out to be a much longer trip than expected because our whale friends were in no hurry, and they would frequently stop in front of us causing us to kill our motors and wait for them to move on. I believe I saw more whales on this one trip than ever before. It was amazing!

The weather was fantastic! We had clear skies, 85 degree temperatures, and smooth waters. It was especially sweet for Dr. Goodman because that very morning, his home and his surgical eye center, The Cataract Surgery Center of Milford, located just outside Boston, were being buried in another sixteen inches of snow and bitterly cold temperatures. But here, off the coast of the Big Island and surrounded by the wonders of nature, cold was a world away.

Historic cliffs of Kealekekua Bay

Our first dive started just off the Captain Cook Monument in Kealekekua Bay and followed the sea cliff towards the mouth of the bay. Our dive depths ranged from 30 to 90 feet in a U-shaped pattern. We saw a huge manta ray and thousands of fish of all colors and sizes, feeding on the plankton kicked up by the previous few days of high waves. After the dive, we rested and snorkeled the bay for about an hour and then headed out to our next location.

Location of cave entrance – Kona, Hawaii

The second dive was outside Kealekekua Bay and north about a mile to an area known for underwater caves and interesting rock formations. We were not able to enter one of the caves because the entrance was in relatively shallow water, and the waves had increased to the point that is was not safe.

So, we meandered through the rock formations and valleys looking at the sea life, and regretting that the dive trip would soon be over. I remain in love with the sense of flying that you get from scuba diving as you move effortlessly in and around the various rock formations. It gets in your blood.

By the time we returned to the dock, Dr. Goodman and I were already planning our next dive in September, when he returns to visit our island. Whatever you do, or where ever you go, remember to live your best Hawaii life.