Kona, Big Island: Yellow Tang, Manta Rays, and Hawaiian History
Kona, Big Island, is one of my favorite cities that I've visited, EVER. Located on the western side of Big Island, known for absolutely stunning views, being the sunny side of the island, bright yellow fish (Yellow Tang), rainbows, and sunsets.
Sometimes the enchanting views of the magic sands (or disappearing sands) beach still linger in my dreams. I can vividly remember seeing the black volcanic rock structures contrasting with the golden sand and the huge glass cyan waves. And swimming through these waves are schools of bright Yellow Tang. Right bellow these beautiful fish lie layers of corral and volcanic rock, this forms the perfect spot for sea urchins, fan coral, schools of small fish to hide in and other wildlife.
Another Fun thing you can be amazed by in Kona is swimming with manta rays in the dark. When you go swimming with manta rays you start by getting on a boat where the people drive off the coast until they get to spot where the manta rays most commonly appear (don't worry it doesn't take a lot of time and while you are on the boat you can admire the stars in the sky because Kona has low light pollution). Once you arrive at your destination you can put on your snorkel and jump in where everybody holds onto a special floatation device with blue lights attached to the bottom. Now these blue lights don't just allow you to see the manta rays, but they actually attract plankton. Manta rays eat plankton so they swim up to you doing flips and swirls (you CANNOT reach out and touch them, but they can get pretty close so if they touch you then it's okay). And each manta ray has a different unique pattern on their backs which guides can recognize. Swimming with manta rays paints a beautiful picture where the dark water is aluminate by these majestic creatures swimming and gently grazing past you. And far below these manta rays you can see other fish taking advantage of the plankton and swimming in circles. It is truly an experience like no other and I highly recommend trying this in Kona. (Note: the manta rays cannot sting or bite you, in fact they are nicknamed the angels of the sea.)
This next thing isn't specific to one spot but there are many historic/archeological sites left behind by the ancient Hawaiian's. But I just want to recognize how impressive they were as a whole. They survived on stone age technology making things like fishponds, houses, boats, statues, art, fishing traps and many more things. They focused more on arts and religion then advancements in technology and they thrived on this system. (you can visit: Kaloko-Honokohau national historical monument, and Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park)
Kahaluu's beach park is a wonderful spot for snorkeling and admiring the coral reef. In the beach the volcanic rock forms a wall farther off to block the waves, creating one of the best places to go snorkeling. it's pretty shallow which allows you to get up close to the wildlife, there where sea pickles, tropical fish, fan coral, sea urchins and any other fish you can think of, it's probably there. and once you finish snorkeling and swimming with the turtles you can find a book at one of the tables that has all of the common fish labeled with names and characteristics. I cannot put into words how many animals and corals there where, it's something like you've never seen before.
Kekaha Kai State Beach Park is a beach that you have to traverse through mounds of lava rock to get to a beautiful scenic view. There is a great walk to get there, with even more views in every direction to keep you entertained while you hike. Once you arrive at the beach, you are greeted by super-soft sand and tropical fish almost immediately after entering the water. You only have to take a few steps in before you can see the fish picking at the seaweed growing on the rocks. It was really fun to play in the waves, and after only a couple minutes, we put on our snorkels and started to swim out to go see the reefs. They were beautiful, and there were tons of colorful fish. (Note: Keep in mind that the journey to this paradise involves a bumpy road, but the destination is well worth it!)
too see some of the view i saw while snorkeling clicks here: https://youtube.com/shorts/5psV1WQZwAA?si=9yMyjjmtds-w82PW
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