Day 2 in MauiJan 24, 2008
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Heading to Lanai
Looking for those Humpbacks
on Lanai with Molaki in the distance
Day 2 in Maui: This day was by far the sunniest day we had experienced since leaving Honolulu. We boarded a bus in Kahului and traveled across to the other side of the island to Lahaina. There we boarded a ferry that would take us across to the island of Lanai. During the 45 minute ride across to Lanai, we spotted several humpback whales that were up for feeding. None of them were breaching, but just coming up enough for us to see their backs and their spray.
When we arrived in Lanai City, we were met by our guide, a life-long resident of the island. The island is very small and actually gets the least amount of rainfall per year out of all the Hawaiian islands. Lanai City is the only town on the island which is 95% privately owned. There is no property left on the island for anyone to purchase, so the population will never increase from what it is now. They have 0% unemployment, and no crime. It was a very quaint little town and island...very quiet, laid back, and serene. As we reached the far side of the island, you can see that once again, it was quite windy. We saw a beached Monk Seal sunning himself in the sand. Our guide said that he would stay there a few days, then go back to the water and be gone. We stopped a a really neat little cafe for a sandwich and salad before making it back to the dock just in time to catch the 2:00 ferry back to Lahaina.
Once we were back in Lahaina, we had some time to kill before the bus arrived to take us back to Kahului. The picture of the Banyan Tree in the town square is unbelievable! It is JUST ONE tree! As Banyan trees grow, their branches send down vertical limbs that take root also, so you get the appearance of many trees.
