MAUI VACATION DAY 3 :: KAANAPALI, HI :: Our day of snorkeling ended at Black Rock (Pu'u Keka'a), one of only three ancient sites where Hawaiian's believed their spirits departed the world. Mighty kings dove into the ocean and returned to prove their favor with the gods. Every night, a torchlit cliff diving ceremony honors the history of Black Rock.

It's also the best place to snorkel on Maui and is only a couple hundred yards from The Whaler. Black Rock divides the beach and creates a coral wall where lots of fish and a few turtles hang out. The water is clear, no rocks to stub a toe, and there was plenty of sunshine - the weather always seemed to be the best in Kaanapali.

Sea turtles (honu) are much revered by Hawaiians, and they were the highlight of our snorkeling trips. We saw two females and one monstrous male which must have weighed at least 300 pounds. The locals nicknamed him "Volkswagen." The turtles were busy munching away at seaweed and didn't seem to mind our presence. We tried to maintain a certain distance, although they swam right towards us a few times. I had to leapfrog over one to avoid it.

Unfortunately, the poor sea turtles throughout the Hawaiian islands are suffering from a disfiguring disease which is threatening the already endangered population. We could see signs of it on the big guy. We hope the turtle scientists find a cure soon!