Mark Galacgac

It’s my first whale-watching tour and it exceeded my expectations. At the end of the tour, I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of photographing whales, I was amazed by the views and other wildlife!

Our boat left Kewalo Harbor and headed turbulently to Waikiki. The waves rocked the 3-story boat so much that I didn’t feel nauseous. I was distracted by the luxurious hotels lining Waikiki and the colorful boats passing by Diamond Head. The shadow of the famous Diamond Head was getting closer.

There was another mountain behind Diamond Head that shocked me. I could see Koko Crater Hike right behind Diamond Head. I took a picture of a yellow sailboat in the front, with Diamond Head, Kahala, and Koko Crater in the distance. From the picture, it seems much closer. But I hike Koko Crater about 2-3 times a month and I know for certain it’s much farther than it looks in the picture.

Would I recommend a whale watching tour? No, I do not. Although, it was eye-opening to see Waikiki in a different perspective, Planes flew in the opposite direction from when Im on land, and an ocean view of all the hotels I am familiar with. I saw different kinds of large and small birds. These were very tricky to land focus on with my camera. Hawaiian airlines also passed flew overhead with its iconic purple tail and women design. I got a shot of the plane with the airport in the background and another shot of the plane over a nice cloud.