The Na Pali Coast of Kauai

When a tour tells you to expect some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth and up-close encounters with marine wildlife, all along accompanied by expert local guides, two meals and a mai tai bar, you have to wonder how are they going to guarantee all that in a five hour trip. Well of course weather, seasons and luck are an important factor in any outdoor adventure, so nothing can be promised except for a bottle of rum. But on the mid-September day I joined Kaui Sea Tours on their deluxe 60 foot catamaran, the Lucky Lady, out of Port Allen, I was destined to experience the thrills of a lifetime.

Kaui is the oldest and in some ways the remotest of the main Hawaiian Islands because it lies so far west of the others. Another distinction is that it was the first island to be settled by the ancient Polynesians. It's also the wettest of the islands, if not of all Earth's locations, where one spot gets over 460 inches of rain a year. As a result, the verdant island is referred to as the Garden Island.

Thanks to Kaui's volcanic history, mountainous terrain covers much of the landscape, making cross-island travel dependent on one main coastal road. In the northwest corner of the island, one location is especially rugged and inhospitable to all traffic except by foot, helicopter, or watercraft. This area is protected in several parks, most notably by the namesake Na Pali Coast State Park, whose name comes from the Hawaiian word for high cliffs.

And it's these cliffs that draw a steady stream of sightseers from land, sky and sea to witness the scenic beauty. Hiking is a muddy and strenuous endeavor and a helicopter a spectacular but hands-off encounter. A boat ride, like the one offered by Kauai Sea Tours, seemed to offer a good balance between comfort and proximity. At the same time, a ride on the catamaran provided some up the best up-close sightings of the birds, dolphins and other marine life that call this 16-mile long stretch of the Kauai coast home.

Waking up early in order to sail out of port before eight in the morning isn't the ultimate way most vacationers want to start their day. But clear skies and calm seas along with warm, tropical breezes reminded us why we had flown all this way to the remotest of the Hawaiian islands. It wasn't long before flying fish and brown boobies crossed the catamaran's path heralding the start of this seaside adventure.

The sure-footed captain doubled as tour guide, recounting details of the coast's history, geography and wildlife. He was ever up to the challenge of any interruptions of one of his stories, like when I thought I spotted a bobbing seabird or seal. When it became clear that it was just a floating log, the skipper didn't miss a beat, explaining how Kauai's rivers regularly deposit washed-out trees from high in the mountains, and that seals wouldn't be hunting or lazing this far from land.

But it was the pod of spinner dolphins that proved our captain was not just a pilot solely focused on our safety and destination, but he was also an expert in the area wildlife. He knew that the first few dolphins we saw in the distance weren't worth a detour in our morning's agenda. Instead he explained how up ahead their should be an even larger group, resting and frolicking in a popular area after a long night hunting in the deeper ocean. And then as if on queue dozens appeared in front of us, jumping and yes, spinning, as they swam head-on in our catamaran's path.

It was a magnificent sight and the first time I had ever seen so many dolphins together. Spellbound by this encounter, it was hard to imagine any more excitement; but we were approaching the edge of Na Pali's scenic coast. Initially the low morning light created long shadows in the distant landscapes, darkening the warm colors you see in all the pictures. But as we slowed and approached closer to the cliffs, the sublime detail of these ancient mountains came into crystal clear focus.

Maybe the captain turned off the engine because I don't remember any sounds except for the soft chords of a ukulele wafting out of the boat's speakers. Looking along the coast and into the canyons and upon the cliffs, I was mesmerized by their shear beauty. Waterfalls of fresh streams cascaded into the salty sea while sandy beaches nestled between thousand foot high peaks. Red dirt mountains were draped in sheets of greenery below the jagged ridges of long dormant volcanic craters. While Hollywood discovered this location as a film set for "Jurassic Park" many years ago, it was Eden where I finally found myself.

The other sightseeing boats and a steady stream of helicopters reminded us we were in the 21st century and after almost an hour we started making our way back to port. But we wouldn't reach safe harbor until after a short snorkeling stop close to shore. It's funny that the majesty of Na Pali fades a bit when you're a hundred feet from the cliffs, just the same way the Grand Canyon doesn't look quite so grand from low on the Colorado River. But this segment of the tour wasn't about landscapes, it was about reefs and sea life.

Jumping into the clear, warm water in the shadow of Na Pali instilled a sense of calm befitting such a tranquil and serene area. Because the mountains blocked a lot of the morning sunlight, the reefs were a bit too deep and dark to fully appreciate. Nonetheless I was able to admire teaming schools of convict tangs with their bursts of yellow flashing upward to the water's surface. I also spotted several varieties of triggerfish and surgeonfish bedecked in unique colors, patterns and shapes.

One fish in particular, the black triggerfish, gleamed exquisitely in dappled light, one of several from a school of the species that swam much closer to the sunlit catamaran. And it was here, near the ship, where we joined a green sea turtle on his breath-seeking ascent to the surface, providing our humble group gasps of excitement and an apt farewell from this underwater wonderland.

Another encounter with a pod of spinner dolphins rounded out our long list of the day's adventures. (The real end of the journey included rum drinks, but the high seas and a choppy ride back to port put a quick end to that exploit.) Having just as much fun as our boat's passengers did throughout the morning, a number of the dolphins partied in their own way, swimming in the wake our swift moving catamaran created off its bows. Frolicking and rolling and breaching, they seemed to be enjoying their own thrills of a lifetime. But more likely, it was just another one of their days in paradise.