Spotted a Spotted Eagle Ray, Kahalu'u

We started out the day by going to Keoneele Cove by the Place of Refuge on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Because of the dangerously rough surf, we couldn't get in the water.  We've never seen it like that.  There were three people fishing at Two Step (the place where the divers and snorkelers enter the water).  The few people who were there were sitting on the lava, and no one was in the water.  Went to two other coves, and they were the same.

After 4 p.m. we went to Kahalu'u and, although not as clear as usual, we were able to snorkel.  We had a brief encounter with a spotted eagle ray.  He was about 4 feet in width and maybe 7 or 8 feet long, nose to tail.

Shallow water and close to the beach.

• The water was murky at about 4:30 p.m., and the sky was hazy when we saw the ray.   We don't add any filters to the video, so you see it like we saw it.  You can upgrade the size and quality of the YouTube video by clicking the options on the bottom right when it is playing. 

The Florida Museum of Natural History has good info about spotted eagle rays.  http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/descript/seray/seray.html

We know better than to go without checking first, but we'd always had such good luck snorkeling there.  

The National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office for Hawaii, keeps a listing of Active Watches and Warnings for the Islands (plus included phone numbers to call if you are away from the internet and want to check on weather conditions).  

There is also a Hawaiian Coastal Waters Forecast that I check.