On Sunday January 19th, a group of 60 volunteers from the local Maui community set out to clean Maui’s reefs. It was Trilogy’s second Blue’Aina trip of 2020, sponsored by Kapalua Ziplines, and after weeks of winter rain and windy weather on Maui, we were more than overjoyed for blue skies and calm seas. We set out to Mala Wharf for the day, barely leaving Lahaina Harbor before a mom and calf humpback whale surfaced. An excellent start to our day!

Humpback whale season officially began in Maui on December 15th and runs through April 15th. The Maui Nui basin provides the perfect calm and protected area for moms to nurse their calves. (For more information about humpback whales check out our blog posts here.)

We set out for Mala Wharf, where our volunteers had over an hour in the water to snorkel and free dive, collecting any marine debris they could find. Armed with scissors and collection bags, carefully removed any fishing line found entangled on the coral. After weeks of rain on Maui, this particular area had accumulated a lot of marine debris and our volunteers found handfuls of fishing line, 6 lbs. of lead weight, and a few pieces of plastic.  

Once back on board the Trilogy catamaran, we enjoyed lunch while hearing from our sponsor Kapalua Ziplines: the largest, all dual, zipline course on Maui. Located on the West side of Maui below the Pu’u Kukui Watershed Preserve, Kapalua Ziplines is an eco-friendly company dedicated to preserving Maui’s beautiful lands. One way they help to reduce waste is by providing each guest with a reusable water bottle. The guides also love sharing ecological and cultural information about the area throughout your zip tour. Mahalo nui loa to Kapalua Ziplines for your generous $1,000 donation to Pu’u Kukui Watershed Preserve!

Pu’u Kukui Watershed Preserve was established in 1988 by Maui Land and Pineapples’ President, as a management area to effectively manage and protect the natural resources of the area. In 1992, Maui Land & Pineapple granted the The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i a permanent conservation easement of 8,304 acres, creating the largest private nature preserve in Hawai‘i.

Pu’u kukui translates to mean “hill of enlightenment” and is the summit of the West Maui mountains (Mauna Kahalawa). The West Maui mountains are one of the wettest spots on earth, receiving about 400 inches of rainfall a year. This unique environment is home to a number of Hawaiian endemic species. 

Endemic - (of a plant or animal) native and restricted to a certain place.

Mahalo again to our sponsor and volunteers for joining us this month. Trilogy hosts monthly Blue’Aina trips each first Sunday of the month. You can visit  our website for more details & to reserve your volunteer seat. We hope to see you out on the water with us in 2020!