Volunteering + Vacation = A Dream Come True

Kim Steutermann Rogers
Destination: Kauai
Article Source: Outrigger

When Julie Honnert comes to Kauai on vacation, she doesn't sit on the beach and read a book.  “One of my messages is volunteerism. I always tell people I am on vacation. Most people have never thought of it—volunteering on vacation. Many turn to their spouse and say, ‘Oh, honey, we should do this.’" Read More

Snorkeling Kauai

Destination: Kauai
Article Source: Outrigger

Explore the undersea world at these favorite snorkeling beaches on Kauai's North Shore, South Shore, East Side, and West Side.

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Wendy McIlroy: On Kauai's Reefs

Destination: Kauai
Article Source: Outrigger

 Wendy McIlroy, veterinarian and scuba intructor, shares her thoughts on diving the waters of Kauai.

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Kauai Evokes A Sense of Place

Kim Steutermann Rogers
Destination: Kauai
Article Source: Outrigger

The sun rose at our backs and escorted us down Highway 50 on Kauai toward Port Allen, our embarkation point for a day’s adventure on the Pacific Ocean. Our journey would take us to Kalalau Valley along the iconic Napali Coast. Then, we’d traverse 17 miles of a sometimes rough ocean, crossing Kaulakahi Channel, to drop anchor on the north side of the privately-owned island of Niihau. When I asked my friend Laura, visiting from Loomis, California, whether she wanted to join me on a boating excursion to Napali and Niihau, she didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, baby,” she said. Read More

Kauai Reefs: Teeming with Life

Kim Steutermann Rogers
Destination: Kauai
Article Source: Outrigger

The boat rocked from port to starboard and back again, as regular as a metronome. A diminishing south swell that shut out all dive boat operations for the past week still churned the water—and my stomach. That may have explained my deadpan response to Captain George’s dive jokes, but that wasn’t all. It was early.

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Red: The Color of the Night

Kim Steutermann Rogers
Destination: Kauai
Article Source: Outrigger

The first time I was scheduled to dive the area known as “Tunnels” on Kauai, there was an extremely low tide producing strong currents as the incoming water rushed back out to sea through a narrow channel. Another night, there was Hurricane Daniel, which was eventually downgraded to a Tropical Depression when it bypassed the island.

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Humpback Whale Guide

Kim Steutermann Rogers
Destination: Hawaiian Islands
Article Source: Outrigger

Here you'll find tips on whale watching in Hawaii, the best points and peaks around the Hawaiians Islands to watch whales from land, things to think about before selecting a boat outfitter to get up close and personal with those behemoth 45-foot, 45 ton marine mammals. You'll also find a couple videos, an interview with a whale researcher and numerous blog articles and feature stories we've written about Hawaii's whales. We've also included a hand reference to those Outrigger properties with "whale-view rooms," so you can watch humpback whales breach, spy hop, pec slap, peduncle throw and fluke up dive from the comfort of your own lanai. Read More

Things You Can Do to Protect Coral Reefs

Destination: Hawaiian Islands
Article Source: Outrigger

Our world's coral reefs are precious and fragile. You may not live near one, but your health may rely on its health. There are many things you can do to help preserve our coral reefs, in Hawaii and beyond. This list is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program.

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There's Plastic In My Fish Sandwich!

Kim Steutermann Rogers
Destination: Hawaiian Islands
Article Source: Outrigger

Plastic bottles that once contained water, bleach, motor oil and other liquids. Plastic lobster and crab traps. Mounds of nylon fishing nets. I am not surprised when I find this kind of trash on the beach. What I don’t understand, though, are the televisions, car wheels and the toilet seat lids that I have discovered on more than one beach walk.

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What? There's Another Whale Besides the Humpback?

Kim Steutermann Rogers
Destination: Hawaiian Islands
Article Source: Outrigger

At the marina, six biologists popped out of their van, hauling a dozen waterproof Pelican cases of all sizes and colors. They stashed their gear on a 27-foot Boston Whaler with military precision. Within a few minutes, we pushed off and motored out of the harbor. I took my spot on the fly bridge, the extended prow of the boat--think hood ornament of a car. My job as a volunteer on board would be to look for blows, breaches, lunges, dorsal fins, logging or any other whale behavior at the surface of the ocean. Read More