On most days the trade winds carry some of the VOG (Volcanically Originated Gasses) around the southern tip of the Big Island to the Kona area. The VOG reacts with the light of the setting sun similar to human produced SMOG that is found in other parts of the planet that is generally known to tint the sunset a much more red color than normal. In addition to the influence of the VOG the lack of any other land or islands directly west of Kona make for an unobstructed view of the sun setting into the ocean 365 days a year. While we were here we figured it would be fun to take in one of these sunsets from the ocean, so we decided to go out for a dinner cruise with Blue Sea Cruises.
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Travel Blog #141 - A Sunset On The Water With Blue Sea Cruises
People often ask me what my favorite Hawaiian Island is. I always tell them that I am a bit biased towards Maui because I was born and raised there but all of the islands have something different to offer. The Big Island is a place that has some very unique features, one such feature that many people do not know about the Big Island is that the Kona side has some of the best sunsets that you can find anywhere in the state.
We met Blue Sea Cruises at the Kailua Pier just off of Ali'i Drive. We checked in on the dock before climbing onboard the massive blue and yellow boat. Once onboard the crew untied the boat from the pier and slowly pulled away from the pier. After grabbing a drink from the bar we decided to explore a bit.
There was a lower deck that contained a glass bottom viewing area, the bar/buffet area, tables and restrooms. Then on the second floor we found more tables and chairs........and an absolutely amazing view of the sunset. It did not take long for the crew to set up the buffet area. Soon enough we were making our dinner plates and sitting down to enjoy our food under the backdrop of a truly amazing sunset. As the sun finally made its way behind the horizon we were able to catch a glimpse of the "Green Flash". This is a phenomenon that only happens when you're very close to sea level watching the sun go down over a large body of water.
As the sun goes down there is a brief moment where because of the curvature of the earth the light will actually pass though the surface of the water on its way towards you, causing the yellow light of the sun to mix with the blue water of the ocean for a brief instant which creates what looks like a green flash of light. I've been lucky enough to see this phenomenon many times before but I have never had much luck getting pictures of this phenomenon........ But some of the pictures from tonight came out pretty good, what do you think?
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