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It will be a long
day before we see
any vog at Ministikwan
Lake.
Today the
Hawaiian
Islands are being
engulfed in vog.
Very simply;
vog is volcanic
air pollution;
although it may
not take on the same smog type characteristics
as Los Angeles or Toronto, it
does come with an index to determine
the levels.
The volcano emits sulphur dioxide
into the atmosphere. Sulphur dioxide
reacts with other gases, moisture, dust
and sunlight to form vog. Another
contributor to the vog is when the
molten lava flows down from Kilauea,
eventually pouring into the sea where
it reacts with the salt water to produce
hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide and
other chemicals.
Recently the vog levels have been
thicker due to the increased amount of
emissions from Kilauea volcano. This
volcano has been continuously erupting
since Jan. 3, 1983, and then in 2008, an
earthquake of 3.7 magnitude increased
the sulphur dioxide gas emission levels
to dangerous.
On Maui, depending on the wind, the
vog can hang in the air causing many
people to experience various symptoms
stemming from simple headaches to
aching bones to nausea. It would appear
the vog strikes you in your weakest area.
This has been the first trip where we felt
the vog had an impact on us.
Putting the vog aside the outrigger
canoeing has been great, I made it out on
six occasions and only once did we see
a whale at a distance of seven or eight
hundred yards.
There is a major difference observing
a whale from the shoreline and being on
the same level in the water. I had really
been hoping to have a whale breach
within a hundred yards of the canoe.
That wasn’t to be, but the sighting we
had still produced a level of understanding
as to the enormity of the mammal.
If outrigger canoeing is on your bucket
list there are two canoe clubs (Kehei and
Maui) where you are able to participate
in a paddle, if you can wade your way
through the paddletics and so called
fundraising antics. In reality you could
spend three hours there and still not get
on the water, worse than the best ride at
Disneyland.
The best approach I saw was to become
a member then you are almost guaranteed
a seat if enough steersman decide to
paddle on that given morning. If you’re
an avid paddler the $125 membership is
well worth it.
Watch for an outrigger canoe to make
an appearance on Ministikwan Lake.
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