Lifelong waterman, Iko Balanga, founder/owner of Anelakai Adventures in Keauhou, grew up spending nearly equal time on his native Oʻahu island’s Windward Coast and Hawaiʻi Island’s Kona Coast.
“The ocean was my life—surfing, outrigger canoe paddling and fishing. At the time, I was also developing deep respect for Hawaiian values, culture and sustainable living practices embraced by my family,” Iko says.
In 1983, at age 18, he left fast-paced Oʻahu behind, feeling more aligned with the old Hawaii-style living experienced in Kona. Nearly 30 years later, having built a successful construction business, he felt his heart tell him it was time to step away.
“Development was happening too quickly; Kona was changing too fast. I realized I no longer wanted to be a part of that,” he says.
In 2012, with his wife, Holly Crane—waterwoman and company co-founder—he made a change that reflected his love for this place. Since then, the duo has operated the only non-motorized, paddle-powered hahalua (manta) and cultural tours on the Kona Coast with daughters Anelakai, 19, and Li‘linoe, 12.
“Anelakai (angel of the sea), just four at the time, inspired me to return to what I love doing and aspire to—living pono (righteous) to protect island resources and preserve Hawaiian culture for future generations,” Iko says. “Ancient Hawaiians were masters of sustainability, stewards of the land and sea. Today, sustainable eco-tourism is at the heart of everything we do.”
That includes using two wa‘a kaulua (double-hulled Hawaiian voyaging canoes), which accommodate just six guests and two crew each, in deliberate contrast to the prevailing industry trend toward motorized vessels, higher guest capacities and increased tour frequencies, according to Holly.
“We’ve watched those practices take a toll on ocean health. By operating paddle-powered tours, we eliminate environmental impact: no carbon emissions; no risk of fuel or oil leakage into the ocean; no engine noise disturbing marine life,” she says.
With hahalua tours operating twice nightly, up to six days weekly, the earlier tour departs just before sunset, with the sky bathed in dreamy rose-gold light. Just seven minutes of rhythmic paddling to Keauhou Bay’s south point is soon rewarded with the mesmerizing, graceful movements of the first hahalua, to silently appear just beneath the hulls.
Whether in the water with snorkel and mask—safely secured by handholds between the two hulls—or seated comfortably dry in the canoe, the close-up views of these special beings are otherworldly and heart-expanding, according to Holly.
The second tour departs under expansive starlit skies with heightened expectations for what’s to come: the angelic dance of the hahalua and their wingspans of 15 feet or more. While their size may intimidate some, Iko reassures guests these gentle giants pose no danger to humans—they have no teeth, no barbs, no stingers and no bones, he says.
“The hahalua have been coming to this place long before man. Today, more than 400 live along the Kona Coast,” Iko says. “While we can’t guarantee sightings on every excursion, the odds are in our favor!”
The slow-paced, two-hour morning cultural tour (offered at 9 a.m. Monday-Friday) is delivered in the Hawaiian storytelling style by guides familiar with the history of Keauhou Bay and coastline, passed down verbally by kūpuna (elders) for centuries.
Both tours are conducted with aloha and a desire for guests to take away a greater appreciation for Hawaiʻi, its beauty, culture and our collective vision for its future—and a gentle reminder to slow down, live in the moment and in harmony with nature, Iko says.