This was my most outstanding memory of maui during my 3 day visit, this 15 min trail down to the water through the forest was so lush and full of life i could hardly take in how beautiful it was
On the trail to Honolua Bay i had to stop and marvel, this tree was so huge and so majestic i was obsessed with its odd roots hanging from its branches which i later learned about.
These dangling vines from the banyan are called aerial or adventitious prop roots. They help the tree to spread downward by reaching the ground and then forming a new trunk! They sprout when a seed is carried by a bird and dropped into a crevice of another tree. Over time, it will cover the host with its tangled root system. Eventually the vines will strangle the tree it took over and it will die and rot away but the vines and the new branches will remain encapsulating a empty center where animals in the jungle can make a home, this tree i took a photo of isn't that old but its pretty large if you ask me. banyan is originally from india where the largest banyan has grown so huge its bigger than an average walmart unbelievablefactsblog.com
I didn't have the gear with me to go snorkeling in the bay but it was so beautiful and i'm so glad i got to see it and the walk through the first was mesmerizing my photos hardly do any justice for how beautiful it truly was, but apparently this is the place to go snorkeling if you do and theres a ton of websites out there who say its the best and most sheltered area