An Experience:
Snorkeling With Pride of Maui

Maria Emmerich is a wellness expert and Certified Ketogenic Health Coach who has helped clients follow a Ketogenic lifestyle to heal and lose weight for over 20 years. She has helped thousands of clients get healthy, get off medications, and heal their bodies; losing weight is just a bonus. She is the international bestselling author of several books, including “Keto: The Complete Guide to Success on the Ketogenic Diet.”

Maria and her family come to Maui often to stay in their “Keto Condo.” It’s a serene place overlooking the ocean and helps her and her family enjoy all that Maui offers including family-friendly snorkeling tours in Maui.

Maria and her family went on their first trip with Pride of Maui during one of her early stays on the island. She described her reaction, “I always love new adventures, so I can’t believe it has taken me so long to go on a Pride of Maui tour! I have been working a lot while in Maui, consulting clients and writing my Keto Air Fryer cookbook, but I took a break from work to teach my cutie pies how to snorkel with the Pride of Maui tour! It was amazing!!!!”

An Interview with Maria aboard the Pride of Maui

Pride of Maui: Aloha, Maria, we’re big fans of yours. We know you’re a nutritionist, speaker, chef, and international best-selling author. Is there anything else you can tell us about yourself?
Maria: I am a nutritionist specializing in the ketogenic diet and exercise physiology. I struggled with my health and weight throughout childhood, leading me to become a passionate nutrition expert. I started changing my diet because I was sick, and I lost 80 lbs. I reversed my acid reflux just by what I ate. And I work with celebrities like Halle Berry!

PoM: What do you love about Maui? And does it inspire you and your endeavors?
Maria: What’s not to love about Maui? I love to be outside all the time. I can be outside before the sun comes up until the sun goes down. I love how kind the people are here, how safe I feel here, I love the food we eat. And the cool thing is that we have so many different micro-climates here! If it is raining in one place, you just go to another part of the island for different weather.

PoM: Have you taken a tour with Pride of Maui before? And if so, which ones?
Maria: My family does a Pride of Maui tour at least once a year if not more than once. It’s a really great time to spend with the family. We’ve done every tour you offer. We’ve done the morning snorkeling tour and the whale watch. I guess our favorite is the morning snorkeling tour because there’s just so much to do. You not only go snorkeling, but you have a whale watch, and there’s the slide!

PoM: So, knowing that you’re a keto nutritionist, what do you eat when you’re on a trip with us?
Maria: I never have trouble finding food to eat when we’re here. You guys do these great burgers and hot dogs, so we just skip the bread, and we’re good! My kids love the burgers on Pride of Maui.

PoM: This next question is for your family. What are their favorite things about Pride of Maui?
Maria: There’s so much to do for my kids when we go on Pride of Maui. There are always other kids to play with, but even if there aren’t other kids, you have the slide, SNUBA, snorkeling, and even the foods they love!

PoM: When taking a snorkel trip, what amenities/accommodations are most important for you and your family?
Maria: Amenities that are important to me when we go on trips like this are things like a bathroom, and you guys have that. I don’t know if it’s really an amenity, but you guys do have kind staff. The staff of Pride of Maui isn’t just great; it’s above and beyond. It’s the staff that really makes this a special time. The Pride of Maui even encourages everyone to stop using toxic sunscreen that kills the reef and has organic sunscreen for everyone to use!

PoM: You have two sons. How kid-friendly do you find our boat when it comes to keeping them entertained for the five-hour trip?
Maria: Pride of Maui is so kid-friendly! There’s so much to do for my kids when we go on Pride of Maui. There are always other kids to play with, but even if there aren’t other kids, you have the slide, SNUBA, snorkeling, and even the foods they love! And honestly, it’s nice to have just family time!

PoM: What’s your favorite thing to see in the ocean?
Maria: My favorite things are seeing the whales and the turtles. Every time I see the whales, my heart just bursts with joy. Same with swimming with the turtles. We see them all the time, but it’s still so special. They’re so graceful and beautiful. Snorkeling with sea turtles is so fun!

PoM: Do you have any advice for people traveling or thinking of traveling to Maui?
Maria: If someone is traveling to Maui, the advice I would give is maybe save money on where you stay and focus more on activities. Book a trip on the Pride of Maui! Where you stay is just where you sleep, the activities create memories for a lifetime.

PoM: How likely are you to recommend Pride of Maui to your friends and family?
Maria: We get asked all the time, and we tell them to book a trip on Pride of Maui. We tell people it’s safe, it’s super fun, the staff is going to take care of you like a King and a Queen, and the five hours go by in the blink of an eye. So, enjoy every second of it!