Mike in the Wild

I'll repeat myself by stating that nothing is more exciting for a snorkeler than an encounter with a sea turtle.  And I'll paraphrase a blog post from last year, again pausing to admire how graceful, peaceful and gentle the green sea turtles of Hawaii are.   They don't appear to be afraid of the humans that swim so close to them, gliding right by you as you're exploring a reef, seemingly oblivious to the harm that mankind is capable of wielding.  Fortunately, its becoming easier and easier to encounter one of these endangered denizens of the sea because of local conservation efforts. Below are several favorite turtle photo's from this month's visit to the reefs of Maui.   They're followed by a couple videos of once-in-a-lifetime swims that are turning into just another glorious day on Hawaii's treasured beaches. Napili Bay. Napili Bay. Napili Bay. Kapalua Bay. Kapalua Bay. Kapalua Bay. Kapalua Bay. Black Rock....

One common fish on Hawaii's coral reefs is the surgeonfish, a member of a large and varied family of fish.  And one specific species you're guaranteed to encounter is the orangespine unicornfish.  Most members of the surgeonfish family sport sharp, scalpel-like spines at the base of their tails, giving them the ability to inflict deep cuts as a defense against predators.  Often brightly colored and displayed, they're more often than not used as an effective warning than as a weapon. True-to-name, the orangespine unicornfish's spines are indeed orange, and impossible to miss when you first see him.  Usually solitary, he's been a fun subject to photograph on my frequent snorkels off of Maui.  And on a 4th of July visit to Kapalua Bay, I was surprised to meet a large school of maybe one hundred individuals swimming at the south end of the bay, close to the  breakwater.  For a minute or so - only as long as they allowed me - I swam above and beh...

I've written before that no single fish epitomizes snorkeling on Hawaii's reefs more than the reef triggerfish.  This state fish of the Aloha State has an Hawaiian name that means triggerfish with a nose like a pig.   And it's almost impossible not to spot this animated resident each time you swim in the shallows.      I was excited last year to encounter one of its cousins for the first time, the lei triggerfish, which is almost identically sized and shaped but with plainer markings.  And on this year's return trip to Maui I was surprised to find a new member of the family, but one that is maybe flashier in appearance than the reef triggerfish.  It's the lagoon triggerfish, sometimes called the Picasso triggerfish.  With more stripes and vibrant colors, no wonder it's named after an artist. Triggerfish are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the families of fish that live on Hawaii's reefs; surgeonfish, butterflyfish, ...

I've written before that nothing is more exciting for a snorkeler than an encounter with a sea turtle.  After my third consecutive July trip to Maui in the Hawaiian Islands, my opinion hasn't changed.  On this recent visit it seemed like I saw several of these gentle giants every time I entered the reefs that surround the Valley Isle.  The largest fish joining the turtle on these reefs could be the trumpetfish, a uniquely elongated and tubular-shaped ocean dweller that grows close to three feet in length.   There are three species in this family of animals related to the sea horse and the similarly shaped coronetfish, with the one living off Hawaii and elsewhere in the Pacific being the Chinese trumpetfish.   Kapalua Bay is one area of Maui where you can almost guarantee seeing a green sea turtle, Hawaii's resident species in this family.  On one of my visits to this beautiful cove's emerald waters I was able to photograph a trumpetfish joinin...