Hitching a Ride with a Sea Turtle and a Trumpetfish

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 joining a turtle while it looked for algae and grass on the reef. I've noticed other fish taking advantage of the turtle's uncovering possible food while it scrapes rocks and coral during foraging, but never such a large one joining in the efforts. Or maybe, like me, it was just along for a fun ride with a green sea turtle.