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....

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...

Nothing is more exciting for a snorkeler than an encounter with a sea turtle.  Graceful, peaceful and gentle, the green sea turtles of Hawaii don't seem to be afraid of the humans that swim close to them.  In fact, they often glide right by you as you're exploring a reef, seemingly oblivious to the harm that mankind is capable of wielding.  Fortunately in Maui today, it seems relatively easy to encounter one of these endangered denizens of the sea. If you're paying close attention, it's not difficult to find a sea turtle resting deep at the bottom of the sea, protected mostly by a reef's ledge.  More than twenty feet below the surface of the water, he'll usually surface after five minutes for a breath of air or two. Other times, you may find a turtle eating the algae and sea grass that cover rocks close to the shore line and the water's surface.  Even a walk along a beach might find one basking in the sand, either resting, sunning or just finding safety ...