Mike in the Wild

Beautiful Maui.  I'm still pinching myself that I was part of the first wave of tourism when Hawaii reopened their doors to COVID-free visitors on October 15th.  Of course, it didn't take long for me to acclimate to the windward breezes, the tropical sun and, especially, the picturesque beaches with their beckoning coral reefs just an easy swim offshore.  As soon as the surf shop opened on my first morning in the Aloha state, I rented snorkel gear so I'd be ready to dive right in during my seven-day stay.   I only had to walk a hundred feet from my hotel room to find a good site to snorkel: Napili Bay is one of the easiest and most rewarding places for underwater exploration in Maui.  Green sea turtles were feasting on algae at the south end of the cove when I first entered the calm ocean.  While reacquainting myself with these gentle creatures was just what the doctor ordered, it might have been identifying a few new fish that really captured the exci...