This entry was posted on Saturday, October 18th, 2008 at 10:40 pm and is filed under About, Adventure Cruises, Information, Sites, Snorkeling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Photo Courtesy P.Parks/seaway.org/fishbase.org
The ancient Hawaiians called them malolo. Lolo translated means crazy. These cute fish were collected and placed in seawater filled gourds and carried out on the water in canoes to be used for live bait. The word malolo was also used for a fickle person who would leap from mate to mate.
Flying fish do not actually fly. They get a fast swimming start and leave the water spreading their pectoral fins. If there is a favorable breeze they can sail for quite a long way. A new record was recently documented when a Japanese photographer caught on film a 45 second flight next to a ferry. It can be found on Youtube.com.
Malolo are beautiful. Their bodies are dark iridescent blue above and have silvery grey underbellies. According to research, adults occur near, or at the surface and can be near, or far from shorelines. They are known to form schools, but can be solitary. In Hawaii, these fish seem to be close to shore in an almost seasonal pattern, but may travel constantly. They are preyed upon by swordfish, tuna, jacks and other pelagic fish. Flying fish eat crustaceans and other planktonic animals.
Will you see flying fish when visiting Maui? Come out on the water and get your camera ready. There are always surprises awaiting the boater and snorkeler. A trip to Molokini can’t promise you flying fish, but it can promise you fun!
