Maui Snorkeling Trips

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!

Photos Courtesy Fishbase.org/Dr. Jack Randall/Zimmermann

The ancient Hawaiians called this fish Nohu `Omakaha.  With a face that only a mother devil scorpionfish could love, this fish was considered edible, although this author has not been able to find any local people who catch and eat this fish today.  The Hawaiians also say ho’o nohu for scowl, or frown, and I couldn’t agree more!  This fish does look like they have a bad attitude!  But, they are a very formidable fish if you don’t know what you are doing!  They have a series of dorsal spines (11 to 14) that are packed with a wallop!  In studying one species (Plumerieri), scientists discovered that the venom causes a decrease in blood pressure, and respiratory and cardiac frequency.  Infections will follow and some wounds could take many months to heal.  (Science Direct – Elsevier)

The devil scorpionfish seen in Hawaiian waters does not have that intense of a venom, however it can inflict a very painful wound if stepped on or handled.  Hawaiian waters do not have the very deadly stonefish, which can be found in the South Pacific reefs.  It is said the venom of that species is similar to a cobra, and death could follow within one hour of  human  contact with that fish.  There are other relatives, which we will discuss in a future posting.

Does anything eat a scorpionfish?  The devil scorpionfish (called ‘false’ scorpionfish by scientists) feed mainly on small fish and crustaceans they ambush, usually at dusk, or night, and may be eaten by sharks, moray eels and stingrays.  Click HERE for a video!  The scorpionfish is an ambush predator and may been seen half buried in sandy bottoms.  This fish can grow to one foot long and, although not easy to spot, can be commonly seen in most reefs.

If you are planning on a snorkeling trip while in Hawaii, keep a watchful eye out for this predator.  If it becomes alarmed, the rainbow color pattern behind the pectoral fins is breathtaking!

Photo Courtesy NOAA

The Frigate Bird was called `Iwa, meaning thief, by the ancient Hawaiians.  They watched and learned about all living things and knew this bird was very good at bullying other seabirds enough they would drop their meal and the frigate bird would swoop down and take it.  But, it wasn’t always freshly caught prey.  These birds know if they scare the other sea bird enough they will disgorge.  (eeewww!)  They are also seen catching flying fish when they leave the water.

According to Hawaiian language expert, Mary Pukui, the frigate was also called the man-of-war bird.   The name `Iwa (said ‘eeva’) was used for a handsome person who held attention with their presence, and the same name was used for a native fern whose stems were used for hat making.

The frigate bird can grow to an impressive 7.5 feet across, females being larger than males for most global populations.  They also have the highest ratio of wing to body mass and are very light, for a large bird, weighing in at four pounds or less.  According to studies, the frigate has a wide distribution over tropical seas, but Hawaii is the northernmost area they are seen in.  There are more than 10,000 nesting pairs in the Northwestern chain, and others have chosen Molokini off Maui as a place to nest.  Molokini is a ‘tuff’ cone, or vent for Haleakala (a dormant volcano on Maui), and a protected marine reserve.  Males have a scarlet chest, which they expand enormously during courtship, and the female has a very white chest.  Nesting period seems to be summertime through to December on Molokini.  There the birds are seen in great numbers.

If you are planning a trip to Hawaii, and Maui in particular, please plan on a snorkeling trip to Molokini where you will be able to witness, first hand, the massive frigate bird in silent flight overhead.  This is a site you will never forget!

Photo Courtesy NOAA.gov

Everybody loves dolphins, and we are always asked “will I see one?”.  Many species of dolphins live in Hawaiian waters year around, but the channels are quite large and there is no company that should be guaranteeing dolphin citings, however, if you go on the water your chances are really good that you may see a dolphin or two, or maybe even more than 100. 

Ancient Hawaiians called dolphins nai’a, although another word nu’au for porpoise was also used.  Interestingly, there are no porpoise in Hawaiian waters, but there are around Australia, New Zealand, and possibly the Marquesas and other parts of the South Pacific.  Nu’au may have come from south of the equator and is rarely heard in Hawaii.  This author could find no references to the eating of marine mammals in any form, at least not in Hawaii.  Many Hawaiians chose the dolphin as a family god, or `aumâkua.  The differences between dolphin and porpoise are physical.  Teeth of dolphins are conical, whereas porpoise have spade shaped teeth.  The snouts, or rostrums, of dolphins are longer, especially so with spinners (above photo), and rostrums of porpoise are quite blunt.  Dorsal fins are also very different.  On porpoise they are very triangular and short, dolphins have sickle shaped and falcate (curved back) dorsal fins.

It is no secret that dolphins are very intelligent, curious, and also one of the top predators of the ocean.  Predator?  Isn’t that a fun fact!  When predator is said the usual image of sharks may come to mind, but imagine having the intelligence of a dolphin, the ability to echolocate, and the swift ability to grab prey out of the ocean floor or mid water.  Dolphins enjoy eating a myriad of fish and crustaceans.  Depending on the species, they may eat just at night (spinners), or any time (bottlenose).  Spinner dolphins are known for their full bodied spins and flips above the surface, which, according to researchers, is a form of communication.  Dolphins do not do this type of communicating, but they do leap from the water and sometimes do summersaults.

Spinner dolphins in Hawaii congregate in large family pods that can number in the 100s, while bottlenose are usually seen in groupings of less than 5.  Both species can approach vessels at will to spend time people watching.

Years ago while working on a vessel that crossed the channel to Lana’i, we had an amazing experience involving dolphins.  We had about 30 passengers and 3 crew on board that day.  While folks were wrapping up their snorkeling experience and heading back, the captain noticed dolphins approaching in the distance.  Spinner dolphins feed in the night hours and like to rest in shallow coves and bays during the day.  A very large pod was quickly approaching.  As is normal, they sent 3 scouts into the bay to check and give the ‘all clear’ communication whistles.  As a handful of straggling snorkelers made their way to the swim ramp, one lady was singled out by the scouts.  They were clearly interested in her as they circled and whistled and made clicking sounds.  The passenger began to become hysterical and exclaimed that the dolphins were hurting her.  The captain hopped from the deck to the swim ramp and encouraged her to keep paddling, not panic, and she was alright.  The dolphins were not hurting her in any way.  She didn’t seem convinced at all.  Her husband, I remember, was very worried and offered to jump back in to help her move quicker.  The captain declined as a crew member was right behind her, smiling broadly while enjoying the dolphins, and keeping a close eye.  After climbing on the swim step, wrapped in a towel by her husband and gently placed on a bench, her tears subsided while she insisted the dolphins were ‘hurting’ her.  The captain listened intently, obviously deep in thought.  I will never forget his question:  “ma’am, are you pregnant?”.  The husband’s eyes opened wider in surprise when she responded, “yes, I am, but how did you know that?”  Then, quickly to her husband she offered a barrage of apologies explaining that she was going to tell him during their vacation when the time seemed right.  Both listened intently as the captain explained echolocation and how it works.  He told them that the dolphins most likely ’saw’ the fetus and it was a curiosity to them.  That was probably why they continued to circle her and ‘ping’, enabling them to get a better vision.  The couple hugged most of the way back, joy shining on their faces.  The wife had an amazing dolphin experience, which the husband shared in his own way.  He had the pregnancy of their first child announced by spinner dolphins.

Come to Maui!  Get out on the water and keep the expectations high.  There is so much out there and it is waiting just for you!

Photo Courtesy Katie Grove-Velasquez

Humpback whales of the North Pacific divide into 3 groups, say the experts.  Approximately 60 percent of this stock head to Hawaii, 30 percent may head to Baja California area, and the remaining head to the islands south of Japan.  This annual migration is for mating, giving birth, courtship and for some juveniles, a learning experience.  These whales, according to research, do not reach sexual maturity until they are older than 7 years, but young ones may follow older whales to the breeding grounds to watch and learn.  The ancient Hawaiians called this animal Koholâ.  This whale, although not a year around resident, was included in the chant of creation and undoubtedly has been making the journey to the Hawaiian Islands for many hundreds of years.  Their arrival in Hawaii is always much anticipated with great joy by the locals and visitors alike.  The earliest known day is September 27 when a lone juvenile showed up and shortly thereafter, disappeared.  They begin trickling in after Thanksgiving and by early December are around the island chain in good numbers.  It takes these behemoths about 1.5 months to journey over 2500 miles from their feeding grounds of Canada, south east Alaska, and the Bering Sea where they feast on the fish and krill they love, but more on that later.  Researchers tell us they travel about 5 – 7 miles per hour and are capable of bursts of speed of 20 miles per hour, perhaps more, depending on circumstances.

Humpback whales are still a very mysterious animal and best known for their long pectoral fins and the above-the-surface communications such as breaching, head slapping, tail slapping, and many others we will explore in the near future on this site.  The pec fins are the length of their heads and also match the width of their flukes (tails).  After a 11.5 month gestation a whopping calf is born weighing 1 to 2 tons and 10 – 20 feet in length.  A small mother will produce a small baby, big mothers, HUGE babies.  The largest humpback on record was an 88 foot long female that was killed by whalers in the Caribbean.  Kept records were not detailed enough to give us more information, unfortunately.  In future postings we will discuss humpback whales in  much more detail and will also explore different avenues of their lives, mating, courtship battles and much more.  Please bookmark this blog site and keep returning!

While snorkeling in Hawaiian waters,  the possibility of seeing marine mammals is always there.  Several species of dolphins, sperm whales, false killer whales, melon headed whales and others are just a few  one may encounter while on the water.  If you want to see humpback whales up close and personal, a whale watch is a MUST.  Many of these animals are known quite well to captains and crew who are always thrilled when it seems a particular animal recognizes the sound of a vessel and approaches to spend time with the humans.  We always like to ask:  “Who really watches whom?”  Join us! 

Photo Courtesy Dr. Jack Randall

This fish was a very important food source of the ancient Hawaiians who called it ôpelu.   Since it is a pelagic fish, most likely it was not raised in fish ponds.  Saba was eaten raw, salted and dried, and cooked.

The mackerel is also a very important food for marine mammals such as the humpback whale.  These whales call Hawaiian waters home for part of their lives.  If they were to find large schools of saba it would prove most certainly a fabulous snack for the whales who favor oily fish and eat very little while in the island chain to mate, give birth, and court each other.

Mackerel are voracious eaters who enjoy copepods and other crustaceans, squid, and other fish.  In the Asian culture these fish are also used for medicine.

When in Hawaii, snorkeling is a must.  These beautiful and shiny fish can be seen on the way to Molokini, while in the crater snorkeling, and even while snorkeling off shore.  Jump in, the water’s fine!

Photo Courtesy Dr. Jack Randall

The ancient Hawaiians called this magnificent creature Hahalua.  The literal translation means two mouths from the two flap-like appendages (cephalic horns) the manta can curl up when not feeding and unfurl to aid in guiding large amounts of plankton and small fish to the broad mouth.

The manta can reach an amazing width of 30 feet (measured tip to tip across the body) and can weigh more than 3,000 pounds!  Not much is known about the biology of this pelagic/shallow water animal, but in spring and autumn they are seen leaping out of the water.  Most biologists believe it is the males who may leap, possibly due to a courtship behavior.  It is also believed that the females are live bearers.  Most do not have the protective barbs of the stingray, and their tails are rope-like and very short.

There have been many studies on the giant manta in Hawaiian waters.  Off the Kona coast of the big island of Hawaii, many animals have been identified and cataloged by the ’saddle’ patterns on their backs and freckle patterns on their bellies.  When in Hawaiian waters try to make time for a snorkel trip.  Young mantas can be very curious and tolerate close human contact.  Manta rays are a common occurrence here and often are in very shallow areas.  Males leaping out of the water can sometimes appear like a missile (if their pectoral fins are rolled up) or like a giant kite when fully extended.  This would surely be a sight to remember for a lifetime.  Come to Maui and go out on the water.  Make your memories happen.