Pacific Orange-spine Unicorns are called Umaumalei
a pair of Ornate Butterflyfish, locally known as Kikakapu
an octopus (He'e) has got a hold of my dive buddy
a young reef trigger fish aka Humuhumunukunukuapua'a
in Hawaii they call the Threadfin Butterflyfish Kikakapu
the St Antony wreck just off-shore from Wailea is a popular hangout for Green Seaturtles
in Hawaii they call the Moorish Idol a Kihikihi
I got my
PADI certification in Kona Hawaii, so I may have a bit of bias, but if you like snorkeling or diving, Maui
is definitively one of the best places to go.
The reefs are vibrant and sport many types of fish. Chances are you will meet
White
tip sharks, but they are mostly harmless, at least that is my limited experience so far.
A prime dive spot is
Molokini, a small
horseshoe-shaped extinct volcano, just off the coast from
Kihei.
The
Molokini drift dive is a must for more experienced divers, but the
place can become a bit crowded during prime times.
If you crave for turtles, go for the
St. Anthony wreck dive. Scores
of turtles call this former shrimp boat home, ever since it was deliberately sunk in 1997. The tire-reefs here may
not look natural but attract a lot of smaller fish.
This trigger fish is
extremely territorial and will not hesitate to get hold of a flipper or your finger to drive the message home.
The
photographs are from several dives I took in 2003
the divemaster inspects a sea cucumber
the Peacock Grouper was introduced in Hawaiian waters in 1956 as a sportsfish
a Whitemouth moray eel (Puhi'oni'o) breaks cover
a Whitespotted Toby, aka Oopu hue
Yellow Tangs are called Lau Ipala in Hawaii
here comes a late arrival
the turtles are used to pushy divers
some use the rubbing pole
these tires may not look that great but they provide excellent hiding places for small fish and crab