Sea Surprises

Aloha,

It's been awhile since I have posted, and I have to say that I miss talking story and posting great pics for folks to share some Maui time. It's been a busy fall, and our visitor season has not really kicked into full gear yet. A few months to go until whale season when everyone wants to come to Hawaii!

If I have a chance to take an early morning walk on the beach, I always run into the" seaweed pickers". These folks are at the beach every morning with their laundry baskets floating down the shoreline collecting a variety of seaweeds. The beach strolls reveal at least four spectacular and varied types of seaweeds.

There is a beautiful pink lacy one, a dark green thick branchy one (my favorite to eat), a lime green flat variety and brownish one. I know they have names, and specific functions, and different flavors, but, I don't know them. The pickers separate the seaweeds looking for their favorites and usually leave the beach with full baskets. I always wonder where they go from there........

My friend Mike Eliers, sent me some new dive photos last week and I love sharing his pics. He has a way of getting in close and personal with the subjects of his amazing shots. Mike happened upon a Moray eel coming out of it's hole to investigate like Morays do. These rather aggressive and dangerous creatures are discreet and usually remain hidden in holes and crevices and rocky ledges. They have a keen sense of smell and poor eyesight. Their teeth are razor sharp and concave.

People sometimes try to feed these eels, and it is not a very smart thing to do. They are quick and, if somebody is accidentally bitten by a Moray eel, it can cause a serious injury. However, the Moray only attacks if it feels threatened. The "Puhi" Hawaiian word for eel, has smooth skin, a snake like body and supports small shrimp and wrasses who are "cleaners" feeding off of parasites and small scraps of food from it's mouth. The beauty of this relationship is in it's necessity.

If you are thinking about learning how to dive or getting certified , come to Maui. It's fun and exciting and a great experience....come and discover the amazing world of underwater.

Aloha......see you soon,

Cherie

Maui Snorkeling

Aloha,

The Hawaiian islands attract many visitors who enjoy ocean activities like snorkeling and scuba diving.

When my children were growing up, we used to scuba dive on the Big Island. I really enjoyed the feeling of effortless floating, especially through and around the beautiful underwater arches.

Watching the giant Hawaiian Sea Turtles gracefully gliding through sunlit waters was always a highlight of the dive for me. The Honu ( Hawaiian word for turtle) can weigh up to 400lbs. Their big flippers enable them to cover great distance in the water.

The Honu is vegetarian, eating algae or limu ( Hawaiian for seaweed.) The female turtles go up on to the beaches and sand dunes to dig a large hole and lay her eggs. I remember camping and looking for the newborns to hatch at night. The turtles have enjoyed quite a comeback since the days they were hunted for food.

The wonderful pictures that I'm posting of the Green Sea Turtle were taken by my friend Mike Eliers. Mike and Susan are avid divers, and enjoy snorkeling as well. Mike has been taking some wild and fabulous underwater photos, check out the Parrot fish! I feel lucky to be able to post them.

Many options are available for snorkeling on Maui. Visitors can research diving or snorkeling adventures. There are several sites online where you can learn about raft trips, or catamaran trips, or dive boats. Of course, just a walk off the beach to a safe snorkel spot is also a big favorite. I often speak with my guests at breakfast about their options for daily snorkel trips.

You may even be lucky enough to see some of the playful spinner dolphins as well. Mike also took these amazing shots of the spinner dolphins that surrounded them while out on a very special snorkel trip.

The Maui Ocean Center is a great environment for observing reefs and all the beautiful fish who live there. There is also a Honu tank, for folks who won't be able to otherwise view these awesome creatures.

Hope to see you here in Maui during our mild winter. Lots of outdoor Maui activities this winter for all!

We finally got a little rain, and tonight the moonlight on the refreshed garden with the fragrance of night blooming Jasmine in the air, reminds me of why I love to live on Maui, no ka oi... Maui the best.

Aloha, a hui hou....

Cherie