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Submariner
Tang at Two Step, Big Island, Hawaii It is always exciting looking for the rare or large fish. The thrill of crossing paths with a shark, swimming in tandem with a dolphin, or a close up of a hungry eel. During these searches we pass over schools of yellow tangs, black triggers, raccoon butterflies and…
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Shark Tale
We have seen her before. Visiting her cave is now part of the ritual. Swim to the left over the first big canyon, through octopus flats and back into shark shallows. Today, she was there sticking her tail out further than the last time we were together. We snorkeled above her fighting the currents, trying to…
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Yesterday I was swimming with about 50 spinner dolphins about (the adults are 150 to 200 pounds each) and I felt nothing but excitement. A few minutes later, I swam over an eight-inch fish sitting in the coral inches from my face that I didn’t see until I was right on top of him. It…
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Fascinating Octopus in Hawaii: The Movie
It’s rare to see an octopus, and it’s rare to see the same animal in the same spot day after day, yet we came across this combination. We shot several videos over a three day period and most of them are of the same octopus, but I also know there were three in the vicinity. Sometimes an…
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Fascinating Octopus in Hawaii
Until recently it was rare for us to see an octopus while snorkeling. Now we’ve learned more about how to look for them and have found a place where we see them about 50 percent of the time. Octopuses (sometimes called octopi) are wonderful mimics and it is that ability that I find most fascinating. I’ve seen them take…
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Hawaiian Jelly, Big Island
An annoying thing about snorkeling is the jellyfish. Yes, there are jellyfish out there, not everywhere and not all the time. On the Big Island of Hawaii they are mostly small, almost like a snowflake. On occasion, we have come across a slightly larger ones. They just ride the water flow past you. Every once in awhile you…
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Night Visitors
Snorkeling in the Dark, Kahaluu, Hawaii 2012 We had this great idea of snorkeling at night on our own, without a guide in a controlled environment. All we needed was good water and a couple of underwater flashlights, and a couple more lights for the camera. We picked Kahaluu Beach for our after dark outing. We are familiar…
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Four Fishes, A Little Murky Swim, Waialea Bay, HI
It was late in the day, and we wanted to try a different snorkel spot. The baker at Up Country Bakery recommended Puako Bay. We followed the localized directions and ended up one bay north at Waialea Bay. Our target is the small island a few yards off shore. The surf is a little choppy, but…
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Manta Ray Night Snorkel
If you come to the Big Island, you have to visit the Manta Rays. You just have to. The best and most exciting way to do this is by swimming with them. Other ways are to ride in a glass bottom boat or enjoy the restaurant lanai at the Sheraton in the evening. We’ve done…
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Two Step Turtles
What snorkeling adventure would be complete without eyeballing a turtle. These are green sea turtles, honu in Hawaiian. They will cruise through the blue waters to visit the various cleaning stations made available by the local reef fish. Then ride the waves into the rocky shoreline looking for a decent patch of algae to munch on. …