The new moon phase, in which moonlight is absent, not only confuses fledgling shearwaters trying to find the ocean, it also tests sailors. But it’s not the dark nights that challenge us. It’s the tides. Read more
One of my favorite places in the world to anchor our 37-foot sailboat Honu is here in Juno Bay. Read more
If you’ve never seen one of Hawaii’s shearwaters up close, get ready to fall in love. It’s fallout season, and that means our fluffy favorites will fall into Hawaii’s homes and hearts. Read more
I came across a scene I’ve not seen before: two white-speckled sea hares mating. Read more
My neighbor commented this week that in her 20 years in Hawaii, she’s never seen so many Portuguese men-of-war wash up on the beaches like they did this summer. Read more
In July I wrote about my North Shore encounter with an octopus. After surprising the creature sitting out in the open, the octopus spewed its defensive ink, giving me only a glimpse of the animal before it disappeared in a swirl of black water. Read more
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Some days, it’s hard to keep working to save the animals I love when it seems as if the entire world is mired in disaster. Read more
This summer, I’ve seen mostly small green turtles around my usual snorkeling place, but last week I found myself running into grown-ups right and left. Our adult turtles, it seems, have come home. Read more
Although most swimmers don’t see it, the devil scorpionfish is abundant on Hawaii’s reefs. Read more
Last week thousands of baby Portuguese men-of-war blew ashore on Oahu’s windward beaches, shipwrecked by the tradewinds. Read more
The spotted boxfish’s armor consists of rigid platesso solidly fused that only the fish’s fins, eyes and mouth have the ability to move. Read more
One red pencil urchin is always a bright sight to behold when snorkeling, but the dozens that decorated Kailua-Kona’s rocky reef last week made my day. Read more
My kolea is back! Well, mine hasn’t arrived yet, but that’s the sort of subject headings I’ve been seeing in my July emails. Read more
I never thought I would consider a flooded Coolpix a gift, but swimming without it was surprisingly liberating. Read more
A fish named Wakanda is a memorable step in the evolution of naming. Read more
These marine animals are not aggressive to people and are so resourceful and intelligent that they deserve our respect. Read more
Banded coral shrimp, also called barber pole shrimp or peppermint shrimp, are some of Hawaii’s most charming reef animals. Read more
Last week I found dozens of ringed sap-sucking slugs in one area of a shallow reef. Read more
There are strict rules in taxonomy, the science of classifying and naming organisms. Read more
Hawaii hosts at least 17 species of snake eels, but we snorkelers rarely see them because snake eels tend to hide during the day and hunt at night. The magnificent snake eel is the one most often mistaken for a sea snake. Read more
Finding a Jolly Green Giant would make the day of any snorkeler or diver. For me it was a jolly welcome home. Read more
