| Coming to my island for a vacation? There are three | | | | (absolutely entranced, of course, but calm); do not |
| things I always recommend the first-time visitor do. | | | | approach any young animals and do not reach out to |
| First, get in the air. Secondly--go to a luau. Finally, I | | | | them as they may interpret this as aggression on |
| advise people of every age to get in the water and | | | | your part and possibly bite. Male seals may exhibit |
| go snorkeling. You will find your mind going back to | | | | dominant behavior and have been know to *ahem* |
| that experience over and over through the years | | | | mount swimmers. Avoid these unpleasantries by |
| much more so than many of your other travel | | | | observing and enjoying these animals from a distance. |
| experiences. Part I of this series discuses Snorkeling | | | | About whales...uh, wait a minute...if there is anybody |
| Gear; Part II of this series will discuss Snorkeling | | | | out there crazy enough to swim out into the open |
| Technique and Part III will cover Snorkeling Safety; | | | | ocean and harass a 60,000 pound animal with a |
| Part V of the series will cover snorkel spots on the | | | | mouth twice the size of a king-size bed, nothing I |
| Big Island. | | | | say is going to stop them...just use some common |
| Now, let's talk a moment about snorkeling etiquette | | | | sense, OK? Leave them alone-besides...it's the law. |
| and protecting the reef and the animals who live | | | | And now a word about sharks--two words, actually: |
| there. | | | | "Don't Worry". There's good news and bad news |
| Please do not feed the fish, it disrupts their natural | | | | about sharks in Hawaii--first the bad news: if you are |
| feeding habits and you may be injured. Reef fish are | | | | in water deeper than your knees, you are probably |
| territorial and do occasionally "nip" but you should not | | | | within 200 yards of a shark. The good news? You will |
| chase, harass or touch them (this includes octopi). | | | | never know it. The truth is that you are not likely to |
| The oils on your fingers will injure their skin and they | | | | see or encounter a shark...period. Tens of millions of |
| may carry diseases which they can pass to you on | | | | people swim Hawaii every year without seeing so |
| your hands. For photographing reef fish, whether | | | | much as a dorsal fin break the water. Don't |
| snorkeling or scuba diving, simply find a feeding spot | | | | worry--you are not what they eat (so you won't |
| (usually a boulder or dead coral head teeming with | | | | attract them) and generally, they are more afraid of |
| algae, and wait calmly and silently nearby. They will | | | | you than you are of them. To dispel visitor's |
| slowly begin to check you out and if you can remain | | | | apprehensions about sharks, the Hawaiian Tourism |
| still long enough, eventually surround you leading to | | | | Bureau used to advertise that tourists were more |
| excellent photos and a very memorable experience. | | | | likely to get hit on the head by a falling coconut than |
| Snorkeling etiquette calls for protecting not only the | | | | bitten by a shark...but they decided THAT was not a |
| reef animals, but also the fragile corals growing on | | | | real cheery statistic to crow about, either. In reality, |
| the reef. Corals, actually colonies of very small | | | | there are only about three shark bites a year in |
| animals, take hundreds of years to form the | | | | Hawaii-which is amazing considering there are |
| structures visible today; they feed, shelter and | | | | hundreds of thousands of people in the water, all |
| provide habitats for other reef animals. Coral reefs | | | | day, every day of the year. |
| also protect the lagoons and shoreline from waves | | | | Having said that, bear in mind that all sharks demand |
| and sand erosion. Corals are at the very root of | | | | respect and there are several things you can do to |
| Hawai'ian history and culture; the Hawaiian creation | | | | make yourself generally safer in any shark encounter. |
| chant places the origin of life in the sea, beginning | | | | Number one safety tip is: avoid them. Sharks are |
| with a coral polyp. | | | | stealth hunters and in any conditions where they are |
| Simply touching corals to see what they feel like can | | | | obscured in the water, they will hunt. Therefore--do |
| cause the death of an entire colony. Oils from your | | | | not go into the water until at least an hour after |
| skin can disturb the delicate mucous membranes | | | | dawn, be out of the water by about 4 pm; do not |
| which protect the animals from disease. Please don't | | | | enter the water if it is murky; avoid stream mouths. |
| walk upon or stand on coral, as this can kill the living | | | | Obey beach closures; obey warnings from the |
| coral polyps which, as the builders of the entire reef | | | | Lifeguards. Little sharks don't get to be big sharks |
| structure, are the very foundation of the reef | | | | unless they pay strict attention to avoiding whoever |
| ecosystem. Sunscreen washing off your body can kill | | | | is bigger than they are--small sharks generally will glide |
| coral; wear a t-shirt and a swim cap for UV | | | | silently away from you without you ever having |
| protection and put your sunscreen on AFTER you | | | | known they were there. Big sharks are different. |
| come out of the water. | | | | They may approach you. |
| Called Honu by Hawaii's natives, the Hawaiian Green | | | | The most common conventional wisdom you hear is: |
| Sea turtle is beautiful, serene and seeming wise. | | | | if you are being stalked or approached, swim |
| Though they have swum the oceans for over 200 | | | | purposefully, not panicked, away from the shark at |
| million years, peacefully feeding on algae and | | | | an angle. Do not swim at high speed straight from |
| invertebrates, this highly successful product of | | | | him, it will trigger his predator-prey response and he'll |
| amphibian evolution is in grave danger. Loss of | | | | chase you. Do not splash excessively; this sounds like |
| habitat, hunting and molestation by humans has | | | | a dying fish (i.e., dinner) to sharks. Remember that |
| conspired to push the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle to | | | | the larger sharks eat sea turtles...to a shark hunting |
| the very verge of extinction. | | | | below you, your outline paddling on a surfboard or |
| Protected now by state and federal law, the | | | | boogie board, looks remarkably like a sea turtle. |
| population of once millions of individuals has been | | | | When you approach the water, seeing three or four |
| decimated to just a few hundred thousand; although | | | | sea turtles sunning themselves on the beach is |
| they are making a comeback, Hawaii's honu are still | | | | normal; seeing twenty or thirty indicates that |
| very much endangered. | | | | something very large and hungry is hunting the water |
| Do not approach basking turtles closely, never touch | | | | nearby. The presence of dolphin nearby is no |
| or pick them up. Harassing turtles carries a stiff fine | | | | guarantee there are not also sharks nearby. |
| and in any case, touching the turtle is a good way to | | | | There are hundreds of bits of advice for surviving |
| get a raging salmonella infection. If honu are | | | | shark attacks from hundreds of shark experts and |
| swimming near where you are, do not approach or | | | | attack survivors from all over the world-I will not |
| chase them; always swim to the side of them, never | | | | pass these on to you for two reasons. First and |
| above (as a predatory shark would) nor below them | | | | foremost, I am a not a shark expert; secondly, I |
| (so they won't feel that their soft belly is at risk). | | | | have never needed any of them because I have |
| Anyone who observes their beauty and grace | | | | followed these sensible rules for years and have |
| underwater easily understands why the Hawai'ians | | | | never, not once, seen a shark while snorkeling. I'm |
| base their word for "peace", "honua", on their name | | | | out there 4 or five days a week, year round. You |
| for the green sea turtle, "honu". | | | | won't see one either. Relax and enjoy your |
| Although harder for the snorkeler to approach, but | | | | snorkeling...as I said...don't worry. |
| certainly no less in danger of molestation are the | | | | Finally--many people ask "What's the etiquette for, |
| marine mammals: dolphin, seals and whales. In general, | | | | um--er--answering nature's call?" Easy--for wet stuff, |
| it is illegal, dangerous and generally a bad idea to | | | | just swim a bit away from people and let go, maybe |
| approach marine mammals within 100 yards; 300 | | | | maintaining forward momentum so as not to create |
| yards for females with calves. Dolphins and seals, in | | | | a "cloud". No, this isn't why the ocean is salty. For |
| particular, may choose to approach you-just | | | | solid stuff, get your partner and both of you swim in |
| remember, this ain't "Flipper"-these are wild animals | | | | and get out, visit the rest room. No exceptions for |
| and they bite. Hard. If approached, remain calm | | | | that. |