CRITTER: Female honu pick the sex of their babies
Just think how wonderful it would be if you had two boys in your family and you decided you would like a girl for your third child and the mom could just decide on her own what sex child she wanted.
CRITTER: Dangerous man o’ wars washing up on our beaches
While surfing at Makaha on O‘ahu’s South Shore one day, I went through a wave and felt like I had been bit by a huge shark. My entire body was in intense pain but when I surfaced I could not see any wounds and I was really confused as to what was happening.
CRITTER: Cowrie shell cave found off North Shore of O‘ahu
As a marine biologist and professional scuba diver I often wonder where all of the fish go along our coastline when we have giant surf.
CRITTER: Keeper of a 400-foot underwater cliff at Ni‘ihau
For those of you who like to snorkel or scuba dive, can you imagine jumping off a dive boat into water that is so clear you can see the bottom 400 feet below?
CRITTER: Hawaiian fish cooperate with each other to find food
The Hawaiian Islands rise straight up off the seafloor and into the sky making vertical cliffs underwater.
CRITTER: Hawaiian sunrise shells are common, but hard to find
While scuba diving along Kaua‘i north shore at 80 feet deep a half mile offshore I found an area of the seafloor that was littered with small rocks on the sand.
CRITTER: Humpback whales are worth over $2 million each
Fifty years ago almost 95 percent Of the oceans’ large whale species had been harpooned.
CRITTER: Hawaiian angelfish are different than anywhere in the world
Diving with angelfish in Palau, Caribbean, Indonesia and even the Galapagos Islands is just spectacular because these fish are large, extremely colorful and super tame!
CRITTER: Colorful fins may mean danger on our coral reefs
While out snorkeling I often point out a fish on the reef to a tourist that looks just like a stone.
CRITTER: Spearfishing can protect Kaua‘i coral reefs
For thousands of years butterfly fish have protected our coral reefs by feeding on dead and dying corals, which makes room for new corals to grow. The Hawaiian name for many of the butterfly fish species is kikakapu, which means “forbidden.”
CRITTER: Lunch with an eagle ray in Hanalei Bay
As a marine biologist, I have spent more than 10,000 hours in the sea in the last 30 years and over 300 hours in Hanalei Bay where I call home.
CRITTER: Hawaiian kumu — a master teacher underwater
Kumu is a species of goatfish that grows to be about 15 inches long and is usually a pink or red color.
CRITTER: Living glue that holds Hawaiian reefs together
If you go to the big Island of Hawai‘i you may find a black sandy beach to walk on that was formed from ground up volcanic rock.
CRITTER: Possible cause of tumors killing our honu
Divers and snorkelers come from all around the world to visit our green sea turtles.
CRITTER: Pohaku puna — rare lobe corals in Limahuli lagoon
Limahuli stream in Ha‘ena along the beautiful north shore of Kaua‘i is famous for the botanical gardens it flows through and its cool clean mountain waters.
CRITTER: The giant corals of Wainiha Bay
There is a secret garden of gigantic corals along the North Shore of Kaua‘i that is rarely visited by humans. These corals, which are the size of a school bus, are growing in a very unlikely place that people drive by everyday without even knowing they are there and the corals are over 1,000 years old.
CRITTER: Hawaiian reef fish and giant waves
I was out diving at Sharks Cove in O‘ahu a few days before Thanksgiving and there were clouds of fish in the marine reserve.
CRITTER: Invasive lemonpeel angelfish found in Hawaiian waters
I was out scuba diving in Kaneohe Bay recently shooting a video of the corals, when I noticed a very pretty yellow fish back in a cave. It did not look like a butterfly fish or a yellow tang due to its shape and when I got closer and turned on my bright lights I noticed a bright blue circle around its eyes.
CRITTER: Recent Hanalei shark attack explained
Large sharks have been a part of Hanalei Bay way before humans ever showed up in Hawai‘i, and we are still learning about their behavior everyday.
CRITTER: Pe‘a the purple velvet sea star, a rare find
While scuba diving at Koloa Landing a few days ago with some friends we came across a very unusual sight!