Capturing the Moment

  This behavior of opening its mouth underwater is a bit unusual. It gives a nice look at the tooth-like bony structures in the mouth that it uses to scrape algae off the rocks. The old Mala Pier on Maui, situated in Lahaina, is a poignant relic of the island's maritime history. Constructed in the early 20th century, this wooden pier was once a bustling hub of activity, crucial for the shipping and transportation needs of the region. Its location at the edge of the serene Mala Wharf area made it an ideal spot for cargo operations and passenger disembarkation. Over the years, the pier witnessed the ebb and flow of Maui’s development, reflecting the changes in the island’s economy and infrastructure. As time passed, the pier fell into disuse, overtaken by modern ports and updated transportation methods. Today, the Mala Pier stands as a picturesque, albeit weathered, remnant of a bygone era. The structure's aging pilings and rusted fixtures tell a story of resilience against the e...

  Incredible Snorkel at Mala Pier, Maui This may be one of the best kept secrets of Maui. Just outside the bustling port village of Lahaina, there is an old concrete pier, lying at the sandy bottom after hurricane Iniki wrecked it with massive waves back in 1992. Since then it has become a magnet for marine life. Corals cover the wreckage of the old pier, giving it a bit of a shipwreck feel as you hover at the surface. Fish have come to live in the coral, and sea turtles also call the area home. Today was one of those lucky days were the water was flat calm, the sky was sunny and blue, and the site was uncrowded. The reason this is such a great spot to know about is that you can actually get here without a boat. If you know where to swim out you can easily reach the snorkel site from the beach. I often grab my scuba tank and do shore dives here, although today was all about snorkeling with my guests. And what a snorkel it was! Check out the description below each picture for a litt...

  I took advantage of the kids syncing up their mid-day nap schedule and bolted down to Turtle Town in Makena. It is a quick 20 minute trip from our house, so I was in the water in no time. The entrance is picture on the left, and it was quite serene with a little ebb and flood of the ocean. However, just beyond the safety of the rocks the conditions got wild. Luckily for me the view underwater was pristine and clear, so I was determined to get some photos, despite the huge waves crashing overhead.    Two long lava 'fingers' stretch out from a cove here at "Five Graves." Sea turtles tend to be numerous here so they were my target for today. The clear water gave me the opportunity to photograph some impressive coral bommies on my way out. It turns out I wouldn't have to go very far before seeing my first turtle.    It is all green sea turtles here. They feed almost exclusively on algae that grows on the underwater rocks. The waves crashing overhead wasn...

Sea Turtle in the Sun Rays at Mala Pier   Turtle over the wreckage Turtle Pictures    It feels good to be back in Hawaiian waters. I am back for another season as Expedition Leader aboard the Safari Explorer with UnCruise Adventures. On the week long cruises we kayak, snorkel, hike, and explore the islands of Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii. As expedition leader it is part of my job to figure out the best places to take the guests to based on weather, wildlife, wind, visibility, and a host of other intricacies that play a factor. Something I always try to do is to find a good turtle snorkel spot to show off some of most charismatic sea life to our visitors. Clouds Above Flying through the sky   We have a chance to encounter sea turtles at any of our snorkel spots, however Maui seems to be the hotbed for green sea turtles. The wreckage of the old Mala Pier and the vast coral reef at Olowalu are two of my favorite spots for almost guaranteed t...

Kelly looking pumped Heidi hovering over the colorful reef   I realized recently that I've gone scuba diving all around the world, on four different continents, but the closest I have come to diving in the Atlantic Ocean was Puerto Rico...which is still pretty much the Caribbean. This all sounded pretty crazy to me since I grew up in Savannah, GA right on the Atlantic Ocean! But I also grew up not hearing about anyone diving in the murky, organic ocean water there. Even though I have spent countless hours and days playing in the ocean water of the Atlantic its underwater world has always been a bit of a mystery to me. Nate and Kelly to the rescue! Fish and diver Shark heading towards Nate    While Heidi and I were planning our Florida road trip to see our friends in Miami, Nate mentioned a possible shark dive while we were there. I had definitely heard of a muck dive spot in Jupiter called the Blue Heron Bridge but a shark dive was news to me. It didn't ...