Hawaii Snorkeling 101

Snorkeling! Super fun, educational, great exercise, and a wonderful experience. However, if you're new to snorkeling and you don't know how your equipment works, what the weather is like, or basic skills, the experience can be a little scary and down right miserable.

No worries beef curries! This little guide offers some advice on how to prepare for and enjoy your snorkel experience. 

If you're about to snorkel for the first time and you're not well acquainted with the water and don't have any snorkeling skills you may find yourself in a bit of trouble.

The Lost Files: Volunteering at the Ahihi Kina'u Natural Area Reserve; Exciting Events in the First Two Weeks

For the past two weeks I've been volunteering at the Ahihi Kina'u Natural Area Reserve and it has been EXCITING.

On my second day I helped rescue a lady who had an "anxiety induced asthma attack" while she was snorkeling with her husband.

Picture taken by Sarah Bott

Caught a man feeding the fish (CLICK HERE to read the web log post)

Retrieved a big bunch of net from the shoreline in front of the Sugarman estate.

Picture taken by Sarah Bott

Helped assist with a helicopter lift that took away suspected tsunami debris

Saw some poachers get busted from fishing in the reserve 

And I meet a lot of cool people! Literally! Majority of the people I meet at the reserve are from Canada!

This is only my second week volunteering at the Reserve, but it really is a LOT of fun.

"10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet" From Project Aware

Project AWARE (Aquatic World Awareness Responsibility and Education) is a non-profit, international organization that brings divers together and educates the public about ocean issues and how they can protect the marine environment.

About Project AWARE

If you are a scuba diver, I encourage you to learn Project AWARE's "10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet" and take the Pledge to be an eco diver and take initiative to protect the ocean and marine life.

10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet pdf

Stuck on the Olowalu Town Project; Whispers, Rumors... Truth?

I'm stuck everyone. Just stuck.

It's been 50 days since the last time I spoke with Mr. Bill Frampton of the Olowalu Town Project and gave him a list of questions he said he would be able to answer. I told him all I wanted was the truth and I gave him the benefit of the doubt since a lot of people thought he was the "big bad developer" who basically wanted to screw over Olowalu for a large town that cannot be put there.

But it's been 50 days everyone. 50 days since our meeting.

The Lost Files: Memoirs of The Kaupo Get Away

There have been so many events and issues that have popped up since my last post. But everything that was on my camera and on my computer was somehow corrupted and I wasn't able to view, upload or edit any of my files… UNTIL NOW.

Thanks to some snazzy computer magic, I was able to recover most of my files!

So from this post on, any entry or upload that has the title “The Lost Files” in front of it, is a file that I was able to recover from the pits of computer hell.

To start off the Lost Files Series, last year I was able to take an amazing trip out to a part of Maui called Kaupo with some friends and family.

Kaupo is along the Southeastern shore of Maui, is a slightly isolated and rugged place and the people of

County Council's First Reading on the Maui Island Plan; Olowalu Town Project is Passed

(Post is a day late)
Good morning everyone.
This web log post is a recap of Monday (Dec. 10, 2012) about what happened at the Maui County Council Chambers.

I got to the Council Chambers around 8:15 am that morning and right after I got to the 8th floor, the cavalry started to pour in. Testifiers who were (and are still) against the Olowalu Town being developed came in with big posters and signs saying things like "No Olowalu", "Save our Coral Reefs".

You could feel the camaraderie amongst the testifiers as they started to banded together and discussed what might become of Maui.

Testifiers who were for the Olowalu Town, of course, also came to see what would happen with the Maui Island Plan and what would become of the Olowalu Town Project.

The people started to find seats as the enter the Chamber. Protesters with their signs stood up against the back of the room, holding their posters up so that everyone could see.

I sat down for the beginning part of the meeting as the council members went through their introductions as to who was present in the room.

They spoke of other parts of the Maui Island Plan, but the only part I was waiting for was what was going to become of the Olowalu Town Project.

I stood up and waited as Council Member Elle Cochran of West Maui made the motion to delete the Olowalu Town Plan from the Maui Island Plan.

I stood in the back clasping my hands together hoping that this motion would be passed. Hoping that the Council Members opened their eyes and ears to the testifiers that begged and pleaded not to pass the Olowalu Town Project.

I stood in the back and cried as the motion to delete the Olowalu Town Project FAILED.
The town WILL be built.

Council Member Elle Cochran seems to be the only one among all the Council Members that truly understands that Olowalu is a special place and that there should be NO development there.

Knowing that her motion might not have passed she made a second motion.
This motion was to delete the makai lands of Olowalu Town Project.

Thankfully, this motion WAS passed.
Although this Olowalu Town will be built in the future at least the lands nearest the ocean will not be built upon.

There are so many reason why there should be NO DEVELOPMENT in Olowalu.
A follow up web log will be posted soon.

To read Monday's Maui News Article *Click Here*

Overpopulation Cartoon

By BlueMenpachi

You might have to zoom in (ctrl +) in order to find all the themes.

STYROFOAM: What is it? How is it made? Why is it bad? What can you do to help?

Good Morning Readers!

So today's post is on STYROFOAM!

4 questions will be answered throughout this post:

1) What is styrofoam?

2) How is it made?

3) Why is it bad?

4) What can you do to help? 

An Evening with Plastic at Kahului Harbor! 10/15/2012

Okay. I will admit. The last two weekends I was not at Kahului Harbor doing my weekly clean ups.
And I regret not being out there because of THIS!

International Coastal Clean Up! Sept. 15, 2012, Kahului Harbor

Saturday September 15, 2012 was the International Coastal Clean Up Day!

A worldwide (for lack of better words) revolution where clubs, organizations and individuals around the world get together to clean up their beaches.

A group that I usually hang out with went to Kahekili Beach Park in Lahaina, Maui; However, I had to work in the morning, so I missed participating with them.

Instead, after I  finished work, I went down to Kahului Harbor to the portion I call Section 1, to collect marine debris!

I had started at 11:55 am.

Kahului Harbor Clean Up: Week 2; Net Extraction 8/19/2012

Morning all!
Man that was a long weekend.
Joined a gym, school started, saturday night obon with the new Japanese students, trying to keep up with my anime blog.
But! This past Sunday, a few of my friends and I went back out to Kahului Harbor to pull out that giant net that was stuck and buried under the rocks.
I thought I knew what I was getting into, but I totally under estimated the "huge-ness" of that net.

I thought that the smaller portion that I managed to pull out last weekend was separated from the bigger net. WRONG. All of the net in that area was clumped and jumbled together beneath almost 5 feet of rocks and sand.

Thanks to the tools provided by my friend Daniel, my best friend, Lindy and his portuguese thinking and John and his... motivated spirits, we managed to pull out approximately 900 pounds of net!

At first I thought maybe it was only 200 pounds, but Lindy said he knows what 200 pounds feels like, and THAT was no 200 pounds.

Kahului Harbor Clean Up Log: Week 1

Greetings Readers!

Sunday August 12, 2012 marks the beginning of my weekly logged adventures to Kahului Harbor. Every Sunday, from 12:00pm to 5:00pm (possibly earlier in the day), I will head to Kahului Harbor to pick up trash and plastic debris which is brought in from the tides.

The amount of plastic debris out there is RIDICULOUS.

Tiny bits of plastic are scattered EVERYWHERE and is even mixed in with the rocks because of the ebb and flow of the tide.

Maui's 3 Can Plan

Yeah Maui County!

FINALLY a recycling program is happening!

Starting August 17, 2012, neighborhoods in South Maui will be a part of Phase 1 Curbside Recycling!

We have been issued two new trash cans. A Blue one and a Green one, where select items acceptable for recycling, will be collected by Maui’s Oplala Pickers! (aka, Garbage Men)

The Brown Cart is for rubbish only.

The Blue Cart is used for Mixed Recyclables. Items allowed are:

• ·         Corrugated cardboard
• ·         Boxboard (ex; cereal boxes, egg cartons)
• ·         Juice cartons (ex; Milk cartons, pog cartons etc)
• ·         Paper bags
• ·         Newspaper (but no phone books)
• ·         Junk mail and envelopes
• ·         Magazines
• ·         Office Paper
• ·         #1 Plastic bottles (ketchup, shoyu and soda bottles)
• ·         #2 Plastic bottles (pog jugs, laundry soap jugs, medicine bottles etc)
• ·         #1 and #2 Containers (plastic bento containers, jamba juice cups, strawberry and tofu containers)
• ·         Dairy Tubs and Lids (sour cream containers, poi containers)
• ·         Beverage Cans (regular Hi5 aluminum cans)
• ·         Food cans (ex; spam, pineapple, dog food cans)
• ·         Aluminum Foil and Trays

However, NO METAL and NO GLASS items are allowed to be recycled for they contaminate the other materials. (Glass shards and rust I suppose)

No PLASTIC BAGS are allowed in this cart either and all beverage and food residue must be rinsed out.

The Green Cart is used for Greenwaste. Item allowed are:

Misinformed Staff Members Make Me Laugh

Who made this sign?
:p

Blue'aina Reef Cleanups

Greetings Readers!
Yesterday, Sunday Jul. 8, 2012, I was invited by Rick Long to help with a reef clean up!
Trilogy, one of Maui's sailing businesses, put together Trilogy's Blue'aina Campaign.

**Click Here** to get the low down on exactly what the Blue'aina Campaign is.

FINAL Update on Dead Turtle at Kahului Harbor

So as stated in the entry before this one, I met Michelle, a volunteer from the Turtle Stranding Network, out at the harbor yesterday.

I took her to where the carcass was, she measured it at 81cm long, and after a few moments where technology did not want to help us, we were finally able to send pictures to George Balazs.
(I believe he is the Sea Turtle Scientist I read about some where).

We were finally able to send him pictures and he confirmed that is was NOT a hawksbill sea turtle. It was, indeed, a green sea turtle.
(Read further for more information and pictures. Keep in mind, they're still nasty).

Second Follow Up on Dead Turtle at Kahului Harbor

I met Michelle out at Kahului Harbor and showed her where the dead turtle was. (I must have not explained it correctly the first time).

After having a rather difficult time taking pictures of the turtle and e-mailing them to her Head of her division, we've finally identified that it was NOT a hawksbill turtle.

She measured it at 81cm long and it was a green sea turtle.

Since hawksbill turtle are critically endangered and green sea turtles are not, Michelle did not need to collect the carcass. Which was totally okay with us since the remains were even WORSE than tuesday.

I also confirmed that it did indeed have Fibropapilloma (turtle tumors/turtle herpes). Those lumps protruding out of the bottom of its eye and at the base of its neck are remnants of those tumors.

So after all that, the carcass will just be left there to let the ocean take it bit by bit.

(more pictures and video log to be posted later tonight)

Dead Hawksbill at Kahului Harbor... Still there; Turtle Birthdays at Maui Ocean Center Tomorrow, June 29!

Two days ago, Michelle, one of the ladies with the Turtle Stranding Network, was unable to locate the dead turtle at Kahului Harbor.

So I went back there yesterday to see if it was still there, and yes it was.
It actually got a little worse (I think) because the odor was ridiculously strong... Very stink and nasty...

I took a short video to show that I had propped its head up on some rocks. You can really see the lump on the back of its neck, which I still think is a tumor.

(The following is the video of the dead turtle):

Walk to Kahului Harbor Turns into an Interesting (and nasty) Adventure: The Remains of a Dead Hawksbills Turtle

Hello Readers!

As the title says, I found a very mangled and very DEAD turtle at Kahului Harbor today.
I was walking along the coast line looking for parts that I could use.

Kahului Harbor has a LOT of junk/trash that washes up on the "beach" from God knows where. (This place is also at the top of my list of beach clean ups).

So I was walking along when I came across what I thought was whale intestines!
It was just a heaping hunk of flesh just washed up on the shore. There was no shell, so I couldn't tell it was a turtle at first.

As I got closer, I could just barely make out it front right flipper. I didn't have my video camera on me, but I did have my phone. The following video is my raw footage of the turtle find:

**WARNING** The video is pretty gross. If you have a weak stomach, DON'T watch it. 

First Ever Online "Fishinar"; A Webinar Made for Fish Dorks~

Earlier this evening, I was able to attend my very first "fishinar"!
It's like a seminar, on the web, that covered fish!
There were some pretty cool people online tonight!
One of them was my teacher, Donna Brown, along with some of her colleagues; Liz Foote and Janna Nichols, along with other "students" who wanted to learn more about fish!
We're all members of this online website called reef.org. REEF stands for Reef Environmental Education Foundation.

Their mission is "To conserve marine ecosystems for their recreational, commercial, and intrinsic value by educating, enlisting and enabling divers and other marine enthusiasts to become active stewards and citizen scientists. REEF links the diving community with scientists, resource managers and conservationists through marine-life data collection and related activities."

Basically, they want to help protect the marine ecosystem, so they do it through educating the public and try to get them physically involved with doing fish surveys by snorkeling or even diving.

I've done a few fish surveys myself, with Uncle Rick Long and some other awesome fish dorks like myself!