Symbiosis with Sea TurtlesAt a cleaning station, a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) acts as a 'dinner plate' to fish that rid the turtle of algae and parasites
Ghost nets in HawaiiGhost nets from unknown origins drift among currents, threatening sea creatures and littering shorelines with the entangled remains of what they kill.
Turtle with tumorsFibropapillomatosis (FP) is a debilitating disease that affects sea turtles in Florida and many other parts of the world. Turtles with FP have external tumors that may grow so large and hanging as to hamper swimming, vision, feeding, and potential escape from predators.
Harbor barracuda - drawn by fishermen discarding their 'chum' into harbor watersHarbor barracuda - drawn by fishermen discarding their 'chum' into harbor waters
Wave action eroding tall sea cliffsWaves smash rocks and pebbles on the shore into each other, and they break and become smoother.
Hawaiian false killer whale with aku (tuna)False killers are one of the few marine mammals known to share their prey - not only with pod members but also with humans!
Reaching out and touch someoneTourist boats chasing and harassing dolphins can cause stress and pose risks.
Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) HawaiiIn Hawaii, healthy reef systems can support small populations of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) for many years with only a small reduction in coral cover. But when a COTS outbreak occurs, competition forces them to eat all coral species, killing most of the living coral in the area. It can take decades for the reef to recover.
Bent dorsal fin in false killer whale with calfThis bent dorsal fin in an endangered Hawaiian false killer is most likely a result of the mother whale's interaction feeding amongst long-line fisheries.
White Fairy TernConservation Photography photos need to show impact. Manu-o-Kū (Gygis alba) is a native Hawaiian seabird - symbolic of traditional seafarers who used the bird’s direction of flight–as well as the time of day–to help them navigate toward land, as the white fairy tern will fly out to sea in the morning to feed and then return to land at night.
Brown booby in flight HawaiiThe only United States brown booby (Sula leucogaster) nesting sites today are in Hawaii. Habitat loss due to human development and introduced predators, including rats, cats, and pigs, are among the greatest threats to the brown booby.
The ʻā (brown booby) and noio kōhā (brown noddy)Hawaiians watch the flights of seabirds to locate schools of fish, to help forecast the weather, and to locate islands when out at sea.
Under the Sea - peeking through the boogie boardOcean outings can be a great way to not only teach children about nature, but calms and even connects to something bigger than ourselves.
Hawaiian spinner dolphin spinningA spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) spin by accelerating through the water with rapid pumps of the tail, then muscles a tight twist as it breaks the surface. Underwater, a spinner can generate one to two rotations per second, but out in the open air it can perform up to seven. The display usually ends with a resounding bellyflop.
Hawaiian false killer whale with remorasIn the case of barnacles and whales, only the barnacles benefit from attaching to the whales, but at no biological cost to the whale. This type of symbiotic relationship is known as commensalism. Attaching to the whales gives the remora a free ride, and access to plenty of food.
Using dolphins to catch tuna - hook and line fisheries in HawaiiHawaiian fishing vessels regularly use pantropical spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata) to target ahi (yellowfin tuna). Off Hawaiʻi Island, 30% of spotted dolphin groups had fishing vessels present. Trolling through the pod was recorded in over 90 % of encounters, and re-positioning through
the dolphin group and dropping hook and line fishing gear at the leading edge of the group was recorded in 54.2
% of encounters (most of which also had vessels trolling through).
the dolphin group and dropping hook and line fishing gear at the leading edge of the group was recorded in 54.2
% of encounters (most of which also had vessels trolling through).
Scar from fisheries interaction - false killer whales, highly endangeredFalse killer whales are naturally rare and have a low rate of population growth thus even low levels of bycatch have the potential to affect populations
Dolphin with plastic bagPlastic blows! Our leeward coastline is often the reciprocator of airborne or shore derived debris
Frigate bird chasing a Mahi-mahiA frigate - who can't dive for it's food (not water resistant) eyeballs this Mahi-mahi being chased by another predator below it.
Frigate captures flying fish, HawaiiA flying fish is a great catch for a frigate bird, that cant dive for its dinner.
Frigate birds seek to avoid rain - and may fly above it to do soFrigate birds seek to avoid rain - and may fly above it to do so
Helicopter with thimble of saltwater - putting out a wildfireHelicopter with thimble of saltwater - putting out a wildfire
Helicopter filling bucket with salt water to fight wildfireHelicopter filling bucket with salt water to fight wildfire
Humpback Whales: Nomads of the PacificHumpback Whales: Nomads of the Pacific
Mahi- mahi stalked by Hawaiian false killer whaleMahi- mahi stalked by Hawaiian false killer whale
Mother pilot whale and calfPilot whales are incredibly social, living communally in matriarchal pods.
Kuilioloa Heiau west oahu waianaeAn ancient Hawaiian temple honoring seafarers—sits on a small peninsula of land in Waianae, near Poka'i Bay.
