Hihimanu “Magnificent’ or “Elegant" Bird The Spotted Eagle Ray can be found in shallow coastal waters and bays, in depths down to 260 ft. They can be found globally in tropical regions, including the Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, Atlantic Africa,…
There are over 80 species of surgeonfish worldwide with 25 of these varieties living in Hawaiian waters. Although they come in many different color variations, they all share the same basic structure. The name “surgeonfish” comes from their hard spines…
We Love Monk Seals! The Hawaiian Monk Seal haul themselves to the warm, sunny beaches of Hawaii to rest. Exhausted after a night of hunting, they often sleep for and entire day in the sand just above the surf, then…
Bottlenose Dolphins The bottlenose dolphin is one of the most common of the dolphin species. They hang out in warm waters and are a very social animal. The can grow to be anywhere from 6-13 ft. and weigh 330 -…
SNUBA with the Four Winds II or Maui Magic We have a great dive option on both of the boats called SNUBA. Anyone that has ever wanted to dive but hasn't had the opportunity, or certified diver that wants an easy…
The Northern Pacific Humpback Whales have started to return to the Hawaiian waters. Both the Maui Magic and the Four Winds had their first big show of the season on their way out to Molokini Crater this morning In fact,…
Black Durgoen One of the most common fish at our snorkel sites is the Black Durgeon, a fish in the Trigger family. The Hawaiian name for this fish is Hu-mu hu-mu 'e-le-'e-le. It's said that the fish is very oily and not good to…
The giant manta, aka Pacific manta, is one of the largest of the rays and are closely related to sharks. These harmless, majestic creatures have short tails and no stinging spines. They are very acrobatic and are able to leap high…
We LOVE to catch fish, and so do the passengers! We caught a 30 pound ONO (Wahoo) on the Maui Magic on Thursday, just on the outside rim of Molokini Crater. She took out a ton of line, but the…
Onolicious! The time for catching fish has finally returned, and the Ono's are loving our lures! This past Friday morning got really exciting on the Four Winds II, right as we were about to pull into Molokini Crater! There's nothing that get's…
Swim with a awaiian Green Sea Turtle Sea turtles are graceful saltwater reptiles, well adapted to life in their marine world. With streamlined bodies and flipper-like limbs, they are able to swim long distances in a relatively short time. When…
The Friendly Shark of the Sea The white tip reef shark is a small shark, usually not exceeding 5.2 ft in length. This creature is easily recognizable by its slender body and short but broad head, oval eyes with vertical pupils, and white-tipped dorsal and…
The Unicorn, Blue-Lined Snapper & Box Fish The unicorn fish is in surgeonfin family. They are named after the spike that protrudes from its forehead; however some species have more of a protrusion rather than an actual spike, and some lack a spike…
SNUBA: A Crew Member Helps a Guest Overcome Her Fear Rachel called to book her reservation on the Four Winds and asked me about SNUBA on Maui Four Winds. She said she was scared to death, but so badly wanted to…
How to Overcome Motion Sickness A big question we get on our snorkel boats is "will we get sea sick?" I wish I could give them a definite answer, but every person is different making the answer, there's always a chance? If you've…
The Yellowfin surgeonfish one of the species of salt water sea fish that change color as they get older. When still young it deserves its name since the color of its tail is a beautiful yellow. After metamorphosis the color changes and the…
The Spiny Lobster The Spiny Lobster is endemic to Hawaii. You can can determine this particular lobster by it's purple and white striped tail and black legs with a single white stripe. It is the most common species beyond the…
Moorish Idol: The Reef Fish The moorish idol is a favorite reef fish that is the sole representative of the Zanclidae family. You might recognize it from it's popular role, "Gill" in the move Finding Nemo. It is said the moorish idol got its…
Whale Shark: The Largest Fish in the Sea The afternoon snorkel trip got one heck of a show the other day, when a Whale Shark came right up to the boat to investigate! The whale shark is a slow moving,…
Octopuses are characterized by their eight arms (distinct from the tentacles found in squid and cuttlefish), usually bearing suction cups. The majority of octopuses, have almost entirely soft bodies with no internal skeloton. They have neither a protective outer shell, nor any…