As an avid snorkeler my travels have led me on many occasions to the beautiful coral reefs of Hawaii. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of putting on fins, a mask and a snorkel, there are few words to describe the alien world that exists a mere few feet below the surface of the warm, clear tropical waters. Coral reefs literally teem with life. Thousands of species of vertebrate and invertebrate make the living coral their home. I lose myself in this world again and again, just observing, studying and taking great pleasure in the first glimpse of each fish that beforehand only existed for me on the pages of a book.
Corals are tiny plant-like animals that depend on clean, clear waters and sunlight to survive.
Under these conditions, corals gradually build the coral skeleton that shapes the reef and transforms it into an elaborate structure that can live for thousands of years. The reef structure is home to thousands of fish, lobsters, sea turtles, and other species found no where else. Each adventure snorkeling in the coral reefs makes a lasting impression. I remember watching a tiger moray eel, with its needle-sharp teeth, patiently gaping its mouth open and closed until an unsuspecting fish swam by and then, snap, the little fish was gone. Surgeonfish, or tangs are one of the most numerous fishes around Maui and the big island of Hawaii.