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Respect Our Ocean Environment
4. Will I see dolphins, turtles or other marine life?
In Hawai''i, spinner dolphins have been disturbed and harassed by people approaching and interacting with the dolphins using kayaks or swimming. Hawaiian spinner dolphins utilize shallow coves and bays close the shore by day to rest, care for their young and avoid predators before traveling to deeper water at night to hunt for food. As they begin or end their resting period, they engage in aerial spinning and leaping behaviors. However, when they are in a period of rest, their behavior consists of synchronous dives and swimming in quiet formation. Human disturbance of this critical resting period has adverse impacts on spinner dolphin feeding cycles and displacement from their resting areas. Turtles and other marine animals also require the same respect. Please help us to nurture and protect our marine life by respecting our marine animals and admiring them from an appropriate distance.
5. Can I feed the reef fish? Look, but PLEASE do not feed the fish or any other marine animals. Fish feeding can have disastrous effects on the health of coral reefs and reef fish. Just as ecological imbalance alters predator-prey relationships on land, feeding fish can push delicate coral reef ecosystems out of balance. For instance, when grazers like surgeonfish (which normally feed on algae) are fed by tourists, the surgeonfish eat less algae. With a reduction of grazing activity by these herbivorous fish, the algae is left to flourish and potentially smoother the reefs. 6. Can I take coral or stand on the reef?
Simply touching corals to see what they feel like can cause the death of an entire colony. Oils from your skin can disturb the delicate mucous membranes which protect the animals from disease. If feeding coral is startled, it retracts for protection and in doing so is unable to feed. Do not walk upon or stand on coral, as this can kill the living coral polyps that are the builders of the reef structure. Consider a http://sailhawaii.com/reef.html flotation device (placed under chest) if you are not a good swimmer and never stand on coral to adjust your mask. Search for a sandy bottom that is coral free to stand. Make sure that your feet or fins do not kick the reef when you swim near the reef or when you are swimming away from the reef. Do not touch, pickup or hold reef life, including octopus. Even experienced divers have at some time in their life accidentally bumped or broken coral, so the inexperienced should be particularly careful. Please keep our beaches and ocean trash fee. In addition to picking up your own trash, carry away the trash that others have left behind. Beach litter poises a significant threat to the health and survival of marine organisms, which can swallow or get entangled in beverage containers, plastic bags, six pack rings and other debris. Kama'aina United to Protect the 'Aina |
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There
is a good chance that you will get to see one or more pods of Hawaiian
spinner dolphins. If you see dolphins, do not encroach upon and
disturb them. Federal law requires that you do not harass
or feed dolphins and other designated marine animals, Marine Mammal
Protection Act. It is our policy that you remain at least 150
feet away from dolphins to respect their resting period and
to avoid being charged with harassment under federal law.
Look,
but PLEASE don't touch! The coral reef ecosystems feed, shelter
and provide habitats for our marine animals and fish. Please help
protect our Hawaiian reefs. Corals are colonies of very small animals
which may take hundreds of years to form the structures visible
today.