Hanging Loose in Hawai'i Photos and text by Rico Leffanta

Hanauma Bay is the number one attraction in Hawai'I for people who enjoy snorkelling , diving, or swimming among turtles and tropical fish. All of the photos on this page were taken with Fuji or Kodak disposable underwater cameras, so you can see for yourself what you could do with one of these cameras in Hanauma Bay! One of the grandest thrills at Hanauma Bay is to swim with a turtle (it is illegal to chase or touch them!) but most visitors miss this experience because they don't see the turtle! Over a dozen snorkelers swam over the turtle in this photo without seeing it!

Turtles are usually found sleeping, crammed tightly in a coral niche, or down at the bottom feeding on sponges. Because currents in Hanauma Bay are strong, in no time at all turtles are covered with sand, which helps to conceal them from predators - and snorkellers!

After a few gulps of fresh air, turtles go off in search of more food. Hanauma Bay is very popular with fish and turtles because they can eat and eat and eat without worrying about being caught in nets, hooked by fishermen, or snagged by sharks.

	Turtles never seem to be in a hurry, but they are very strong swimmers, so turtles can scoot right passed you - quickly, silently, and apparently, effortlessly!
	The photo above was taken on a bright, sunny day when sunlight filters through the waves to create electric designs on everything. This photo was taken on a cloudy day, so don't be afraid to go in the water when the skies are overcast!

	The profile of a sea turtle's head may interest crafts designers and artists, but turtle faces have individual characteristics just like human faces, when you stop and look at them.
	Just like children and babies want to stick out their tongue or spit out their food when someone tries to take their photograph, so do some turtles! Even so, one wonders why the adage goes "the wise old owl" instead of "the wise old turtle"!

The potential of photography was revealed when a man set up a row of cameras to prove horses gallop with all four hooves off the ground at the same instant. Today, cameras still "freeze a moment in time" to help us study marine biology. Watching a turtle navigate can be so exciting that people don't really notice HOW the turtle moves from place to place. The photos below record a few of the ways a turtle uses it "arm" :

	Turtles like to eat on the bottom of the ocean where their camouflage offers the best defense against predators. But, like whales and humans, turtles must rise to the surface to inhale oxygen. In this photo, you can see the turtle "lift off" by pushing down, just like a U.S. Marine doing pushups!
	In this photo, the turtle twists its "arm" into the shape of an oar and paddles away.
	Despite billions of inventive and creative human minds, mankind has yet to develop an oar which can lift as efficiently as the curl of this turtle's arm!
	Despite the loss of millions of boat and ship wrecks, mankind has yet to develop a nimble oar able to push away from reefs and other obstacles beneath the ocean waves!
	In this photo, you can see how the tip of the turtle's arm turns up just like that of a soaring eagle (or vulture) when it adjusts its "foil" for the most efficient speed.

When the turtle reaches its destination, it "puts the brakes on" with its arms, but notice that its tail and legs are still in the guiding position. This photo was taken on July 4th, 2003, when flags were flying to warn swimmers at Hanauma Bay that the currents were strong and dangerous: "If any doubt, don't go out!". This turtle can't read, so it must rely on its own guidance system to navigate safely through the opposing current.

To see what else attacts thousands of "kama'aina" (local people) and tourists to Hanauma Bay every day except Tuesdays (when Hanauma Bay takes its "Day of Rest"), select your interests from the menu below: