Turtle Watching and Marine Biology in Hawaii
Filed under: Big Island, Big Island Activities, Hawaii - general, Jobs in Hawaii, Plants and Animals
Hey, just found your website because i was watching one of your videos on youtube, i’m a 17 year old biology and geography student from england and i’m hoping to become a marine biologist who specialises in sea turtles. and i want to come to hawaii in summer 2010, to get some great diving experiance, and to see alot of sea turtles and other marine life in their natural habitats. it seems like you know alot about hawaii, and you seem better then all my local travel reps and i was wondering which island would be best to stay at? where are sea turtles most common? and what good marine experiances are out there? your help would really help me to achieve my lifetime ambition thanks
I know there are marine biology programs at our local colleges here - have you contacted anyone at UH Hilo or UH Manoa?
Well, there are turtles on every island and you can see them easily anywhere in Hawaii - really. go down to the beach and there they are - just about any beach with rocks around somewhere. I think I will suggest the Big Island for you though, because the big island has many opportunites to see many turtles. There’s a little pool to the left of Onekehakaha beach where they come in to sleep at night and I’ve seen 12 or more at a time there. You can almost always see them at punaluu and kahaluu beaches.
Look into the big island - Hilo or Kona, I think it’s what you are looking for. Aloha! Lisa
i have just contacted both colleges that you told me about and i’m waiting for a reply id love to move over to hawaii and go to university their. but i dont quite understand how my qualifications will transfer into credits. i was wondering if their are any conservation scemes i can book myself on for the summer of 2010? preferably sea turtle ones. and if you know any good diving schools where i can get a qualification in diving? thankyou, been a great help. Aloha !
you’re welcome!
why don’t you look into positions at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I know they have summer intern positions and they have seasonal openings. I also have heard that they sometimes hike out into the backcountry and camp on the beach to protect the turtles that come in to lay their eggs.
As for diving schools, there are tons. I wouldn’t look into this until you get here since you don’t know exactly where you’ll be.
Horseback Riding on the Hilo Side of the Big Island
Filed under: Big Island, Big Island Activities, Plants and Animals
If you are a visitor to the Big Island or a resident and are looking for lessons or trail rides here, consider contacting my friend Sharon at Volcano Paradise Ranch. She teaches kids and adults, she does trail rides and arena training, she takes care of beginners and advanced riders and everything in between. Her ranch is located in Kurtistown, which is halfway up towards the Volcano, about 20 minutes from Hilo.
As far as I can find, this is the only place close to Hilo currently offering any sort of rides or lessons. The second closest places would be Dahana Ranch in Waimea or Waipio Valley Horseback rides - which are both an hour drive from Hilo.
Nature Hikes on Oahu and Kauai for a Short Vacation
Filed under: Kauai Activities, Oahu Activities, Plants and Animals
We will be going to Kauai for 2 days and Oahu for 5 days beginning 10/13. We’d like to focus on flora–the beautiful flowers, mountains, etc. What would you recommend as the best use of limited time? We have considered a hike through Manoa Valley. We’re not adventurous hikers, but can handle a couple miles of walking. Appreciate any insights you have.
Hi! Manoa Valley is a nice place to hike. Have you seen this page on the Manoa Falls hike? There is also the Oahu Hiking Trails main page that will give you more information than you can handle on available hiking trails, along with what to expect, plus how easy and long they are.
As for limited time, I would look on the afore-mentioned page for all the hikes that are near where you will be staying. You can waste a lot of time on Oahu sitting in traffic but if you stay in one area most of that can be alleviated. Other than that, I don’t have any major recommendations.
As for Kauai, you don’t have a lot of time there. I like Waimea Canyon - a really unique place, especially in Hawaii. there’s nowhere else like it in the islands as far as I know. It’s beautiful.
Dolphin Swim Programs in Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai and the Big Island
Years ago I was able to swim with dolphins (in a rescue program?) in a closed lagoon at a posh resort on the Big Island, for $50 if I remember correctly. Now my wife is interested but we are not headed that way. Heading to Oahu and Kauai end of November. Do you know of any other program like that?
On the Big Island, you probably did the Dolphin Quest at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. These days, it’s more like $200 though :). I don’t believe there is any such program on Kauai, but on Oahu, you have the Dolphin Quest at the Kahala Hotel and Resort and the Sea Life Park has a dolphin swim program too. I can’t say which would be ‘better’ but I know in the past if the dolphin gives the OK you could hold onto their fin and get a ride at Sea Life Park, which is something the Dolphin Quest does not do.