The Body Glove Hawaii Blog

On May 23, our Body Glove family said good-bye to one of our own. Denver Leaman worked as a naturalist for Body Glove Cruises for the past 25 years, sharing his extensive knowledge during the winter months for our Whale Watching excursions. His unparalleled talents were like no other. For our guests who knew Denver, and for those who didn’t, we would like to share with you a bit about this exceptional man who will be so greatly missed. Denver was incredibly intelligent and passionate. His dedication, wisdom and contributions to the scientific community were immeasurable. He received numerous recognitions for his work, yet what he will be most remembered for is his generous spirit and kind heart. The Body Glove crew had a game they would play with Denver and the passengers they called, “Stump the Naturalist.” The guests…

  Hawaiʻi Island is famous for its pristine waters and gorgeous, underwater sanctuaries, making it one of the most popular snorkeling destinations on earth. With its colorful array of sea creatures, it’s no wonder people from all over the world descend upon Kailua-Kona every year to get up-close-and-personal with some of Mother Nature’s most magnificent marine life. One of the most beloved fish in the sea is Hawaiʻi’s official state fish—the humuhumunukunukuapuaʻa, or humu for short. This little creature, with a not so little name, became the state fish in 1985, after being chosen by a popular statewide vote. The colorful species, also known by their scientific classification, Rhinecanthus rectangulus, or “trigger fish,” can even be found in popular Hawaiian songs such as Don Ho’s “Little Grass Shack.” It’s not uncommon to run into these brightly colored fish while snorkeling…

Maggie Brown, Owner Body Glove Cruises Maritime history is rich with legendary tales of cantankerous, heroic seamen. Taking to the sea is primarily thought of as a male dominated career and past time, however women have always been a part of this rich history. In fact, there are many places where women are moving beyond traditional gender stereotypes and taking the lead in owning and operating boating businesses. Kailua-Kona, Hawaii is one such place. Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawaii, is a hot spot for tourists who wish to venture out into the deep blue. Water activities such as snorkeling, whale watching, and dinner cruises are just a few of the offerings boating businesses provide. For too long, boating has been a male-dominated industry, however in this small town, women make up a significant percentage of boating business owners. Maggie…

It doesn’t take much arm twisting to talk someone into visiting Hawaiʻi, but the winter holidays are an especially nice time in paradise. While most people on the Mainland are digging out snow boots and shovels and heading to the mall for holiday shopping, why not give yourself and your family the gift of a Hawaiian vacation? Head to Kona on the Big Island (aka Hawaiʻi Island), where the daily temperature averages a perfect 82 degrees. If lounging on the beach with a Mai Tai sounds like your kind of holiday magic, here are a few more reasons to consider celebrating winter festivities in the land of aloha. A White Christmas In many Mainland states, getting snow on Christmas is a hit or miss experience.  Unless you live in the Rocky Mountains, one of the northern states…or Hawaiʻi. Mauna Kea…

Corals and the reefs they build are truly an amazing aspect of the natural world. Corals are not only living things they are actually animals, although they may look like plants. While they are beautiful and incredible to behold, they also serve a variety of invaluable purposes. Coral reefs provide value to both humans and the environment.   What Is a Coral, Exactly? A coral is an animal that is classified as a cnidarian (meaning that is completely symmetrical from every angle). A coral resembles a sac with tentacles, and it has a hole in part of its body that acts as a mouth. The tentacles sting potential food that swims past the coral, grabbing onto the food and transferring it to the coral’s mouth. During the coral’s mating season, coral polyps release sperm and eggs in the water, and ultimately, those sperm…

Mathematicians at the University of Hawaiʻi estimate the Earth holds a total of seven quintillion, five hundred quadrillion grains of sand. How they came up with that number is a mystery to most, but where those grains of sand come from is a bit easier to understand. Poop. That’s right. Hawaiʻi’s beautiful, white sandy beaches contain a significant amount of fish poop. Parrotfish poop to be exact. Parrotfish are responsible for creating up to 85 percent of sand produced on reefs. Also known by their Hawaiian name, uhu, parrotfish don’t have stomachs. After munching on a delicious meal of dead coral, that same coral is broken down into sand before traveling through the long intestine and shooting out the exit door in blast of sand. Although other marine life like oysters and sponges also produce sand, the parrotfish is the…

Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? When it comes to boats, maybe not. Historically, naming boats and other seafaring vessels had very practical purposes. Ensuring you were boarding the correct boat was only one of them. If a boat had its own unique name, passengers and crew would know they were discussing the same voyage. In today’s world, a traveler might most likely tell a friend, “I’m leaving LAX for Kona on Hawaiian Airlines, flight 96.” However, in the days when long distance travel required boarding a vessel, one would say, “I’m setting sail tomorrow on Mayflower.” There’s only one Mayflower and everyone knew where to find it. Visitors to Kailua-Kona can gaze out over Kailua Bay, and recognize our 65 foot long catamaran, The Kanoa II. Kanoa means ‘wild and free,’ a perfect name for…

Shawn Cantor, more affectionately known as “Bruddah Kalima,” shares his musical talent aboard Body Glove’s Historical Sunset dinner cruise every Wednesday through Saturday evening. He first picked up the ukulele at the tender age of eight years and is playing and singing ever since. “My family is very talented, whether it’s playing an instrument or singing,” said Kalima. “Music has always been a part of my family. I started performing at a young age playing at parties with my family members. We’d all get together and sing and jam. I began performing public venues in my early 20’s.” As a young man, Kalima started playing with a band by the name of “Mango.” The five-piece band got together and learned a set of songs, and performed at the Aloha Theater in Kainaliu. “That was my first time playing on a…

Cute as puppies, Hawaiian monk seals always cause delight when spotted sun bathing on the beach or the lava rocks along the Kona coast. Most seal species make their home in the cold waters of the Antarctic and on northern shores. The Hawaiian monk seal is a rare exception. Around the world, warm-water monk seals are struggling to survive. In fact, the Caribbean monk seal, a close relative to the Hawaiian monk seal, was listed as extinct in the 1970s. The Hawaiian monk seal is named for the folds of skin that resemble a monk’s cowl. The Hawaiian name for the seal is `Ilio holo I ka uaua, meaning, ‘dog that runs in rough water.’ Monk seals spend most of their time at sea, and come ashore to lounge on the beach or seek vegetative shelter from storms. They prefer…

Do you like takos? Not the yummy meat stuffed tortillas we all look forward to every Tuesday, but the eight-armed kind who live in the ocean. Tako is the Japanese word for octopus. Since Hawaii is the most ethnically diverse state in the nation, it’s common for residents to adopt words from other languages. While it’s uncommon to spot an octopus while snorkeling, some snorkelers occasionally get lucky when they know what to look for. In Hawaii, when someone has the gift for spotting octopi, we say they have “tako eye.” Here are a few tips to help develop your tako eye, so next time you go snorkeling in Hawaii’s beautiful waters, you’ll know what to look for. (Disclaimer: The person in these photos is a professional free-diver and tako fisherman. Snorkel tours do not allow guests to touch sea…

Summer is here and Body Glove Cruises is in full swing with our snorkel trips on Hawaiʻi Island. With perfect weather and intense sunshine, it’s important to protect your skin from the sun and those nasty sunburns. However, before packing the sunscreen, it’s important to understand what type of products are considered to be both effective and safe for ocean life. Even if you don’t plan to snorkel or swim near coral reefs, the sunscreen you choose still has an effect on our fragile marine ecosystems. Body Glove is proud to offer complimentary Reef Safe by Tropical Seas® Oxybenzone Free SPF 50 sunscreen on board our snorkel tours. Today our coral reefs are experiencing the most profound coral bleaching ever recorded. Researchers say that some chemicals in sunscreen are one of the variables contributing to this tragic environmental effect. Picking…

Body Glove Cruises Designated a Kuleana Green Business! Body Glove Cruises is proud to be recognized as a Kuleana Green Business by the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce. The Kuleana Green Business Program recognizes and honors businesses who promote environmental responsibility and implement sustainable business practices throughout Hawaii. In Hawaiian, the word “kuleana” means responsibility. Businesses designated Kuleana Green are those who recognize and understand their responsibility to create and sustain positive environmental impacts within their communities. As businesses and individuals, they maintain high standards and a strong commitment to their communities and the world around them. Extensive criteria must be met before being recognized as a Kuleana Green business, including environmental, social and economic sustainability. The business must prove responsible interaction with the environment that avoids depletion or degradation of natural resources, and their business model must allow for long-term…