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The Body Glove Hawaii Blog

E Komo Mai First Time Snorkelers!

Are you planning a visit to the Island of Hawaiʻi and thinking of trying snorkeling for the first time? If you are, you are in for a treat, as a whole new world awaits you. The waters off the coast of Kona on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi are crystal clear, warm and home to many unique species of tropical fish. Snorkeling is the perfect way to get up close and personal with the magnificent beauty of the ocean. First time snorkelers will be in awe at the magical experience of swimming and interacting with wild marine life. Here are a few tips to ensure you get the most out of your snorkel experience. Good equipment Use equipment that fits properly. There’s nothing worse than a leaky mask or uncomfortable fins. Test your mask by placing it on your face out…

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July 13, 2018

Dolphin Adventures on the Big Island

Famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau claimed no aquarium, however spacious it may be, can duplicate the conditions of the ocean. This becomes abundantly clear for visitors who venture out for a day on the water looking for wild dolphins. The Big Island offers ample opportunity to get up close and personal with these intelligent, magnificent creatures, and also for snorkeling with the abundant and colorful marine life. One such snorkel spot in Kona is Red Hill—an underwater paradise accessible only by boat. The crystal clear water of the protected marine sanctuary of Red Hill is home to more than 600 species of enchanting ocean wildlife, including spinner dolphins whom often join along side the boat on the way to the snorkel site. In the Hawaiian language the name for dolphin is ‘naiʻa.’ There are four different species of dolphins found in…

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July 13, 2018

Celebrating Makahiki Season

The Makahiki is an ancient Hawaiian festival, honoring the Hawaiian god Lono. The festive holiday spans four consecutive lunar months, from approximately October through February. The focus of the season is a celebration of the ʻaina (land), fertility and the harvest. This Hawaiian tradition coincides with the fall and winter holidays celebrated by other cultures around the world, and like many other world festivities, it celebrates peace, abundance and gratitude. However, unlike most other global holidays, early Hawaiians celebrated the Makahiki for a full four months by distributing food, playing games and enjoying a long period of peacefulness. During this time, priests would take down the tikis of Ku, the god of war, and erect the tikis of Lono, signaling the beginning of the Makahiki season. Prior to European contact, Lono’s priests reenacted the god’s circuit around each island, stopping at each boundary…

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July 13, 2018

Beat the Traffic!

Explore Kona’s Past in the Footsteps of the Ali’i Combine the magical with the practical and make your day in Kona the best ever. Especially when traveling to Kailua-Kona from the Northern areas you can expect construction-related delays in traffic, which intensifies in the afternoon hours. So beat the traffic and leave your Kohala Coast lodgings before the jams can take a chunk out of your day. Use this great app created by the Kailua Village Business Improvement District (KVBID) for a self-guided tour along the footsteps of the Ali’i, the Royals of Hawaii. Follow this link to download the “Kona Royal Footsteps” to your iPhone or Android: http://historickailuavillage.com/royal-footsteps-along-the-kona-coast You will discover seven miles and seven centuries of Hawaiian history along Ali’i Drive in Kailua-Kona with the extensive information on the app satisfying even the most curious travelers. Main locations have…

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July 13, 2018

A Hui Hou Whales!

Every winter the Island of Hawaii is fortunate to experience the return of the North Pacific Humpback Whales on their annual migration to the islands where they come to give birth and mate. The official whale season runs December 15th-April 15th, with peak whale watching season in late January to early March. An estimated 10,000 whales make their way to the warm Hawaiian waters and when it’s time to return to their northern feeding grounds in Alaska, the new mothers and their calves are the first to leave. They make the 3,500 mile journey north where they will feast on up to 2,000 pounds of small fish each day. The giant marine mammals are a traditional part of winter on the Big Island, and whale watching is a big draw for visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of these majestic…

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July 13, 2018

King Kamehameha the Great

The Hawaiian islands are a jewel in the Pacific and there’s no place on earth that inspires the imagination in quite the same way. It’s not just gorgeous beaches and perfect weather, though: Hawaii also has a rich local culture and history. Among the most important figures in the history of the islands is King Kamehameha I, also known as Kamehameha the Great, who rose up out of legend to become a crusader in battle, a skilled diplomat, and a true leader for his people in a time of great cultural changes. Keep reading to learn more about the king responsible for uniting the islands of Hawaii! The History of King Kamehameha the Great  Kamehameha was born into a royal family in North Kohala. His mother was Kekuiapoiwa, the daughter of a Kona chief, while his father was likely Keoua, the…

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July 13, 2018

All About Whale Song

For hundreds of miles their multi-tonal moans travel underneath the deep blue ocean waves. Their song is a chain of sharp howls, deep moans and cries, strung together in a complex and beautiful manner that holds the power to leave us stunned. This is the song of the humpback whale, a magical and haunting sound that never fails to pierce the hearts of listeners as they wonder at the mammals below the water. The humpback whale is one of the largest animals on the planet—it’s about as long as a school bus, for context. Once hunted nearly to extinction, their numbers have somewhat recovered, and their species was recently taken off the list of Endangered Species. (They’re now considered a Threatened species in Central American and Western North Pacific regions.) Humpback whales continue to be studied by scientists who hope to…

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July 13, 2018

Polynesian Foods Every Visitor to Hawaii Should Taste

To the non-native, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Hawaii is an island state primed for a splendid vacation—with a warm tropical climate, natural scenery, oceanic vistas and sandy beaches. However, to truly experience Hawaii at its best, you really should consider the taste of the Aloha State’s cuisine. Like the local culture and history, the food here is diverse, with a blend of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Polynesian, and European influences all making their way to the dinner table. Here are some of the foods you absolutely have to try when you visit Hawaii. Poi There is perhaps no other Polynesian food on this list more significant than this thick paste made from the tubers of the taro plant. Poi is the primary staple food of Polynesia and it came to Hawaii with the first Polynesian settlers. Primarily…

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July 13, 2018

A Day in the Life of Our Boat During Whale Season

Ah, Hawai`i. For a 65-foot catamaran like me, there’s no better place to call home. I spend my days skimming across the surf, basking in the bright sunshine and carrying excited people to some of the prettiest places imaginable. Everyone aboard has a great time seeing all the beautiful wildlife that live near Hawai`i, from playful dolphins to curious schools of brilliant fish and gorgeous coral. If I had to pick, though, I’d say that my favorite time of year is whale season! When Is Whale Season? Every year, humpback whales make an astonishing journey of over 3,500 miles to visit the warm waters around Hawai`i. This is the perfect place for them to breed, calve and nurse their young. The whales like to use Hawai`i as a winter retreat before continuing on their journey, and the best time to…

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July 13, 2018

Snow in Hawai’i

As a guest, you’ll hear a lot about the multitude of climates that exist throughout the Big Island of Hawai`i.  I think it’s safe to say that, as locals, we’re all pretty impressed with our island’s diversity. But the number of climate zones you hear about varies depending on the person you’re talking to. What’s up with that? Here’s the scoop: out of the five climate zones that exist in the world, four of them are represented right here on the Big Island. What are the different climate zones? There are five major climate zones in the world. Here’s the breakdown: ·       Humid Tropical Climate ·       Dry (Arid and Semi-Arid) Climate ·       Temperate Climate ·       Continental (Cold) Climate ·       Polar Climate On the Big Island, the only climate zone that is not represented is the Continental (Cold) Climate, the one most of our guests are…

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July 13, 2018

Why You’ll Hear Us Say “No Swimming With Dolphins” — and Mean It

It’s the law: no person is allowed to intentionally get within 50 feet of a dolphin. This law means that we are not allowed to feed or swim with the dolphins. Doing so interrupts their natural behavior.  This includes their hunting, sleeping, breeding and nursing and can even drive dolphins to leave their usual territory in favor of quieter waters. So why are there so many companies in Kailua-Kona, HI that promise an opportunity to swim with dolphins? The answer is simple: our state simply does not have enough money to enforce the federal law. Dolphins in the Public Eye In recent years, documentary films like “Blackfish” and “The Cove” have brought the rights of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) to the forefront of people’s minds. Increasingly, keeping dolphins in captivity in places like entertainment parks and aquariums is seen as inhumane,…

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July 13, 2018

Sea Life Found Only in Hawaii

Hawaii is a beautiful place both to live and to vacation. Those who visit this island paradise are wowed by the many amazing natural wonders, ranging from volcanoes to animal life. In fact, many species of both plants and animals are native to Hawaii, and can only be found in the state. Read on for more information about the unique sea life that’s found only in this tropical utopia. Hawaii is home to thousands of different species of fish, and as many as 50% of the fish that are found in Hawaii are found nowhere else   in the world. These fish are known as endemic Hawaiian fishes, meaning that they’re only found in the waters around the Hawaiian islands. Some of the amazing endemic fishes that you might be able to catch a peek of when snorkeling or scuba diving through one of…

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July 13, 2018