This year, Mrs. Yollis celebrated her fiftieth birthday! She and her husband took a special trip to Hawaii. One of the best parts of the vacation was snorkeling, especially with turtles!
Here are two videos shot by Mr. Yollis in Maui, Hawaii.
Turtles are beautiful creatures!
Turtles are beautiful creatures!
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Have you ever snorkeled with turtles?
Do you know any additional facts about sea turtles?
Posts
Hi Mrs Yollis
ReplyDeleteYour photos look wonderful. How many turtles were near you when you were swimming? I do not know very much about sea turtles but I love the book called The Smallest Turtle by Lynley Dodd. Do you know that book?
from Mrs S
Dear Mrs Yollis
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that you and Mr Yollis had a fabulous vacation in Hawaii, and got to enjoy snorkeling with the turtles.
We had a holiday in Queensland, Australia a few years ago, and got to see turtles through the glass-bottomed boat, but I didn't go snorkeling!
I didn't know until I looked it up, but there are four species of sea turtle found in waters around New Zealand, the main ones being the leather-back and the green turtle.
The leather-back tolerates colder water, so is found around the South Island as well as around the North Island.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Mrs McKenzie
Dear Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your wonderful holiday you and Mr Yollis had in Hawaii.
I just loved all your photos of snorkeling with the turtles.
Turtles really are just beautiful and gentle creatures and to be able to get up so close to them would have been amazing.
I have never snorkeled before but my husband does a lot of snorking during the summer months here and just loves it.
I do know that turtles are found mainly in warm waters of the world and only come ashore to lay eggs. I am pretty sure that the leatherback turtle is that largest kind of turtle.
Once again thank you for this beautiful post.
From your pal down under,
AA.
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a wonderful time in Hawaii! I would love to make it there some day, for the unique plants and animals and also for the famous surfing beaches.
I loved the pictures and videos of the turtles that you and Mr. Yollis posted. I especially liked the second video to see how they "fly" slowly through the water.
Do you know what type of sea turtle they were?
In Belize I was lucky enough to swim near a green sea turtle at the reef, but it didn't stay around very long. I also got to see hawksbill turtles hatching from their eggs at night and scrambling down to the water. It was amazing!
The Arkive website has lots of good videos of sea turtles. Here is one of my favorites of a green sea turtle at a "cleaning station":
http://www.arkive.org/green-turtle/chelonia-mydas/video-11a.html
From,
Mr. Salsich
Enjoyed the turtle videos Linda. Your post has me thinking of a trip to Hawaii for my wife and I. Been following you for a couple of years and say thank you for the impressive, engaging environment you create for your kids. See you online this weekend @ rscon3. Your #1 fan in San Antonio TX Rich@rcantrell
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching the video of the sea turtles. I have never been scuba diving in the ocean but want to go. One of my favorite books when I was little was a book from Hawaii called "Lima, the Blue Turtle." Do you know that book? I hope to swim with sea turtles someday in Hawaii.
From your former student,
Ben
Dear Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteIt was so nice to see the photos and videos from your holiday in Hawaii. Hawaii sounds like a fabulous place to spend a special birthday!
I have been to the Great Barrier Reef in northern Queensland a few times and I have seen some big turtles while snorkelling. They looked like your turtles although I'm not sure what type they are. I think I need to do some turtle research!
Like Mrs McKenzie said, going on a glass bottomed boat is also fun.
I hope you and Mr Yollis are enjoying being back in LA.
Your blogging buddy,
Mrs M☀rris
Dear Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI really loved you post about your wonderful Hawaii Holiday with Mr Yollis.
The photos are so beautiful
I have a fact for you about turtles and that is that sea turtles shore up fat. They need this store of fat because they travel a great deal to places where they lay their eggs.
I have a question for you Mrs Yollis what was the best thing about your holiday in Hawaii.
From your friend,
Bianca. :)
@ Mrs. S.,
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting and for leaving a comment! :-)
I have been to Hawaii many times, but this time was filled with turtles! In the past, I've seen two or three during the entire vacation, but I saw turtles almost every time I went out!
One time we were hiking along the shore and there were probably TEN turtles in this one area! The most I ever saw while in the water was three.
I don't know the book The Smallest Turtle by Lynley Dodd. I'll have to check it out!
@ Mrs. McKenzie,
It was a lovely holiday and the snorkeling was such fun! I love those glass-bottomed boats! It's hard to believe that there is so much life under the sea!
I think the turtles we saw were all green sea turtles, but I'm not sure. I saw a couple that had smoother shells and were covered in moss, but I believe they were all the same species.
@ AA,
I so love to be in the water, especially the tropical waters that are clear and filled with colorful fish!
The turtles were as you describe them-beautiful and gentle. They don't seem to mind having snorkelers around. The turtles just chomp away at the plants. Sometimes they swim right up next to you!
You mentioned that your husband snorkels in the summer months. What's the water like? Here in California, the water is quite murky and there are kelp forests off shore in many places. The fish are...pretty dull compared with the reef fish.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Y♥llis
@ Mr. Salsich,
ReplyDeleteI did had a wonderful time in Hawaii. Being in the water with the beautiful creatures brings me such happiness! The water and fish where I live are not as clear or colorful, so I tried to be in the water as much as possible when I was there.
Yes, it is so wonderful to watch them "fly" gracefully through the water! We saw lots and lots of turtles, and they all seemed to be the same species. From the research I've done, I'd say they were probable green sea turtles. Some of them were the size of a large trash can lid, while others were the size of a kitchen table! I bet a few of them were over 350 pounds (160 kg)!
Thank you for sharing the Arkive site! What a video of those beautiful fish cleaning the turtle! Wow! I saw a few fish getting cleaned, but nothing like this! Here it is for anyone who missed it:
Green Sea Turtle Cleaning Station!
The green turtle can live to be 80 years old! I also read that they could stay underwater for 4-5 minutes, which is what I saw. Amazing creatures!
@ Rich,
Thanks for your kind words! As you can see, I'm always a teacher...even on vacation! :-)
Hawaii is one of my favorite places to visit. We were on Kauai for a little bit which is quite green and has lots of hiking trails and waterfalls. Then we went to Maui. Between the two, I prefer Maui because of my snorkeling interest. The beaches of Maui were more accessible for swimming and snorkeling. However, Kauai was amazingly lush and beautiful! As you might know, its nickname is The Garden Isle.
Looking forward to @RSCON3 this weekend! Lots of great PD scheduled! See you there!
Aloha!
Mrs. Y♥llis
@ Ben,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the videos! I was actually snorkeling, not scuba diving. When you snorkel, you have:
1. A mask to see in the water (Mine has a prescription in it so I can see without my glasses! Funny, no?!)
2. A snorkel (This is a tube which goes from your mouth and curves up out of the water to where the air is.)
3. A pair of fins (These help you swim easily through the water.)
4. Optional: wetsuit (The water in Hawaii is much warmer than here in Malibu, but I get cold after 10-15 minutes. If I wear a wetsuit, I can stay in for over an hour! Plus, it makes a great sun block! Fun fact: Mrs. Chalfin's son was my former student and he gave me the wetsuit when he grew out of it! )
I hope you do swim with the turtles! There are also lots of colorful fish with cool color adaptations. (Post coming soon!)
One of the things I noticed about Hawaii is that the pools are cool with lots of slides. However, it is important to get out of the hotels and swim in the ocean, too! :-) It's fascinating!
Thanks for the tip about the book Lima, the Blue Turtle. I'll check that out.
@ Mrs. M☀rris,
Hawaii was the perfect place to celebrate a special birthday! I really was able to stretch this one out! Ha Ha!
I would love to visit the Great Barrier Reef in northern Queensland. I read that it has 2,900 individual reefs and can be seen from outer space! I'd love to experience that! Do you have a favorite fish to look for?
I have been in a glass-bottom boat like Mrs. McKenzie mentioned. One time, we went on a night snorkel with manta rays, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get in the water so I thought the glass-bottom option was a good one. Once I saw how it was done through the viewing window, I felt better about getting in the water. The ocean is an amazing world!
Your friend,
Mrs. Y♥llis
@ Bianca,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed my post about swimming with turtles. We have lots and lots of pictures and videos, so it was hard to narrow it down for this post.
Sea turtles do migrate quite a bit. They can also hold their breath while underwater for 3-5 minutes. When they do come up for a breath, it is a quick gulp of air and then down!
You asked me what was the best thing about the holiday. That's a tough one because I enjoyed so many parts. The best thing about being there was...swimming with turtles! Surprise, surprise! :-) Sea turtles are so big, yet graceful and gentle. I really loved that experience.
Do you ever snorkel with your dad? If so, what kinds of fish and animals do you see in the sea? Ha Ha!
Your pal,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI loved the pictures and videos you and your husband posted. It looked you had a water camera.
The last time i went to Hawaii was in 2008, with my three cousins. We did many things, such as going in one of the largest mazes in the world. We couldn't finish it was too so hard. Finally, we had to get out by climbed a fence.
Sincerely,
Iman
@ Iman,
ReplyDeleteHow nice to hear from you! I'm glad you enjoyed our photos and videos. Yes, Mr. Yollis used a housing on his camera. A housing is a special case that surrounds a piece of equipment. With the underwater housing he could take photos and videos!
Which island did you visit that had the maze? I didn't hear about that.
Did you ever snorkel while you were in Hawaii or were you too young? I think you would really enjoy seeing the fish swim around. I'll be doing a post about fish very soon.
What have you been doing for fun over the summer? No doubt spending time with Leila!
Your former teacher,
Mrs. Y♥llis
P.S. Don't forget to send me a photo or two for the 365 Project. (I'm a little behind on it but will get caught up!)
@ Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Ava and I am in 2KM.
I really like the post you put on about you snorkeling with the sea turtles. It's great.
I know a few tutle fact from this website,
http://www.fpl.com/environment/endangered/sea_turtle_facts.shtml.
I will tell some facts about a green turtle,
Green turtles are the only sea turtles that eat plants. They graze on the vast beds of seagrasses found throughout the tropics.
Green turtles have been hunted for their meat and the gelatinous "calipee" that is made into soup. Hunting and egg gathering have reduced their numbers greatly. Thats all I know about the green turtle But I hope you like my information,
Best Wishes,
♥Ava♥
Hi Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteWow. What a great post.
How was your holiday Mrs. Yollis?
Here's a link and it has sea turtle facts:
http://www.fpl.com/environment/endangered/sea_turtle_facts.shtml
Here is some facts I know about the Leatherback Turtle,
The endangered leatherback turtle is the largest and most active of the sea turtles.
They travel thousands of miles and they are huge. They eat jellyfish.
Do you like my information?
From,
Jordi (2KM)
@ Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply. You have been busy with all of your replies!
I really hope you get to visit the Great Barrier Reef someday. It is spectacular. Although I have also heard that there are lots of conservation issues. We have to look after it!
You asked what my favourite fish was...hmmm, I'm not sure but I just love all the colourful fish you see in the tropical waters!
Your glass bottom boat experience sounds like fun!
Your friend,
Mrs M☀rris
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your photos and videos about sea turtles tremendously! Watching them glide effortlessly through the water is such a joy!
During our recent trip to Maui, one of activities that Mr. Ranney and I most enjoyed (besides getting together with you and Mr. Yollis!) was snorkeling! I had never done it before and was amazed by the variety of colorful sea creatures!
We also were lucky enough to swim with two sea turtles in Kapalua Bay. One of the turtles we saw was missing its left back flipper. It looked as if it may have been bitten off. As sad as that seems, it did not seem to hamper the turtle's movement through the water at all!
Mr. Ranney and I are already planning our next trip to Hawaii where we plan to do a lot more snorkeling. Hopefully we'll see more sea turtles too! In the meantime, I'm going to do some research and learn more about them!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ranney
Dear Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThank you for replying to me.
I did not know that Turtles can hold there breaths for 3-5 mintues WOW!
No I have never snorkeled before but next year dad, mum and I are going to Port Douglous and hope to do some snorkeling.
I am going snorkeling with my dad in the Great Barrier Reef and hope to see beautiful sea creatures.
Hope your mum is well and you are enjoying your summer? :)
From your pal,
Bianca.
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI loved your videos and photos of the turtles swimmming. Mr Yollis is a really good photographer. When I went to Hawaii I went snorkling too. I also saw sea turtles swimming and some were lying on the rocks.
Here are some facts on sea turtles. Sea turtles protect themselves from predators with their bony shell. They can weigh up to 500 pounds! That's ten times heavier than me!
I did a post on Snorkling and also too some photos of turtles. here is the URL: http://victoria-miriamsmoments.blogspot.com/
I hope you enjoyed your trip.
Your former student,
Miriam
@ ♥Ava♥,
ReplyDeleteThank so much for your wonderful comment! I definitely noticed that sea turtles eat plants. That means they are herbivores. In one of the videos, we are floating above the plants they were eating.
The turtles in Hawaii are protected and their numbers are going up. In fact, it is illegal to even touch a turtle! You will get a big fine if you do!
@ Jordi (2KM),
The leatherback turtle sounds like a really interesting reptile. Unlike the sea turtle, the leatherback eats mostly jellyfish. That is so strange to me because jelly fish don't seem like they have much nutritional value. Aren't they mostly water?
Do you ever see turtles or jelly fish when you go to the beach?
Your friend,
Mrs. Y♥llis
@ Mrs. M☀rris,
ReplyDeleteI would love to see the Great Barrier Reef someday! It is so big, I read that it can be seen from space! That's enormous!
One of my favorite fish that I saw was the "humu" trigger fish. Its full name is...
'humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apu-a--a'! I will be doing a post about fish soon, and I have a picture and maybe a video. It was featured on one of the post cards I sent.
Do people snorkel much in the waters near Geelong?
@ Mrs. Ranney,
I agree...it is so lovely to watch the turtles "fly" through the water!
Being with you and Mr. Ranney was a fun highlight of the trip! What a fortunate coincidence! I'm glad you got a chance to see some turtles. They are special!
What was the most interesting fish you saw while snorkeling?
@ Bianca,
I always love your comments! :-)
Yes, those turtles can really hold their breath! It's interesting because when they come up to get air, they do it quickly... a BIG gulp of air!
I will be doing one more post about the beautiful fish I saw in the tropical reef. They are all so different and many are quite colorful!
I'm glad to hear that you will be going to Port Douglous and might be snorkeling. Is that in the Great Barrier Reef?
Yes, my mom is doing well and is back to normal. Thank you for your kind thoughts and wishes!
@ Miriam,
Thank you for your compliments about the photos and videos. Yes, Mr. Yollis likes photography and is very patient. He waits and waits until he get the shot he wants. I love how you linked your snorkeling post. You're an excellent blogger!
Here is a link for everyone:
Miriam’s Snorkeling Post
I love how you used color to show your main ideas and supporting details.
What was your favorite fish that you saw in Hawaii?
Your pal,
Mrs. Y♥llis
@ Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing back to me and thank you for telling me about the fish that was on one of the postcards you sent. BB, Jarrod and everyone in 2KM and 2KJ just loved the postcards! Thank you so much.
People do snorkel in waters near Geelong. In fact, one of our teachers (Mr Mac) is a very keen snorkeler and he takes photos of what he sees. This is his Flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/underseapix/
It is a fascinating place under the sea and I look forward to learning more about that topic with my students later in the year.
Best wishes,
Mrs M☀rris
Hi Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the great reply.
I never knew that if you touch a sea turtle you will get a fine. That's amazing.
Thank you for the information.
Talk to you soon,
Ava
Hi Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply. It is great to hear from you.
I thought jellyfish are mostly made out of water too.
Yes I have seen a jellyfish on the beach before, it was very scary.
My friend picked it up with a stick, and I screamed really loud.
From,
Jordi
Dear Mys Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThrough a friend I found out about your blog and decided to drop in to see what is happening. Your swim with the turtles is wonderful.
While in Hawaii some time back I didn't get the chance to go snorkeling with sea turtles but I have seen them on the beaches on the state of Queensland in Australia.
Having had relatives in the township of Bundaberg, I once visited a local beach famous for the visits of loggerhead turtles. At night they make their way in to lay eggs before returning to the sea. Many tracks can be seen on the protected beach.
In many places, the turtles are rarely seen as their beaching is often at night in isolated locations. The Mon Repos beach is a tourist area and a good location to see the turtles laying eggs then later the hatchlings emerge and make their way to the sea.
If you are interested in further information, the area has web sites but this one includes a couple pictures...
http://bookbundabergregion.com.au/pages/turtles/
I hope your class enjoys the images as much as I did. They are fascinating creatures.
Ross Mannell (teacher)
Australia
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a good time in Hawaii!
I had lots of adventures with. Thank you for being a great teacher!
I miss you and cant wait to see you!
From your past student,
Moraiya :)
Hi Mrs.Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI'm from Mrs.Ranney's class.Come vist our blog and post a comment!
Have fun blogging,
Hayley:)
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteHow big are the turtles in the video? How wide are they?It looks very fun.
Your friend,
Matthew
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteIt looked like you had a fantastic time snorkeling with the turtles! I wathed the videos, and I thought that it looked like a lot of fun!
I love swimming with animals myself! I went on a vacation to Mexico, and while I was there, my family and I went swimming with dolhins!
I love the blog! Keep up the great work!
hi Mrs Yollis
ReplyDeletethis is Emma and Jemma from Titirangi Primary school in NZ, it look likes you had a fantastic time swimming with the turtles. Emma has been to Rarotonga and went swimming with tropical fish but that looks exelent. But we want to know were abouts in Hawaii you were.
from Emma and Jemma IN nz
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeletethis is Dorsa, Parsa's older sister. Personally, I LOVE SEA TURTLES! They are SOO cute! I would love to snorkel with sea turtles. It would be really cool to be surrounded with those adorable creatures! Do you want to snorkel with sea turtles?
Dorsa:D