Saturday, August 20, 2011

Snorkel With Mrs. Yollis!

As the summer winds down here in the northern hemisphere, I wanted to share one more animal post from my fantastic trip to Hawaii. Snorkeling along the coral reef was a daily activity for me. I got to meet beautiful tropical fish like this bird wrasse and the state fish of Hawaii, the humuhumunukunukuapua'a!  



If you've never had a chance to snorkel, come and glimpse the beauty with me!

This year, the class will be studying animal habitats. The ocean is the largest habitat in the world. 






Here is my video post Moray Eels!
If you want to see my sea turtle video, click here!




Have you ever snorkeled?

Which fish did you enjoy finding?

Did you notice any color adaptations?
(False eyes? Camouflage? Advertising coloration?)

26 comments:

  1. Beautiful video! I love to snorkel! What kind of camera did you use - really neat!

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  2. @ Clever Karen,

    Thanks for your kind words about my video. It was so much fun to snorkel and making this video let me relive the experience! Wish I lived closer to that tropical reef!

    My husband used his Lumix camera and bought a waterproof housing. It's a great little camera!

    Where do you like to snorkel? What's your favorite reef fish?

    Mahalo!

    Mrs. Y♥llis

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  3. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    Mahalo for publishing such an entertaining and informative video! Ask I watched, I felt like I was back in the warm, refreshing waters of Kapalua Bay in Maui!

    Snorkeling was a new experience for me this summer, and I was amazed by how much I enjoyed it. I believe that Mr. Ranney and I encountered all the fish that Mr. Yollis caught on film. One of my favorites is the Moorish idol. Did you know that The Moorish idol got its name from the Moors of Africa, who believed it brought happiness? I know I felt happy when I spied one!

    Thanks again for sharing your footage and some facts!

    I look forward to a great school year with my blogging buddy!

    Regards,

    Mrs. Ranney

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  4. Dear Mrs Yollis and Mr Yollis,

    Thank you for this amazing video.

    I really enjoyed every bit of this video and I really felt like I was snorkeling with you amongst those amazing tropical fish!

    Paul and I used own a tropical fish and they are truly beautiful. It is so hard to believe that fish can be so beautiful and colourful at the same time.

    Wonderful post, you have got me in the mood to go snorkeling nexted year. :)

    From your fishy friend down under,
    AA.

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  5. Mahalo Mrs. Yollis,
    What wonderful videos you have of your vacation in Hawaii! They are a treasure to watch!

    I went snorkeling in Hawaii many years ago at a place called Molokini! It was such a joy to swim with all the beautiful fish!

    What island were you snorkeling near?

    Mahalo!
    Mrs. Hembree

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  6. Aloha, Mrs. Ranney!

    Mahalo for your quality comment! :-)

    Making the video was fun for me because I got to take a trip back to the reef through the images. The Moorish idol is one of my favorite fish as well. That long dorsal fin looks to beautiful trailing behind! The blue-green bird wrasse was a fun fish too. I swam out to that location a few times, and he was always there and would swim to me. Such a beauty!

    Did you see any eels when you were snorkeling?

    @ AA,

    I'm glad you enjoyed my video! I had a great time making it! The fish are so colorful and unique. Do the fish near you look the same?

    @ Mrs. Hembree,

    We were snorkeling on Maui. What an island! I have never been to Molokini, but have seen it advertised a lot.

    The video was fun to make, and I was happy to find some beautiful Hawaiian music to match the video. I wrote to the great Roy Sakuma in Hawaii, and he graciously allowed me to use his music! Love it!

    Mahalo!

    Mrs. Y♥llis

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  7. Dear Mrs Yollis,

    This is a great post and we all love it!

    You are a great blogger you know. :)

    Jacob: No I have not snorkelled but I think it would a lot of fun.

    Kayla: Yes I have snorkelled before. It is a lot of fun but I have not seen as many fish as you have!

    What has been your highlight in Hawaii :?:

    Jacob's favourite fish (but not out of the video) is the great white shark. He loves it! :lol:

    Kayla's favourite fish was the butterfly fish, I have never seen it. It is awesome


    We are really excited about your new class starting soon. You will also able to teach your class about blogging. :)

    Great post again Mrs Yollis.

    Kind regards,
    Kayla and Jacob ♥

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  8. @ Mrs Yollis,

    Great post Mrs Yollis.

    We both have not been on a snorkling trip before, but we would love to go on a snorkeling trip one day.

    Amelie has been to an aquarium and Hannah has as well.
    What was the most amazing creature you saw under water?

    Amelie might tell you about her trip to the Melbourne aquarium:
    I saw amazing fish. I also saw sting rays and baby sharks.I went to the cafe and I got lemonade in a special cup it was very pretty. She really loved the trip to the Aquarium, she had a wonderful time.

    What a great post again Mrs Yollis.

    Warm wishes,
    Amelie and Hannah(2KM)

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  9. @ Kayla and Jacob ♥,

    I'm so happy that you all watched my reef fish video and enjoyed it! That makes me smile!

    There were so many different kinds of fish in Hawaii, I was always spotting something new. The butterflyfish were everywhere. As you learned, there are over a hundred different types and many of them look very similar.

    The highlight of my trip was seeing so many sea turtles. Many were enormous, yet moved so easily through the water. They all had beautiful shells and a bit of a serious face! Here is a link to that post if you are interested in seeing pictures and video:

    Mrs. Yollis Swims With Turtles!

    Jacob, I love the great white shark as well. However, I would NEVER want to see one while snorkeling! Yikes!

    I'm looking forward to my new class and am excited that 2KM and 2KJ can show them the ropes!

    @ Amelie and Hannah(2KM),

    Thanks for your kind words about my post! I appreciate it!

    I highly recommend taking a snorkeling trip if you get the chance. Looking at the ocean, it's hard to realize that there is so much magnificent life happening down there!

    I enjoy going to aquariums too. There is a big one in California called the Monterey Bay Aquarium. In it, they have a huge tank with a kelp forest growing that you can view! Here is a link:

    Monterey Bay Aquarium – Kelp Forest

    Mahalo!
    (That means "thank you" in Hawaiian)

    Mrs. Y♥llis

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  10. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    That is a fantastic post! In fact, I went snorkeling this summer to. I went snorkeling in the Caribbean. We went snorkeling for sand dollars, and conch shells. It was really fun. We also saw a lion fish. See you on Wednesday.


    From,
    Sydney V.

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  11. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    I loved your video about snorkeling with fish. It reminded me of when I went to Hawaii. We saw some of the same fish that you saw in Hawaii. I also really liked the choice of the music you chose.

    See you on Wednesday,
    Miriam

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  12. @ Sydney V.,

    How nice to hear from you!

    Your trip to the Caribbean sounds fantastic! I didn't see any sand dollars or conch shells. What did they look like in the sand? I heard that sand dollars sit at an angle in the sand. Is that true?

    Wow, a lion fish? Those are spectacular. How close were you?

    Why don't you do a blog post about your trip with some of your pictures? (Good idea, huh?) I hope you do! I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!

    @ Miriam,

    I'm glad you enjoyed my video and the music! I had a difficult time finding free music for the video, and I didn't want to take someone's music...remember that lesson about copyrighting? :-) I wrote to Mr. Roy Sakuma in Hawaii, and he agree to let me use it! I love it too!

    It will be a great movie for our unit on animal habitats. Did you see any color adaptations on any of the fish?

    I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!

    Mahalo!

    Mrs. Y♥llis

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  13. Hi Mrs.Yollis,

    I love this post.

    I have been snorkeling before.

    I have seen a lot of bando sharks. I see a lot of flat head and whiting with my dad when we go fishing.

    From your blogging pal,
    Will (2KJ)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dear Mrs. Yollis, I also love Hawaii.
    I have been 3 times. This summer I went to Costa Rica. I went zip-lining. Have you been zip-lining? Sincerely, Jordyn :-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. @ Will, (2KJ)

    Thank you for your compliment about my fish post! I love snorkeling like you! Wow! I've never seen or heard of bando sharks. What do they look like?
    What do you and your dad like to catch?

    @ Jordyn,

    Thanks for a terrific comment! You are a great blogger already!

    Costa Rica sounds like a wonderful place to visit. Did you go in the water? What ocean were you at? I ask, because I know that Costa Rica is bordered by the Atlantic and the Pacific!

    No, I have never been on a zip line. Actually, it sounds fun, but I am a little scared of it. I prefer to hike! :-)

    Warmly,
    Mrs. Y♥llis

    ReplyDelete
  16. Dear Mrs Yollis
    I like your New Class kids, Thank you for The Comments Mrs yollis and you know What you Can stay on The b4 pages and you can Look at my page To and one of my Frieds are soon Coming To my house Today, iT is Nihgt Time and My Frieds are Sam and Louisa and paige and Tyla and My Mums Name is Carlie and My Nannys Name is Wendy. and My gradads Name is John and Jesse and Zane and olivia are great.

    From Lukahin B4, Reefton Area School.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dear Mrs.Yollis



    I loved watching you snorkaling with different size fishes.
    About how many fishes did you see altogether? how many of them were really big? I hope I can go snorkaling in Hawaii this summer.

    from,Etai

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  18. Dear Mrs Yollis,
    this is Sophie and Zoe from New Zealand.
    Hawaii waters look AMAZING!
    Your photos and video reminded Zoe alot about her trip to Thailand.She did alot of swimming-although the sea was really itchy so Zoe was swimming in pools for hours,when she got out she was as wrinkly as a prune!
    They went because her dad and step mother got married there,she stayed for two weeks but her dad and step mum stayed for a month.
    Also when Zoe was staying there,she went swimming with sharks.Sophie saw a 4.5m sting ray at Great Barrier Island.Did you see any sharks or sting rays?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi,Mrs Yollis
    its megan and amy from Titirangi primary school NZ
    we really liked the bird wrase in your snorkling video.We really liked it because it is really beatuful and the scales shimmer in the water.when i went snorkling at camp i saw a trumpet fish it was quite a funny fish .And when i went to russel i went snorkling i saw a flounder it was amazing.We think your a very good snorkler. We just want to know where abouts in hawaii were you in.hope you go snorkling again. love from Megan and Amy.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Dear Mrs. Yollis

    I really love to go to Hawaii again. We went there about 3 years ago and it was really fun for us. Your snorkeling video is interesting. I like most of the fish that I saw in the video.


    Parsa's mom Masoumeh

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    Replies
    1. @ Mom,

      I liked going to Hawaii. I remembered that we went to the ocean every day. It was fun because I saw fish,also there was a pool, and a restaurant in the hotel. My favorite fish is the parrot-fish. I like the parrot-fish because it's blue and my favorite color is blue. What is your favorite fish?

      Your fish loving student,
      Parsa


      Delete
    2. @ Parsa and his mother,

      Mahalo for a fabulous comment about Hawaii and snorkeling! I have been fortunate in that I have had an opportunity to visit our fiftieth state many times.

      Hawaii is an archipelago (ark•u•pel´•u•go). An archipelago is a chain of island. I've visit these islands: Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Oahu, and Hawaii. Hawaii is also know as the Big Island. My favorite islands were Maui and the Big Island. I like the snorkeling the most on Maui, and I was amazed at the volcanoes at Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii.

      I was so happy to hear that you went snorkeling and that you enjoyed it. I love watching all the activity under the sea!

      Did you see any sea turtles?

      Your snokel-loving teacher,
      Mrs. Y♥llis




      Delete
  21. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    Wow, that is a amazing sight to see!

    Once when I went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, I tried to go snorkeling but the water was a chilly 50 degrees and we did not have wetsuits.


    Someone my dad knows told me when he was in Tahiti he went snorkeling with some children. He was leading them to the shore. However, this one boy about 10 years old was not listening. When the kid got the the sand he was screaming.

    My dad's friend asked him what was going on. While he asked he noticed the boy's foot was gushing blood and turning blue. The child said he stepped on a frog fish. My dad's friend figured out it was a stone fish he stepped on. A stone fish is an extremely poisonous fish that blends in perfectly with rocks. My dad's friend called the boy's parents. Then they went to the hospital and he was okay!

    Sincerely,
    C♣llin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ C♣llin,

      That's too bad that you were not able snorkel. It is truly a magical experience!

      Even thought the water in Hawaii is quite warm and few people wear wetsuits, I bring my wetsuit because I like to stay in for as long as I can. Usually the water is in the 80˚F range, which is very nice. However, human body temperature is 98.6˚F. So the longer I stay in the water, my body temperature does begin to drop and after about 45 minutes, I am too cold and have to get out. After sitting in the sun for a while, I warm up and am ready to head back!

      That is a sad story about your dad's friend. :-( I like for snorkeling to be an exciting and memorable experience...in a good way. It is always important for kids to stay with a parent or a knowledgeable guide. There are some dangers out there, but if you pay attention and listen to people with experience, you'll have a wonderful time.


      Which fish did you like the best in my video?

      Your water-loving teacher,
      Mrs. Y♥llis

      Delete
  22. @ Mrs. Y♥llis,

    I went to Hawaii this summer. I went snorkeling, but just a little in the ocean where our hotel was.:-) I only saw a few fish there, but they were not colorful. They looked just like sand. At the hotel, however, they also had a tank with fish and I went snorkeling there. The fish in there were very colorful and beautiful but, it was so cold in there that we could not stay very long. :-(

    I was in Oahu at the new Disney hotel. We also saw Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto.

    When we were in the ocean, my mom suggested we should rent a paddle board. Meanwhile, my dad took my brothers on a kayak. I went with my mom on the paddle board. A paddle board looks like a surf board but bigger and you use a paddle. My mom fell off because I accidentally wiggled too much.

    I thought the water was quite warm and that there weren't as many waves where we went paddle boarding. This was because we were in a protected cove.

    We also went to a special beach called Turtle Beach where we were able to see many wild sea turtles. My mom and dad said not to get too close to the turtles because we did not want to hurt them. We even saw them up on the beach where they like to sun themselves just like you Mrs. Y♥llis.;-)

    When was the last time you visited Hawaii?

    Your Hawaii-loving student,
    Jenna♥

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  23. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    Glub, glub!

    I am Mallory's fish, Speedy (a one-year-old goldfish). My favorite part of the video was seeing my home, the ocean, in Hawaii!:D It was very exiting to see my home, friends, and family. I think those lovely Moorish idols were my best friends, Cora and Lora. They are famous in Hawaii!

    When was the first time you went snorkeling?

    Mallory's mom and dad once went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and went snorkeling for the day. Mallory's dad loved seeing all of the different fish and coral. He said there were so many colors to see. Mallory's mom didn't like it as much. The fish swam really close to her and touched her and she got scared. She's a city girl.

    Maybe one day I can visit my friends in the ocean again. For now, I'm having a great time living with the Cooper family.

    Thanks for posting this video about snorkeling!

    Your fishy blogger,
    Speedy (Mallory)

    ReplyDelete

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