Mrs. Yollis spent a lovely vacation in Hawaii.
While snorkeling there, she got to swim with sea turtles!
In addition, she encountered moray eels on the coral reef from time to time. Below is a video Mr. Yollis took of two separate eels.
Here is a link from Enchanted Learning with a diagram of an eel and some interesting information.
Mrs. Yollis noticed that whenever she saw an eel, the peacock grouper was usually nearby. Therefore, whenever she saw a peacock grouper, she would stop swimming and look for an eel. Since she returned home, she's done some reading, and it appears that the groupers and the eel hunt together!
Do you have any fun facts to share about eels?
Have you ever snorkeled? If so, what did you see?
Posts
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThat looks like such a wonderful vacation! I look forward to the day we can return to Hawaii for a vacation! I spent my summer in Philadelphia and Santa Barbara with a jaunt up to the San Francisco Bay Area. Even though all those areas are near ocean/rivers, I've only snorkeled in Hawaii during my honeymoon 15 years ago.
I look forward to returning to your post to learn more about snorkeling.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Watanabe
@ Mrs. Watanabe,
ReplyDeleteSo nice to hear from you! :-) It was a wonderful time in Hawaii! Being in the water and seeing all the colorful fish and turtles was such fun for me! I have one more post I'm going to do about tropical fish. :-)
Sounds like you have been very busy with lots of travel. I would have loved to be at ISTE. Next year, it is in California so I hope to attend!
Which island were you on for your honeymoon?
Your friend,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteWe spent our honeymoon in Poipu Beach, Kauai. It was my great uncle's condo and staying there was our wedding gift from him. It was lovely.
I had been there once before when I was 7 years old. I enjoyed comparing my memories of a child to how I viewed it as a 24 year old.
My husband and I both turn 40 this year. I wonder if I can talk him into a vacation in Hawaii as our gift to ourselves? =)
On another note, I am excited that ISTE will take place in San Diego. I'm even more psyched after reading you hope to attend. It would be wonderful to meet you in person!
Kind regards,
Mrs. Watanabe
Dear Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI, just love how you put another post up about your wonderful holiday in Hawaii.
I never did know that eels and groupers are group hunters very interesting!
I did some reading as well and found out some more interesting facts about eels.
In order for eels to slip through the water they need a great deal of slime on its body. The slime is actually produced through it own body. I also did read that eels look like snakes of the sea but are really are true fish.
Mind you they aren't the prettest fish around.
I have never been snorkling but will have too one day with Paul and Bianca. :)
Am so looking forward to your nexted post.
From your pal down under,
AA.
@ Mrs. Watanabe,
ReplyDeleteWe stayed for a bit in Poipu Beach, Kauai. I'd never been to that island and was amazed at the beauty. It is very different than the others in that it is so green! No wonder they call it the Garden Isle. The waterfalls were like nothing I've ever seen before. Beautiful.
I hope to attend ISTE in San Diego and would love to meet you too! :-)
Celebrating your 40th birthdays in Hawaii...a MUST! :-) Go for it!
@ AA,
Yes, even when I'm on vacation I am still teaching! It's for the kids, but I learn by creating movies and posts too!
Isn't that interesting about the groupers and eels! I did notice they seem to be together.
It was exciting to see an eel! At first, I was a little apprehensive, but they were not interested in people at all. I loved watching them...so graceful!
I recommend snorkeling to you and Bianca! Floating on top of the water and watching all the interesting life in the ocean is magnificent!
Someday, I'll be glimpsing the Great Barrier Reef! :-)
You pal,
Mrs. Y♥llis
@ Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply.
Yes it is true even when you are on holidays you are still teaching and I have to admit I love it!
Your words of encouragement about snorkeling has given me fuel for thought. I know BB will be jumping out of her skin to be able to go snorkeling with her dad.
Hope to see you and Mr Yollis down under one day. :)
Also Mrs Yollis thank you so much for your Post card we were all so very excited when we received it.:)
BB did mention she sent you an email.
From your pal,
AA.
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThe video of the Moray eels is wonderful. When I went snorkeling in Hawaii, my younger sister Hannah screamed snake, but the snake was really a small baby Moray eel. One boy came to look at the eel and touched it, and the eel bit him. Were you afraid that the eels would bite you?
Moray eels are found in both tropical (clear waters) and temperate seas (green water filled with chlorophyll), but are mostly found in warm water.
They live at the bottom of the ocean and spend most of there time under or behind rocks and under crevices.
Have a nice summer!
Your former student,
♥Miriam♥
@ AA,
ReplyDeleteYes, I guess I'll always be a teacher! Ha Ha!
I hope you do give snorkeling a try. At first, it can be a little odd using the snorkel and entering the water with a mask, but there is so much to see...under the sea! I find it exciting to float at the top and watch what is happening below. The fish are dazzling!
I'm glad you got the post card! Bianca was at the top of my mailing list! I know what an animal lover she is, so I'd thought she'd like that card. I also saw a couple of black swans in Hawaii and thought of her. I remembered that she wrote about some black swans in one of her posts!
@ Miriam,
I'm glad you enjoyed my moray eel post! I saw lots of eels in Hawaii and every time it was exciting. It was interesting for me to learn that eels and groupers work together to hunt because I almost always saw them together and wondered if there was a connection between them. (Look at me... building a dendrite on vacation!)
Moray eels have teeth and a strong jaw. They can harm humans. Like with any wild animal, you always give it plenty of space.
No, I was not afraid that any of the eels would bite me because I didn't try to corner them or touch them. Instead, I floated above and just watched. The eels move like a snake, so I can understand why Hannah thought that's what it was.
What was your favorite animal that you saw when you were in Hawaii? Was there an animal you were hoping to see but never found?
Your friend,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteAwsesome post.
You look like a mermaid sitting on the rock.
That is interesting you went snorkeling with the eels as well.
Eels scare me a bit, I don't know why.
Kayla and I have a couple of facts for you Mrs Yollis.
Ribbon eels can measure up to 3 meters long.
Did you know there is a zebra moray eel which has strips just like a zebra.
Hope you like these fact that my cousin and I found out for you.:)
From your pals,
Bianca and Kayla.
@ Bianca and Kayla,
ReplyDeleteThanks for a fantastic quality comment! Thank you, too, for saying I look like a mermaid sitting on a rock! My flippers do make me look like I have a tail! Ha Ha!
I understand that you are a little scared of eels, I was too at first. Like I said to Miriam, you never poke your finger at or try to touch a wild animal. Rather, you respect their space. The eels were not interested in me at, it was a pleasure watching each one swim through the water. They move so beautifully!
Thanks for sharing some fun facts here in the comment section! That was new information for me!
I noticed that the two eels in the video looked different. One eel was dark in color, and the other eel was lighter. I'm not sure which species they were.
Your mom's fact was quite interesting too. I read that eels do not have scales, but your mom (AA) said that they produce a slime on their body that helps them slip through the water. Very cool!
I can't wait to hear what you see when you snorkel! What kinds of fish does your dad see when he is out snorkeling?
Your pal,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible experience. I must say, I'm extremely jealous. Hawaii is one place that I've always wanted to visit.
It's amazing that you were able to record the whole thing. It's great to always have a way to document your experiences and share them with others.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer. Only a few more weeks until we start back up. I look forward to connecting with our new classes!
Sincerely,
Mr. Avery
@ Mr. Avery,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and for taking to the time to comment! It was an incredible experience. The whole 50th birthday was...thanks to you and our blogging buddies! :-)
My husband and I both like to take pictures. He bought an underwater housing for his camera, so he did all of the ocean shots. At first, he was only shooting photographs. Then we realized how great the videos were turning out with the zoom feature.
I'm hoping to encourage people to snorkel if they get the chance. Often times, the kids are a little scared of the ocean and prefer to use the hotel pools. Maybe the pictures and videos will get them out to experience nature! It's magnificent! (Although, I might have scared them with the eel video!) :-)
Mrs. Ranney and her husband happened to be in Maui at the same time, so we got together. She had never snorkeled before, but loved it and now wants to go back.
The water along the southern California coast is too cold for me. I was just in San Diego at the beach...and didn't swim. Should have brought my wetsuit! :-)
How is the ocean water near you?
Your friend,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI love your post! When we went to Hawaii we went snorkeling and saw a lot of fish. My favorite fish was the Rainbow fish, because it had many different and bright colors. We also saw sea turtles. we only saw one turtle swimming and the rest o of the turtles were laying down on the rocks enjoying the sun.
From,
Sarah
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting back to me. My favorite animals that I saw in Hawaii were dolphins. Since we went kayaking that day, we saw spinner dolphins. Some people went out of there kayaks to swim with the dolphins. Did you see any dolphins when you went to Hawaii?
The animal that I was hoping to see but never got to was sting rays. One night, we went to a hotel to see sting rays but there was a storm so we didn't get to see them. Did you see sting rays in Hawaii?
Your former student,
Miriam
@ Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wonderful comment! I'm glad that your family enjoyed the snorkeling so much.
I saw a lot of colorful fish, and I think the rainbow fish you're talking about is a parrot fish. They are very colorful.
Were the turtles out of the water?
@ Miriam,
Thank you for commenting back too! (Hey, that rhymes! :-)
I've seen dolphins before, but I didn't see any this time.
You mentioned that you hoped to see a sting ray. I wanted to see one too, but did not.
About five years ago, I went on a night snorkel on the big island with Mr. Yollis. We got in the water with flashlights and tiny plankton was attracted to the light. Then the manta rays came because they were interested in the plankton. Talk about cause and effect!
Do you think you would try that night snorkel?
Your pal,
Mrs. Y♥llis
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ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Yollis,
I am having fun corresponding with you(that is a word you taught us). Even when I am in fourth grade, I will continue to leave comments and write posts.
I don't think I want to try night snorkling because I am scared of things swimming next to me (except for fish). When I saw turtles swimming next to me, I got scared even though I knew they don't bite. After that, I thought the people in their black wet suits were turtles. I bet that if I saw you swimming in your wet suit, I would have thought you were a turtle too.
Your correspondant,
Miriam
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Dear Mr Yollis
ReplyDeleteI think that Mr Yollis, your videos are funny and interesting.
from Jonathon in B4
by jonathon
@ Jonathan in B4,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for taking the time to watch my movie and leave a comment.
I had a great time filming the eels and learned a lot in the process. For example, eels come in all different colors and sizes. They move through the water like a snake!
Check out my turtle video, too! I was right there with them. They seemed as interested in me as I was in them. I wonder what they told their turtle friends about me!
Your new friend,
Mr. Yollis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI'm a new student in your classroom this fall. I was
excited to see this video. I am fascinated by eels and was wondering how long the eels were that you saw.
Sincerely,
Rexon
@ Rexon,
ReplyDeleteWow! Look at you...already viewing different posts in the archive! Terrific work, Rexon!
I am fascinated by eels too. Like I said in the post, every time I saw one of those peacock groupers, I would discover an eel. Then I learned from researching that the two animals work together to hunt. The eel goes into the small holes in the rock and scares out the fish, and the peacock grouper is there to trap the little fish. Together they hunt and dine!
The eels I saw were around two feet long. Some eels can grow much longer. Maybe you can research some eel facts and share them here! I'll show you how in class.
Your friend,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs.Yollis,
ReplyDeleteIt is so great to be in your class!!
I really like the people bingo game, it was a lot of fun!
I will see you in class.
Sincerely,
Sasha