This really is a small world isn't it?

So often, as we roam the world, we find so many similarities in whom we meet, in what we see, in what we enjoy (and what we don't enjoy). This water world we live in (or on) has similarities, too - more numerous than we can conceive. Off our Kona Coast, for instance, the marine biologists tell us: "About one third of the fish species here are endemic to Hawaii". That's a bunch. But, as we dive in far away places with strange sounding names, we see so many fish that are similar to ours here - it makes me wonder about that high percentage of 'endemics'. Right, I'm not a marine biologist, but still I wonder when I see so many familiar fish in the Red Sea, the Coral Sea, the Indian Ocean, even the Caribbean. It only makes us more aware that this ocean surrounding the Hawaiian Islands is the same (or similar) as water surrounding Africa, Australia, the Azores, Samoa, Tonga, South America, Japan, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Ireland, and even Long Island, for gosh sake. Only the names are different, like the Atlantic, Indian, Caribbean, Coral, and that beautiful Red one. Same water really. Take our 'endemic' hinalea (or saddleback wrasse) - I've seen one so much like it in the ocean off the Galapagos that I'd swear it was the same fish. Or our beloved Hawaiian Lionfish. Heck, there's one so much like it in the Red Sea (only bigger and more ornate) that you'd guess you were seeing the same fish off the coast of Egypt (of all places). And our porcupine pufferfish is seen in countless other locations around the world. And the sharks we see here - hey, someone once asked, "Where do sharks swim?" and the pat answer has always been, "Wherever they want to swim!" But it's true. We see the same sharks here we see almost everywhere - whitetips, blues, blacktips, tigers, Ocean whitetips, hammerheads, you name it. They are in any waters they want to be in .... and I'm not making that up. Again, we enjoy seeing sharks - they are not to be feared - only respected. Many of the little things we see in our local seas are seen around the world, too. The cleaner wrasses, the cowry shells, the sea cucumber, the corals, the shrimp, the urchins, the seastars, the eels, and the sea biscuits. We are really not that unique (although we like to brag about our diverse 'endemic' ocean inhabitants). Sure, we do have those that are never seen anywhere else in the world, but most of what we see here is seen elsewhere - and this is what makes traveling so interesting. To find out how we, as people and ocean stewards, must take care of our surroundings, above and below the surface of the seas. That is an education in itself.

If we mess up the ocean here it can and will affect the sea on the other side of the world. If we care enough to keep our ocean pristine, it will benefit those undersea creatures over there. If, also, we take the time to care for our people, others in the world will see the benefit in that and may take heed of our 'Aloha' ways to better their way of living (on land and in the seas).

Am I preaching? Perhaps, but if one of my readers finds what I say is true - and follows the way we propose, it will make this a better place - and that makes it worth it. So, go look in other places, in other oceans, in other seas, and see if what I say is true. We are all in this together, you, me, that bright little humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apua'a, that big ulua, that shark and that eel, so treat all as if you were the only ones left. For you just might be. Take care, take pictures, take visual memories. Leave only bubbles, leave a good impression, leave things alone. You are the visitor, the guest, the foreign friend.

Let's keep it that way.